Aspects Festival Bangor 20 September – 6 October 2019 A celebration of Irish writing P TOURIST BANGOR MARINA INFORMATION PICKIE FUN PARK HELLO AND WELCOME HIGH STREET

P Welcome to Aspects 2019 QUEENS PARADE

We use the cliché all too often but there really is something for everyone in

1 this year's programme! There are events celebrating historical writing, poetry,

crime fiction, writing workshops, children’s events, politics, memoir, journalism, 6 MAIN STREET MAIN scriptwriting, the short story and exhibitions. GRAYS HILL P

HAMILTON ROAD Back by popular demand, we welcome some of our Aspects friends in Michael Longley, Fergal Keane and Malachi O’Doherty – as well as local talents Moyra Donaldson, Ian Sansom and . 2

MAIN STREET

We are delighted to host the launch of Darina Allen’s new cookbook and Gerald Dawe’s new poetry collection. BUS & TRAIN STATION Don’t miss out on our female crime event and Women Aloud NI shares its poetic TENNIS COURTS thoughts on food.

We hope you enjoy exploring our programme and look forward to seeing you at the festival. 5 Aspects Festival Team ABBEY STREET SERC P

BELFAST ROAD

P ROAD 3 BANGOR AURORA TO CLANDEBOYE AQUATIC & LEISURE ESTATE COMPLEX 1 THE BLACKBERRY 4 PATH ART STUDIOS 2 BANGOR CARNEGIE LIBRARY 3 BANGOR CASTLE P & NORTH DOWN MUSEUM 4 WALLED GARDEN We have sent you this guide as we believe you have a legitimate interest in our product as you have 5 SERC THEATRE requested to receive it before, however you can unsubscribe at any time and we will no longer send A21 FESTIVAL MAP 6 BOOM! STUDIOS you a copy. You can contact us using the details on the back page.

2 3 Aspects At A Glance

Opening North Down 1,000 Books To Read Before North Down P6 4 Sep–6 Oct Writers in the Frame Free P24 3 Oct 6pm £7 hours Museum You Die Museum Opening Blackberry Path P6 26–29 Sep Poetry and Art Free P25 3 Oct 8pm Malachi O’Doherty Bangor Castle £10 hours Art Studios Opening Bangor Castle Clandeboye P7 8 Sep–6 Oct Gathering Silence Exhibition Free P26 4 Oct 5pm Olivia Manning £7 Hours Walled Garden Courtyard Opening Seacourt Print An Evening with Poets and Clandeboye P8 2–27 Sep Fabrications Exhibition Free P27 4 Oct 7pm £7 Hours Workshop Poetry Courtyard Seacourt Print 5 Oct/ 6.30pm/ Clandeboye P8 28 Sep 2–4pm Brainy Crafternoon Free P28 Lightning Talks Free Workshop 6 Oct 2pm Courtyard Opening This World is Magic Bangor Carnegie Clandeboye P9 10 Sep–5 Oct Free P29 5 Oct 3pm Mad Hatter’s Tea Party £20 Hours Exhibition Library Courtyard North Down Clandeboye P10 21 and 28 Sep 10am–1pm Reading Like a Writer £30 P30 5 Oct 8pm Darina Allen £10 Museum Courtyard Clandeboye P11 26 Sep 8pm Michael Longley Bangor Castle £12 P31 6 Oct 10.30am–1pm The Woodland Chew and Yarn £5 Courtyard North Down Shane Connolly discusses Clandeboye P12 27 Sep 6pm Poetry: New Collections £7 P32 6 Oct 3.30pm £10 Museum Flowers, Food and Drink Courtyard The History of What We Eat Clandeboye P13 27 Sep 8pm Fergal Keane Bangor Castle £12 P33 6 Oct 5pm Free and Drink Courtyard North Down Clandeboye P14 28 Sep 5pm Rise of the Short Story £5 P33 6 Oct 6.30pm Women Aloud NI Free Museum Courtyard Colin Bateman and Clandeboye P15 28 Sep 3pm Bangor Castle £10 P34 6 Oct 8pm The Darkling Air £12 Stephen Walker Courtyard Space, SERC Bangor Carnegie P16 28 Sep 7pm Poetry Slam £5 P36 20 Sep 10–11am Toddler Storytime Free Theatre Library Carlo Gébler and Gavin Bangor Carnegie P17 29 Sep 2pm Bangor Castle £8 P36 20 Sep 3.30–4.45pm Illustration Workshop £7 Weston Library

P18 29 Sep 4pm Gerald Dawe Book launch Bangor Castle Free P37 20 Sep 4pm and 5pm Book Inspired Yoga Boom! Studios £7

P19 29 Sep 6pm Polly Devlin Bangor Castle £10 P37 20 Sep 6.30–8.30pm Tablets and Text Boom! Studios £8

North Down 10.30am and Bangor Carnegie P20 30 Sep 6–9pm Writing to the Image £15 P38 21 Sep Sensory Story £8 Museum 12noon Library North Down Bangor Carnegie P21 1 Oct 6–9pm As Good as it Gets £15 P38 21 Sep 2–4pm Comic Book Creations £8 Museum Library North Down P22 2 Oct 6pm Female Crime £7 P39 21 Sep 10am–4pm Poetry Collage Making Boom! Studios Free Museum Bangor Literary Journal North Down P23 2 Oct 8pm Fealtys Back Bar Free P39 21 Sep 6pm Bedtime Stories £3 Launch Museum

4 5 Sunday 8 September – Sunday 6 October Wednesday 4 September – Gathering Silence Sunday 6 October Bangor Castle Walled Garden Writers in the Frame Free during opening hours North Down Museum Free during opening hours Gathering Silence showcases new work by artists Helen Hanse and Owen Crawford.

Inspired by exhibiting in the unique and beautiful environment of the Walled This is a literature inspired exhibition Garden, the sculptures in stone and wood reflect a gathering of experience, of quiet displaying works including author moments and the changing seasons. portraits and book-related framed pieces. Aspects Festival is delighted The process of carving to create in stone and wood is time worn and allows for the to present a small number of works alliance of story and word in the careful definition of these materials. Stories often held in the Arts Council of Northern precede and germinate the carving yet the materials seem always to provide a new ’s Art Collection, including this telling of whatever has to be said. portrait of Michael Longley by David Russell, charcoal on paper. Exhibition Launch event Sunday 8 September 3pm Free – all welcome, Thursday 26 September – Sunday 29 September meet at the Bandstand Poetry and Art The Seventh Bangor Poetry Competition and Art Exhibition The Blackberry Path Art Studios Free during opening hours

The Bangor Poetry Competition’s theme this year was ‘Elements’. In this seventh year of the competition, it saw poets from all over the globe submit original poems to be considered for the shortlist. The final selection, made by the editorial team of The Bangor Literary Journal, are displayed alongside original artwork. The public is invited to come along and vote for their favourite poems and choose a winner for the prestigious competition. Exhibition opening hours: Thursday 26 and Friday 27 September 11am–2pm Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 September 11am–3pm

6 7 Monday 2 September – Friday Tuesday 10 September – Saturday 5 October 27 September This World is Magic Fabrications: Drawings by Barry Falls Unravelling Facts Bangor Carnegie Library from Folklore Free during library opening hours Work by Susan Robinson Seacourt Print Workshop Barry is an award-winning illustrator and artist from County Tyrone. He provides Free during opening hours illustration for editorial, design, advertising and publishing. Monday to Friday, 10am – 4pm Barry works with a variety of pen, pencil, paint and found materials. Sections of a drawing are created individually and then assembled on the computer in a digital collage. Texture and vibrant, saturated colours are a hallmark of his work. Facial Fabrications examines the fine line expression and nuances of gesture or posture allow for the creation of a complex between facts, fiction and folklore. personality within the context of a ‘simple’ drawing. Barry’s love of drawing fauna Combining screen-printing, stitch, and flora is apparent in much of his work. knitting and crochet, Robinson examines, embroiders and embellishes His aptitude at finding a compelling visual to our understanding of memory and the accompany an abstruse subject, has led to human brain. repeated work for The Lancet medical journal, Bloomberg Businessweek, Where did the idea of ‘woolly thinking’ come from? How exactly does someone’s The New York Times and The mind ‘completely unravel’? What is a ‘hare-brained scheme’? How does one put Financial Times. As well as ‘a twist in the tale’? editorial, corporate and This exhibition gathers all these curious threads to produce some imaginative advertising work, Barry textile art. has also produced book covers for Faber & Faber, Random House and Macmillan and illustrated Saturday 28 September short stories in The New Yorker. Brainy Crafternoon His first Seacourt Print Workshop picture book 2 – 4pm for young Free during opening hours children, It’s Your World Now! was Our take on a stitch’n’bitch, bring your current knitting or stitch project or we’ll published in 2019. provide a project for you to work on. Session will be inspired by the exhibition of fiction or folklore. Open to all ages and no experience required.

8 9 Saturday 21 September and Thursday 26 September Saturday 28 September Michael Longley Reading Like a Writer Aspects Launch Event with Patsy Horton Bangor Castle North Down Museum 8pm 10am–1pm £12 £30 total for both sessions

Michael Longley is an award-winning ‘Like most – maybe all – writers, I learned poet whose love of his craft remains to write by writing and, by example, undimmed. This is his description of reading.’ writing a poem: ‘You’re concentrating, Reading Like a Writer, Francine Prose and all of you is gathered up, deeply attentive, and that concentration is like Whether you are a writer or someone a drug, and you realise you’ve been at with aspirations to write, or whether you a sheet of paper for four hours. I love love reading and talking about books, this that. I love the intensity of that. It’s such session is for you. excitement.’ Join editor and expert reader Patsy Michael’s most recent collection, Angel Horton to discuss two fantastic and Hill, was published in June 2017. Winner critically acclaimed novels that are loved of myriad literary awards, he is also the by readers – David Park’s Travelling in a recipient of a CBE and the Queen’s Gold Strange Land and My Name is Lucy Barton Medal for Poetry. He was the Ireland by Elizabeth Strout. Professor of Poetry 2007-2010. His latest publication is A Stream’s Tattle The session, which will require (2019) a pamphlet of new poems which participants to have read both novels in celebrate his eightieth year. advance, will explore why these novels are powerful works of fiction, and what it is about the writing that makes them so beloved by readers and critics. We will discuss how these novels have been ‘built’ and structured through character, setting, plot and elements. We’ll also spend time discussing the style of the writing in novels, using close reading to explore the rhythm and flow of sentences and paragraphs.

© Bobbie Hanvey

10 11 Friday 27 September Friday 27 September Poetry: New Collections Fergal Keane with Maureen Boyle, Moyra Donaldson and Ross Thompson Bangor Castle North Down Museum 8pm 6pm £12 £7

‘The journalism of witness is a form Maureen Boyle’s The Work of a Winter contains poems written over sixteen years. of atonement. If by bearing witness They are often narrative and many attempt to give a voice to women and men to these things we’ve got to confront whose voices we haven’t often been able to hear, reflecting the idea that poetry can unpalatable truths one can then … give intimate imaginative access to people’s lives. make a small start to look at the past … To look back, not with misty eyes, not Carnivorous is the eighth collection from County Down poet Moyra Donaldson. Drawing on myth, nature and memory, the poems speak of the extraordinary in the with sentimentalism, but with cold hard ordinary. Fluidity of self and of time, an evocation of the natural world, our human facts.’ Fergal Keane need to try to make sense of our lives – all themes that are expanded and developed Fergal Keane is a multi-award winning in this latest book. foreign correspondent and author. His books have covered a diverse range of Bangor Poet, Ross Thompson’s debut collection of poems, Threading The Light, will be published by Dedalus Press in October 2019. It charts a chronological journey subjects, from the Rwandan genocide, through the pre-adventure world of childhood, the wounds of awkward adolescence to the Irish War of Independence and and the future promise of adult life. Honest and emotive, Threading The Light is a Civil War, to South Africa and the history book about hope, love, faith and forging ahead without letting go of the past. of Apartheid, to the Siege of Kohima and the Second World War. He is also a memoirist, with Letter to Daniel and All These People. His five-part series The Story of Ireland was broadcast in 2011. A personalised style of writing is present throughout his work. ‘I’m just uncomfortable with sanctimony’, he says, ‘but I’m still a great believer in the things that have always moved me, in the fundamental principles of human rights. They moved me long before journalism ever did.’ He was awarded an OBE for his services to television journalism in 1997 and holds an honorary Doctor of Letters from .

12 13 Saturday 28 September Saturday 28 September The Rise of The Short Story Colin Bateman and Stephen Walker with Claire Simpson and Mia Gallagher in conversation North Down Museum Bangor Castle 5pm 3pm £5 £10

Claire Simpson was born in north Antrim and educated in but now lives and Join Colin Bateman and Stephen Walker works in Belfast. A journalist for more than 13 years, she also hosts a weekly news as they discuss their very different podcast. She has an MA in creative writing from Queen's University, Belfast and has writing experiences. Expect stories of had work published in Crannog magazine and Surge: New Writing from Ireland. She is journalism, books and Hollywood with working on her first collection of short stories. a love of football thrown in for good measure. Prize-winning author Mia Gallagher’s novels are HellFire (2006), awarded the Irish Tatler Literature Award 2007 and Beautiful Pictures of the Lost Homeland (2016), Award-winning author Colin Bateman longlisted for the Republic of Consciousness Award 2016. Mia has received several is a prolific crime novelist, children’s literature bursaries from the Arts Council of Ireland and has enjoyed the role of author, screen writer and dramatist. writer-in-residence in many different environments. Her award-winning short fiction The series Murphy’s Law, adapted has appeared widely in journals and anthologies. Mia has also written for the stage from his novel of the same name and and worked as an actor. Shift (2018) is her first short-story collection. starring , ran for six years. Bateman’s The Journey was released in 2016, and his drama Driven, focussing on the DeLorean story, comes out later this year. Nearly a quarter of a century after the publication of his award- winning novel , Bateman will soon bring us the eleventh novel featuring . Stephen Walker is an award-winning author and broadcaster. Since 1989 he has worked for the BBC as a television and radio reporter, a documentary maker and a political correspondent at Westminster and Stormont. Stephen is the author of three books. Forgotten Soldiers: The Irishmen Shot at Dawn, Hide and Seek and Ireland’s Call: Irish Sporting Heroes Who Fell in the Great War.

14 15 Saturday 28 September Sunday 29 September Poetry Slam Aesop’s Fables Space with Carlo Gébler and SERC Gavin Weston 7pm Bangor Castle £5 2pm £8

Aspects Festival presents: The North Down Heat of the All Ireland Poetry Slam. This dynamic, competitive event pits poet against poet. A witty, illustrated version of the world’s greatest collection of fables, allegedly They’re working against the clock and their peers, to showcase their original work. written by a slave in the 5th century BC. Poets who register at the start of the night, will be chosen at random and have A book for our times, this retelling of the three minutes to perform. Three judges will score the work and choose who goes Fables makes them relevant and richly through to the next round. The outright winner will be crowned ‘Aspects Poetry Slam enjoyable. This is a new version of a Champion’! book that was often used to teach moral lessons to children. Gébler’s Aesop is The top two poets from the Aspects Slam will join winners from other regional heats darker, more realistic and compulsively across Ulster in an All-Ulster final. readable.

From there, two winners join six other Carlo Gébler is one of Ireland’s most poets from across Connacht, Leinster Rules of Slam prolific and respected writers. He was and Munster. 1 Poems should not exceed three born in Dublin, the elder son of the minutes Irish writers Ernest Gébler and Edna One poet will walk away with the O’Brien. He is a novelist, biographer and prestigious crown of All Ireland Poetry 2 Pieces should be the poet’s own playwright. His most recent novel is The Slam Champion. work Innocent of Falkland Road, inspired by his 3 No props*, musical instruments youth in London. He is also the author Good luck to all. 4 Poets should perform solo of several novels for children, and works This event will be hosted by Clare of non-fiction including a biography of 5 There will be penalties/ McWilliams, director of Articulate Art NI, Ernest Gébler, The Projectionist. disqualification for non- and will include special guest readers adherence to the rules Gavin Weston was born in Belfast, and judges. @Articulateartni aims to studied Fine Art at Saint Martin’s School raise the profile of all NI artists whose 6 Timing begins after the poet of Art and Design and Goldsmiths’ work is articulate and can be heard out gives their name and title of the College, London, and University of loud. poem Ulster. He has lectured at University of 7 Winning poets are required Ulster and Belfast Metropolitan College to attend the Ulster Slam for many years and was a regular Championship heat contributor to The Sunday Times from *Page/book to read poem from is 1994 to 2002. He is a former prize- acceptable winner of the Claremorris Open and Iontas, a recipient of The Tyrone Guthrie Award and was nominated for The Becks Futures Award in 2002.

16 17 Sunday 29 September Gerald Dawe Bangor Castle 4pm Free – registration essential

Gerald Dawe is an award-winning poet, literary critic, anthologist and academic. A widely published poet, his other books include Earth Voices Whispering: Irish poetry of war 1914-1945 (2008), Of War and War’s Alarms: Reflections on Modern Irish Writing (2015) and The Wrong Country: Essays on Modern Irish Writing (2018). Dawe is the editor of The Cambridge Companion to Irish Poets (2017) and author of In Another World: Van Morrison and Belfast (2017). This event is the launch of Gerald Dawe's latest poetry collection The Last Peacock published by The Gallery Press.

Sunday 29 September Polly Devlin Bangor Castle 6pm £10

‘If I had been born a writer, I would have written all the time, and I had many years of not writing. I was too busy living. But I was born a seanchaí. I was born a storyteller. Those years were spent telling stories to my children and to anyone who would listen.’ Polly Devlin is an author, broadcaster, filmmaker, art critic and professor. Her list of interviewees as Features Editor for Vogue is a who’s who of the 1960s – Bob Dylan, John Lennon and Janis Joplin to name but a few. Devlin has written for the Sunday Times, New Statesman, the Evening Standard, the Observer and the International Herald Times. She is the author of many books, including All of Us There and The Far Side of the Lough, and was awarded an OBE for services to literature. Despite this she admits: ‘you have to prod me with a cattle prod to make me write. I’ve never written without being asked. And prodded. I find writing very easy. I just hate it.’ Bobbie Hanvey © Her latest book is Writing Home, a collection which reflects on her remarkable life.

18 19 Monday 30 September Tuesday 1 October Writing to the Image with Malachi O'Doherty As Good As It Gets with Moyra Donaldson Workshop Poetry Workshop North Down Museum North Down Museum 6–9pm 6–9pm £15 £15

The printing press separated the This workshop will focus on the skill of editing your own poetry, and offer helpful reproduction of text from the and practical suggestions as to how best to ensure that your poem is ready for reproduction of image. Before publication. What are the questions you can ask yourself? How do you know when that the intermingling of the two a poem is finished? seemed natural. Digital technology has made the interaction of text The second half of the workshop will look at applying these skills to individual and image easier, but we have poems. Please send one example of your work to [email protected] lost the habit of it. We have film by 20 September. in which image predominates; Moyra Donaldson is an award-winning poet whose most recent collection is we have photography in Carnivorous from Doire Press. She is a creative writing facilitator with more than newspapers and other formats 20 years’ experience and her workshops are designed to be both supportive and as simple illustration; but we encouraging. She is a professional mentor for the Irish Writers Centre and Words also have career structures in Ireland and also mentors poets who are working towards a first collection. Moyra journalism and film making has been a judge for a number of poetry awards, including the Seamus Heaney which define photography Award for New Writing and the Mairtín Crawford Award. and writing as distinct endeavours. This workshop for writers and photographers shows how image and text are naturally symbiotic, and how each can be enhanced by the other.

20 21 Wednesday 2 October The Bangor Literary Journal Launch: Aspects Edition Fealtys Back Bar 8pm Free – registration required

Come and join us for the launch of the special Aspects edition of The Bangor Literary Journal! Several of the shortlisted poets from The Bangor Poetry Competition Wednesday 2 October will read their entries and the winners will be announced. There will be Female Crime readings from contributors to the special issue and our featured writers. North Down Museum 6pm £7

Catriona King is a doctor, manager and writer. Raised in , she worked for many years in central London as a doctor and trained as a police forensic medical examiner, working with the Metropolitan Police on many occasions. Catriona now lives in Northern Ireland, basing her Craig Crime Series of novels here. This contemporary series comprises twenty-one detective novels to date, the latest being The Depths. She has also written an Irish fantasy novel and a science fiction novel set in New York. Sharon Dempsey studied Politics and English at Queen’s University, Belfast and journalism at City University, London. She has written for a variety of publications and newspapers, including the Irish Times. She is a creative writing tutor at Queen’s University. Her debut crime novel, Little Bird, was published by Bloodhound Books to critical acclaim in 2017. A Posy of Promises, a heartwarming story about life and love, followed in 2018. She is working on a new crime series, along with a modern day Gothic thriller. Kelly Creighton lives in Newtownards and facilitates creative writing classes. Since 2014, she has curated The Incubator literary journal. Her books include: Three Primes (2013, poetry); The Bones of It (San Diego Book Review’s 2015 Novel of the Year); and Bank Holiday Hurricane (shortlisted in the Saboteur Award’s Best Short Story Collection category and longlisted for the 2017 Edge Hill Prize). She is currently writing the third book in her series of detective novels set in East Belfast; the first instalment will be published in spring 2020.

22 23 Thursday 3 October Thursday 3 October 1,000 Books To Read Malachi O’Doherty Before You Die Bangor Castle with James Mustich 8pm £10 North Down Museum 6pm £7 Malachi O’Doherty is an author, journalist, political commentator and photographer. As well as two books on religion, he has written two books on the IRA, The Trouble With Guns (1998) and The Telling Year: Belfast 1972 (2007). He reflected on his 1,000 Books to Read Before You Die: A rediscovery of his love of cycling in On My Own Two Wheels (2012). His unauthorised Life-Changing List puts a thousand great biography of Sinn Féin’s Gerry Adams was published by Faber & Faber in 2017. His books at readers’ fingertips. Fourteen book Fifty Years On. The Troubles and the struggle for change in Northern Ireland is years in the making this compelling published this year by Atlantic Books. compendium of a thousand noteworthy books to get lost in is essential reading for every book lover. The book is as compulsively readable, entertaining, surprising, and enlightening as the thousand books it recommends, and it celebrates something every reader loves — the joy of discovery. James Mustich began his career in bookselling at an independent bookstore in Briarcliff Manor, New York, in the early 1980s. In 1986, he co-founded the acclaimed book catalog, A Common Reader, and was its guiding force for two decades. He has subsequently worked as an editorial and product development executive in the publishing industry. Enjoy James Mustich in conversation as he discusses the Irish titles that made his list and find out if he really read all of them!

24 25 Friday 4 October Friday 4 October The Writing of Olivia Manning An Evening with Poets and Poetry Clandeboye Courtyard Clandeboye Courtyard 5pm 7pm £7 £7

The novelist Olivia Manning (1908-1980) was born in but had Irish roots Ian Sansom is a novelist, critic, journalist, broadcaster and academic. He has written and connections to the Morrow family who owned The Olde House at Home on for The Guardian, the New Statesman and the Irish Times, as well as writing and High Street, Bangor. Her Balkan trilogy was published in the 1960s followed by her presenting programmes for BBC Radio 3 and Radio 4. In addition to his books on Levant trilogy in the late 1970s. The final book of that trilogy, The Sum of Things was cultural history and literary criticism he had two novel series – The Mobile Library published posthumously the year she died. The two trilogies, known as Fortunes of series and The County Guides series. His latest book, September 1, 1939: A Biography War, were described by the Sunday Times as ‘the finest fictional record of the war of a Poem, is published this year by Fourth Estate. produced by a British writer.’ Gail McConnell is a poet, literary critic and an editor. Her work has featured in Poetry Join us for a conversation between Eve Patten and Linda McAuley about this Review, Virginia Quarterly Review, The Manchester Review and The Tangerine. Her remarkable writer. long poem, Type Face, was published in Blackbox Manifold in December 2016, while her first pamphlet Fourteen was published in 2018. Her second, Fothermather, is Linda McAuley is an award-winning forthcoming with Ink Sweat & Tears in autumn 2019. broadcaster. She is best known as the presenter of BBC Radio Ulster’s ‘On Stephen Sexton’s poems have appeared in Granta, Poetry London, and Best British Your Behalf’. In 2017 she was inducted Poetry 2015. His pamphlet, Oils, published by The Emma Press in 2014, was the into the Irish Music Rights Organisation Poetry Book Society’s Winter Pamphlet Choice. He was the winner of the 2016 (IMRO) Radio Awards Hall of Fame and National Poetry Competition and the recipient of an ACES award from the Arts was awarded an MBE for services to Council of Northern Ireland. In 2018 Stephen was one of seven poets presented with consumers in Northern Ireland in the the Eric Gregory Award, for his collection The Animals, Moon. If All the World and Love New Year Honours 2018. Were Young is published by Penguin this year. Eve Patten is Professor of English in Trinity College Dublin. She has published widely in nineteenth and twentieth- century Irish and British literature: her books include Samuel Ferguson and the Culture of Nineteenth-Century Ireland (2004), Imperial Refugee: Olivia Manning’s Fictions of War (2012) and (co- edited with Aidan O’Malley) Ireland: West to East: Irish Cultural Connections with Central and Eastern Europe (2013).

26 27 Saturday 5 October and Saturday 5 October Sunday 6 October Mad Hatter’s Tea Party Clandeboye with Lady Dufferin and friends Reading Party – Clandeboye Courtyard 3pm–5pm Food for Thought £20 Clandeboye Courtyard

Join Lady Dufferin and friends to enjoy an afternoon of local delights in the beautiful Join us at the Courtyard at Clandeboye surroundings of Clandeboye Courtyard. throughout the weekend for a series This Food for Thought event, as part of the Clandeboye Reading Party, is sure to of public talks, discussions, readings, be a highlight of the weekend. There will be introductions between historic and launches and food! contemporary food delights. The Clandeboye Reading Party brings You are invited to join in the fun and wear your favourite hat! together staff and students from Queen’s University Belfast and Trinity College Dublin, the local community and Aspects’ audience for the fourth Clandeboye Reading Party. This year the theme of the weekend is Food for Thought.

Saturday 5 October and Sunday 6 October Lightning Talks Clandeboye Courtyard Saturday 6.30pm Sunday 2pm Free – registration required

Early career researchers from Queen’s University Belfast and Trinity College Dublin will give lightning talks about the history, culture and literature of food and drink on both days. These showcases always promote interesting discussions!

28 29 Saturday 5 October Sunday 6 October Darina Allen: A Life in Food The Woodland Chew and Yarn Clandeboye Courtyard Clandeboye Courtyard 8pm 10.30am–1pm £10 £5 per child/adult

Darina Allen is an award-winning cook and author who runs the world-famous This Forest School family event will spend the morning in the great outdoors in the cookery school at Ballymaloe House in East . Her contribution to culinary beautiful Robin Wood. This unique morning of walks, cooking and creative writing education was recognised in 2013 when she was awarded the UK Guild of Food will be fun for all the family. Writers’ highest accolade the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’. An ambassador for Irish We will be using Clandeboye’s very own yoghurt and apples to make delicious food, she is part of the International Slow Food Movement for Ireland. Her Simply food for all on the campfires. Trinity College Dublin’s Pádraic Whyte will be keeping Delicious series for RTÉ ran for eight series, and last year saw the publication of us all on the edge of our logs with his own unique brand of creative writing and Simply Delicious, The Classic Collection. She is the author of many other cookery storytelling throughout the morning. books, including the kitchen bible that is the Ballymaloe Cookery Course and Grow, Cook, Nourish which won The World Gourmand Cookbook Award 2018. Her new Robin Wood is home of the Clandeboye Nature Rangers, North Down’s after-school cookbook One Pot Feeds All will be launched at this event. Forest School programme. Please dress for the weather and wear suitable clothing and footwear. All children must be accompanied by an adult. Max two children per adult.

30 31 Sunday 6 October The History of What We Eat and Drink with Susan Flavin Clandeboye Courtyard 5pm Free – registration required

Susan’s research concentrates on the history of trade, consumption and material culture in Early Modern Britain and Ireland. Her current research – food, culture and identity in Ireland c1550-1650, brings together historians, archaeologists, computational and archaeological scientists, from across the UK and Ireland, to explore food consumption and its cultural interpretation during a complex and dynamic period of Irish history.

Sunday 6 October Shane Connolly discusses Flowers, Food and Drink Clandeboye Courtyard 3.30pm £10

‘I love seasonality above all things. Snowdrops in January symbolising “hope”; roses Sunday 6 October for all the different aspects of love in summer; tulips for fascination in spring; lilac in May symbolising “first love” and “memories of love,” and so the list goes on. So I go Women Aloud NI does Food for Thought to the season first and then work out the flowers I’d like to suggest.’ Shane Connolly Clandeboye Courtyard Having trained with some of London’s leading flower designers, Northern Ireland 6.30pm native Shane Connolly set up his own company in 1989. Since then he has built an Free event impressive reputation as a floral designer, with a small gifted team of florists, artists and craftsmen working in North Kensington. He designed the wedding flowers for both TRH The Prince of and The Duchess of Cornwall and TRH The Duke and Women Aloud NI invite you to join them for some poetry inspired by food! Enjoy this Duchess of Cambridge and proudly holds Royal Warrants for both HM The Queen showcase by local poets celebrating our love of good food! and HRH The Prince of Wales. He lectures internationally and has published widely Women Aloud NI is an initiative which aims to raise the profile of the women’s on flowers and flower arranging, most recently with Discovering the Meaning of writing scene in Northern Ireland. Flowers: Love Found, Love Lost, Love Restored.

32 33 Sunday 6 October Festival Finale The Darkling Air Album Launch Clandeboye Courtyard 8pm £12

The Darkling Air are Rachel McCarthy and Michael Keeney joined by their long time collaborators Arco String Quartet. Following the release of their acclaimed debut album Untamed & Beloved in 2016, the group performed extensively on radio and television, receiving widespread airplay (BBC Radio Ulster, RTE, BBC 6 Music) while performing at a host of arts festivals. Filmic folk-noir coupled with poetic lyrics, piano, guitar and strings produce a richly emotive and melancholic sound world accompanied by bespoke projected visuals. This will be the first performance of The Darkling Air’s new album Ancestor. They will perform new songs alongside earlier material. 'The purity of voice, the measured intensity of instrumentation and the depth of lyrical portrait ... I can’t recommend The Darkling Air’s Untamed & Beloved highly enough.' Stephen McCauley – Soundscapes, BBC Radio Ulster 'Powerful vocals combined with circular piano motions and thematic reiteration in strings, a harmonious melancholic scene is certainly set.' CultureHUB magazine

34 35 A weekend of family-friendly creative Young events to inspire young imaginations

© Balázs Kétyi. Unsplash

Friday 20 September Friday 20 September Friday 20 September Friday 20 September Toddler Storytime Illustration Workshop Book Inspired Yoga Tablets and Text with Make and Take with Barry Falls Boom! Studios Boom! Studios 8 years+ mini books Bangor Carnegie Library £7 6.30pm – 8.30pm 3.30pm – 4.45pm Bangor Carnegie Library Giraffes Can’t Danceby Giles Andreas £8 7–12 year olds 10am – 11am and Guy Parker Bees. £7 1 years+ 4–7 year olds Join digital artist Graham Ginty to create a unique studio visual story Free event (Booking required) Illustrator Barry Falls will take the 4pm – 5pm 'mash-up'. Using books, words, digital children through activities exploring Enjoy a special morning with your little Breathe and Be by Kate Coombs film, sound recording and drawing character, story and how words and one at our read-aloud story time in 7–12 year olds which will culminate in a short video pictures can work together to bring Bangor’s Carnegie Library. After hearing 5pm – 6pm piece filmed, recorded and edited a narrative to life. He will use his new some favourite stories together, you'll by the participants. No experience book It’s Your World Now and the Both sessions will be inspired by the be using toddler friendly colours and is required and the equipment is exhibition to inspire. books, bringing them to life through stickers to make your own mini story Yoga and Art. provided. All you need is a handful of book to take home! words and your creative brain!

36 37 A weekend of family-friendly creative Young events to inspire young imaginations

Saturday 21 September Saturday 21 September Saturday 21 September Saturday 21 September Creative Natives Comic Book Creations Poetry Collage Making Cosy Bedtime Stories Sensory Story – The with Jim Laverty Boom! Studios North Down Museum 10am – 4pm 6pm – 7pm Very Hungry Caterpillar Bangor Carnegie Library All ages 4 years+ 2pm – 4pm Bangor Carnegie Library Free event £3 (includes cookie and drink) 7 years+ 10.30am – 11.30am and 12noon – 1pm £8 1–5 years Call in to Boom! Studios and contribute Get your jammies on and bring a to a visual collage – a Myrioyama – blanket, it’s time to cosy up amongst £8 Learn all you need to know from an originally a set of 19th century visual the fairy lights! You'll be hearing some experienced and popular comic drawing The colourful, crazy and very greedy cards that could be re-arranged to tell stories from new books along with some genius, Jim. You’ll be creating your own caterpillars feast will be in Bangor! a story. Using the words from poet old favourites. See you there with your comic in this workshop and go home Come and listen to the famous story Michael Longley and his poem Starlings, teddy! with skills to continue the story! and then get stuck into exploring all the a visual expression of the poem will sensory stations inspired by the tale of be built throughout the day. Drop in to a growing butterfly. There’s arty making contribute to the collage and see it take and painting spots too, so dress for on a new life. mess and lots of fun!

38 39 Booking Information

Book online at aspectsfestival.com

Or in person at

North Down Museum 028 9127 1200 Tuesday – Saturday 10am – 4.30pm Sunday 12noon – 4.30pm Mondays in August: 10am – 4.30pm

Ards Arts Centre 028 9181 0803 Monday - Thursday 9am – 5pm Friday 9am – 4.30pm Saturday 10am – 4pm

Tickets can be purchased from all Ards and North Down Visitor Information Centres.

Refund Policy Tickets cannot be exchanged or refunded, so please check them as soon as you receive them.

Access for Disabled Patrons We welcome disabled patrons, but would appreciate knowing your requirements in advance. Please contact North Down Museum.

All events correct at the time of going to print. Aspects Festival reserves the right to make alterations if necessary. No photography/recording of events.

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