LIMERICK LITERARY FESTIVAL in honour of Kate O’Brien

22nd - 25th, February 2018 1 Belltable Arts Centre 2 Limerick City Gallery of Art Introduction 4 3 Dolans Stanzas Poetry Group Performance & Open Mic 6 4 Narrative 4 5 Chez Le Fab Poetry Readings by Alice Kinsella 7

6 e Granary, Limerick City Library Sars eld Bridge 6 Official Opening by Billy Keane 8 7 Ormston House As Music and Splendour, by Martha O’Brien 9 5 Arthur’s Quay Ellen Street Patrick Street 8 No.1 Pery Square Hotel 7 Getting a Novel Published Workshop 10 Graphic Novel Discussion 11 William Street Deirdre Sullivan 12 River Shannon

omas Street Kit de Waal 13 O’Connell Street Roches Street Henry Street Festival at a Glance 14 Cecil Street Glentworth Street Fergal Keane 16 Mallow Street Kevin Barry 17 4

Dock Road Catherine Street Lisa McInerney 18

Parnell Street O’Curry Street 1 John MacKenna 19 2 Colbert Rail Station St Alphonsus3 Street & Bus Depot Kevin Barry and Blindboy Boatclub 20 Barrington Street Hyde Road 8 Jana Fischerova 21 People’s Park Desert Island Books 22 Kate O’Brien Key Note Lecture 23 O’Connell Ave Tickets 24 Acknowledgements 26 he festival, formerly known and the fallout of that loss. Limerick-based graphic novel be presented by Pat Shortt, Roisín T as Kate O’Brien Weekend, Savage Town - will join John Meaney and Lisa Harding. is this year celebrating its 34th The festival will be officially Byrne to discuss their work and edition, Bridging the Gap. The opened at 6 pm in Limerick City the world of comics and graphic Emer McLysaght and Sarah festival celebrates both emerging Gallery of Art, by author and novels at Ormston House Cultural Breen authors of Oh My God, and established writers, who columnist Billy Keane. It will Resource Centre. What A Complete Aisling, will often address a variety of be followed by As Music and present a conversation about their social topics throughout their Splendour recital with mezzo- Join us in Dolans from 7 pm for book for the Key Note Lecture. This writing. The festival continues to soprano Martha O’Brien. There Festival Club, where two separate will be moderated by novelist and celebrate the life and works of the will be a new Festival Club at No. evening events will take place in academic Sarah Moore Fitzgerald. Limerick author, whilst attracting 1 Pery Square Hotel and Spa, to collaboration with The Limerick prominent local, national and meet with participants and visitors Spring Festival of Politics and The Kate O’Brien Award 2018, will international participants to share after Friday’s events. Ideas. Dolans will host an evening be presented to the best novel/ their literary works. of readings and conversations with short story collection by a debut On Saturday 24th February, in Blindboy Boatclub and Kevin Irish female writer. On Thursday 22nd February, Limerick City Gallery of Art, we Barry, in Dolans Warehouse at Chez Le Fab will host an evening welcome writers Deirdre Sullivan, 7.30 pm. The Revolution will not The Limerick Literary Festival in with poetry group Stanzas Prose Kit de Waal, Fergal Keane, Kevin be Spotified will begin at 9.30 pm. honour of Kate O’ Brien is kindly and Poetry. Stanzas will present Barry, Lisa McInerney and John It will present an amazing night supported by the Arts Council original writing based on and MacKenna, who will present a celebrating the power of protest Festivals Investment Scheme and inspired by the writings of Kate series of talks about and readings music and performance featuring Limerick City and County Council O’Brien. This will be followed by from their work. the finest live musical taken from Festival and Events Grant Scheme. an Open Mic session for guests Limerick and beyond. to share their poetry and short Academic and a novelist, We gratefully acknowledge our stories. Sarah Moore Fitzgerald and On Sunday 25th February, in sponsors, supporters and friends. novelist Dan Mooney, will Belltable we welcome Jana On Friday 23rd February, Alice deliver a workshop, Getting a Fischerova who will present her We hope you will enjoy the 2018 Kinsella will read from her debut Novel Published - from Pitch to lecture, The Prohibition of Mary edition, which celebrates writers, poetry collection, Flower Press Publication at Narrative 4. Lavelle as a Turning Point in Kate artists, books and readers. in Limerick City Library (The O’Brien’s Career. Granary). This collection of poetry Declan Shalvey and Philip explores the growth of love in Barrett - the creators of the Desert Island Books returns in childhood, the loss of innocence, internationally-acclaimed, collaboration with Dolans. It will 5 Stanzas Poetry Group Readings, featuring Performance Alice Kinsella

Thursday 22nd February, Friday 23rd February, 7pm 11am - 12pm Chez Le Fab The Granary, Limerick City Free Event Library Free Event

Stanzas is an event for emerging writers to come together, share their Alice will read from her new debut collection Flower Press. work, and meet like-minded people. As part of the Limerick Literary Festival, Stanzas will present original writing based on and inspired Alice Kinsella was born in and raised in Mayo. Her poetry by the writings of Kate O’Brien. has appeared at home and abroad, in publications such as A New Ulster, Banshee Lit, Boyne Berries, Headspace Magazine, Hungry Following Stanzas’ poetry performance, join in and share your own Hills Wild Atlantic Words Anthology, Icarus, Lagan Online, Live poetry and short stories with us during our Open Mic session. Encounters Magazine, Poethead, Poetry NI Holocaust Memorial Anthology, Skylight47, The Fem literary magazine, The Galway Review, , The Lonely Crowd, The Ofi Press, The Pickled Body, The Rochford Street Review, The Stony Thursday Book, and The Sunday Independent. Her work has been listed for several competitions including Over the Edge New Writer of the Year Competition 2016, Jonathan Swift Awards 2016, and Cinnamon Press Pamphlet Competition 2017.

She was SICCDA Liberties Festival writer in residence for 2017 and received a John Hewitt bursary in the same year.

Her first collection, Flower Press is forthcoming on February 22nd 2018 by The Onslaught Press. 6 7 As Music and Official Opening by Splendour, a Recital Billy Keane by Martha O’Brien

Friday 23rd February, Friday 23rd February, 6pm - 7pm 7pm Limerick City Gallery of Art Limerick City Gallery of Art Free Event €17 (€14 concession)

Billy Keane is a columnist with the and has built Martha O’Brien is a Limerick-born mezzo-soprano studying under a huge following over the 15 years he has been writing for the paper. Sinead Campbell Wallace in the Conservatory of Music & Drama, Billy covers all the bases from his sports columns to life and general. where she received a First Class Honors BMus degree in vocal His columns are usually humorous and at times acerbic but always pedagogy and was awarded the Nuala Levins Trophy for Pedagogy. entertaining. In opera, Martha has played the role of Joacim in a staged production Keane is the author of a highly acclaimed novel, The Last of The of Handel’s Susanna in Smock Alley Theatre as well as Cherubino Heroes and he co- wrote Rucks Mauls and Gaelic Footballs with Moss in le nozze di Figaro, Zelatrice in Suor Angelica and JouJou in The Keane. Billy ghosted Billy Morgan’s autobiography Rebel Rebel. His Merry Widow. Martha recently performed in The Second Violinist by latest novel The Ballad of Mo and G was a bestseller. Donnacha Dennehy and Enda Walsh with Wide Open Opera at both the Galway International Arts Festival and Dublin Theatre Festival. Keane is a gifted communicator who sees humour in the strangest places. Billy runs the family pub John B Keane’s in Listowel and had Other notable engagements include Opera Theatre Company’s the honour of being the only bar ever to host Prime Time. production of Don Giovanni with translation by Roddy Doyle and their revival of the 1907 Irish opera Eithne by Robert O’Dwyer.

Martha is a vocal/pre-instrumental teacher in the Dublin School of Music as well as choral director for Twitterbugs children’s choir. Upcoming engagements include Irish National Opera’s inaugural production of The Marriage of Figaro. 8 9 Getting a Novel Graphic Novel event Published - from Pitch by Declan Shalvey and to Publication Philip Barrett

Saturday 24th February, Saturday 24th February, 11am - 1pm 3pm - 5pm Narrative 4 Ormston House €30 (€25 concession) Free Event

Two hour workshop with Sarah Moore Fitzgerald & Dan Mooney. Following on from the month-long exhibition of their work in Ormston House, Declan Shalvey and Philip Barrett - the creators of Sarah Moore Fitzgerald is an academic and a novelist, and this year the internationally-acclaimed, Limerick-based graphic novel Savage at UL she has been Acting Course Director for the MA in Creative Town - will join John Byrne to discuss their work and the world of Writing working in collaboration with Donal Ryan. Her first novel, comics/graphic novels in general. Back to Blackbrick was published in 2013. Her second novel, The Apple Tart of Hope, was shortlisted for the Waterstones Prize and the Declan Shalvey is an Irish artist best known from his work on the CBI Book of the Year Award. She has researched extensively on the relaunch with Writer for . writing process across a range of contexts and has designed and run He has worked on many other series for Marvel such as Venom and writers’ retreats in Ireland, the UK and the USA. Sarah is also part as well as work with other publishers such as Conan for of the team that delivers the annual UL Frank McCourt Creative and for DC/Vertigo. Writing Summer School. Philip Barrett is an illustrator, designer and comic artist originally Dan Mooney is a writer, air traffic controller and amateur actor. from Co. Donegal and currently based in Galway. In 2012 he His first novel Me, Myself and Them won the Luke Bitmead Bursary illustrated the O’Brien press children’s book best-seller Where’s Larry? Award in 2016 and has since been bought by Harper Collin’s imprint and in 2016 illustrated the follow-up Where’s Larry This Time? His Park Row books and is scheduled for publication the US this June. illustrations and comics have appeared in publications as diverse as His second novel A Rock and a High Place, a bleak comedy about the Irish Times and Rabble. Philip specialises in live-drawing and suicide and friendship is due out in Ireland and the UK in April this has provided illustrated reports at events for Google, TEDx Dublin, year. IRDG and the Dublin Writers Festival among others. 10 11 Deirdre Sullivan Kit de Waal

Saturday 24th February, Saturday 24th February, 10am - 11am 11am - 12am Limerick City Gallery of Art Limerick City Gallery of Art €14 (€12 concession) €14 (€12 concession)

Deirdre Sullivan is from Galway now living in Dublin and working as Kit de Waal, born to an Irish mother and Caribbean father, was a teacher. brought up among the Irish community of Birmingham in the 60’s and 70’s. She has established a reputation as a leading Irish YA author following her hugely praised Tangleweed and Brine, which won Her debut novel My Name Is Leon was an international bestseller, the YA Book of the Year at the Irish Book Awards in 2017. Her shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award, long-listed for the previous novel, Needlework, won the Honour Award for Fiction at Desmond Elliott Prize and won the Kerry Group Irish Novel of the the Children’s Books Ireland Awards and was shortlisted for the Irish Year Award for 2017. Book Awards in 2016.

Her Primrose Leary series was also widely acclaimed; two of the Prim books were shortlisted for the Children’s Books Ireland awards; and the final one, Primperfect, was also shortlisted for the European Prize for Literature.

12 13 ursday, February 22nd Friday, February 23rd Saturday, February 24th Sunday, February 25th

Stanzas Poetry Chez Le Fab Group Performance 7:00pm

Readings with e Granary, Alice Kinsella Limerick City Library 11:00am

Limerick City Gallery Ocial Opening & Guest Lectures, As Music and Splendour 10:00am - 5:00pm of Art 6:00pm - 8:00pm See Page 12, 13, 16, 17, 18, 19

Graphic Novel Discussion with Philip Barrett & Ormston House Declan Shalvey 3:00pm - 5:00pm

Getting a Novel Published - Narrative 4 from Pitch to Publication 11:00am - 1:00pm

Blindboy Boatclub and Kevin Barry 7:30pm Dolans e Revolution will not be Spotied 9:30pm

Jana Fischerova, Belltable Desert Island Books & Kate O'Brien Lecture 11:00am - 3:00pm Fergal Keane Kevin Barry

Saturday 24th February, Saturday 24th February, 12:30pm - 1:30pm 2:00pm - 3:00pm Limerick City Gallery of Art Limerick City Gallery of Art €14 (€12 concession) €14 (€12 concession)

Fergal Keane was born in London and educated in Ireland. He is Kevin Barry is the author of the novels Beatlebone and City Of one of the BBC’s most distinguished correspondents and an award- Bohane and the story collections Dark Lies The Island and There Are winning broadcaster and author. Little Kingdoms.

He has reported for the corporation from Northern Ireland, South His awards include the IMPAC Dublin City Literary Award, the Africa, Asia and the Balkans. He has been awarded a BAFTA, been Goldsmith’s Prize, the Sunday Times EFG Short Story Prize and the named reporter of the year on television and radio, winning honours European Union Prize for Literature. from the Royal Television Society and the Sony Radio Awards, most recently for his Radio 4 series Taking a Stand. His stories have appeared in the New Yorker and Granta and many other journals and has been translated into 16 languages. He also Keane has won the George Orwell prize for literature, the James writes screenplays, plays and radio plays. His play Autumn Royal Cameron Prize and the Edward R. Murrow Award from the US tours in 2018, while his first feature film, Dark Lies The Island, is also Overseas Press Association. He is the author of a number of due out. bestselling books including Letter to Daniel and his memoir All of These People. His latest, Wounds: A Memoir of War and Love (2017) is published by William Collins.

16 17 Lisa McInerney John MacKenna

Saturday 24th February, Saturday 24th February, 3pm - 4pm 4pm - 5pm Limerick City Gallery of Art Limerick City Gallery of Art €14 (€12 concession) €14 (€12 concession)

Formerly an award-winning blogger, her work has featured in John MacKenna is the author of nineteen books - novels, short-story Winter Papers, The Stinging Fly, Granta and BBC Radio 4 and in the collections; poems; memoir; biography and children’s books. He has anthologies The Long Gaze Back (New Island), Beyond The Centre also written a dozen plays for stage and radio. (New Island) and Town and Country (Faber). A native of Co Kildare, he was educated at St Clement’s College Her debut novel The Glorious Heresies (John Murray) was published Limerick and UCD. Having taught for a number of years he worked in 2015 and explores salvation, shame and the legacy of Ireland’s as a senior producer and presenter in RTE for twenty-three years. He twentieth-century attitudes to sex and family. The Glorious Heresies currently teaches creative writing at NUI Maynooth. won the 2016 Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction and the 2016 Desmond Elliott Prize. It was shortlisted for an Irish Book Award, He is a winner of the Irish Times, Hennessy and C Day Lewis Awards longlisted for the 2016 Dylan Thomas Award, and named as a book as well as a Jacobs Radio Award for his documentaries with Leonard of the year by The Irish Times, Sunday Independent and Sunday Cohen. Business Post. It has been translated into Spanish, French, Italian, Dutch, German, Czech, Serbian, Polish and Danish. His most recent publication is Once We Sang Like Other Men (New Island) Lisa’s second novel, The Blood Miracles, was published by John Murray in April of 2017. She is currently a contributing editor at The Stinging Fly.

18 19 Kevin Barry and Blindboy Boatclub Jana Fischerova

Saturday 24th February, Sunday 25th February, 7:30pm 11am - 12pm Dolans Belltable €10 SOLD OUT (Entrance €14 (€12 concession) available with Weekend Pass)

Limerick Literary Festival in honour of Kate O’Brien and Limerick The Prohibition of Mary Lavelle as a Turning Point Spring present Kevin Barry and Blindboy Boatclub for an evening of readings and conversations in Dolans Warehouse. in Kate O’Brien’s Career

Blindboy Boatclub is Ireland’s foremost satirist and most original Jana Fischerova holds a PhD in Anglo-Irish Literature and Drama comic voice. As one half of the Rubberbandits, pioneers of the from University College Dublin. aesthetic movement ‘Gas C*ntism’, he has released numerous hit singles, represented Ireland a the Venice Biennale, headlined the Her work has been largely comparative. Her research interests Globe theatre and garnered critical acclaim from all corners of the include twentieth-century writing, mainly Irish and Czech, but also theatre and comedy worlds. Blindboy also campaigns in support of a British and (Soviet) Russian. She is particularly interested in the variety of social issues, including male mental health. relationship between literature and society, and in the subject of literary censorship. Kevin Barry Bio : See Page 17 Jana is an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the School of Languages, The Revolution will not be Spotified Literatures and Cultural Studies, Trinity College Dublin, and she also teaches English and Irish literature on the Access and Lifelong A night of live music, celebrating the power of protest music and Learning programme at University College Dublin. She is currently performance. Featuring the finest live musical taken from Limerick editing a volume of Kate O’Brien’s essays and journalism. and beyond. Saturday 24th February, 9:30pm, Dolans (Upstairs) €5 (Entrance Included with Weekend Pass) 20 21 Desert Island Books, Key Note Lecture presented by Lisa presented by Emer Harding, Pat Shortt McLysaght and Sarah and Roisin Meaney Breen

Sunday 25th February, Sunday 25th February, 12pm - 1:30pm, 2pm - 3pm Belltable Belltable €14 (€12 concession) €17 (€14 concession) Lisa Harding is an actress, playwright and writer. She has performed Emer McLysaght and Sarah Breen created the Facebook page Oh My at the Abbey, the Gate, the Lyric theatres among others and on RTE, God, What A Complete Aisling which lead to them writing the novel playing Connie in Fair City. Her short story Counting Down was a of the same name. They originally conceived of the Aisling character winner in the inaugural Doolin Writer’s Prize in 2013. Other stories when they shared a flat together in Stoneybatter. Observing certain have been published in The Dublin Review, Bath Short Story Award traits, characteristics and quirks of a very particular type of Irish Anthology and Headstuff. She has just been awarded an Arts Council girl they recognised and identified with, they set up the Facebook Bursary for her second novel, Overspill. page to gather their comical observations and it has since become a phenomenon, taking on a life its own. Like Aisling, both are ‘from Pat Shortt is an Irish actor, comedian, writer and entertainer. With down the country’. Jon Kenny he created ‘D’Unbelievables’, Ireland’s most popular comedy duo. An actor of note, Pat has appeared on stage with Druid Emer (@EmerTheScreamer) is a former Editor of The Daily Edge Theatre Company, in movies including Man About Dog (2004), while Sarah(@SarahJayBee) is a Features Editor for The Gloss Garage (2007), The Guard (2011) and Television including Father Magazine. Ted, Killinaskully (2003-8), Mattie (2009–11) and Smalltown (2016). Emer McLysaght and Sarah Breen will deliver the Limerick Literary Roisin Meaney is the author of several bestselling novels, including Festival in honour of Kate O’Brien Key Note Lecture. They will Two Fridays in April, After The Wedding, The Last Week of May, Love present a conversation about their novel Oh My God, What A in the Making and One Summer, as well as several books for children. Complete Aisling. The lecture will be moderated, with the opportunity Her books have been translated into Spanish, Norwegian, Swedish, for the audience to ask questions at the end of the discussion. Danish, German and Italian. 22 23 Weekend Pass Kevin Barry and Blindboy Boatclub Sold out! (entrance available with Weekend Pass) February 23rd to February 25th | €132/€112 The Revolution will not be Spotified €5 Available via box office only. Please call 061 953 400 for further information and to book your Weekend Pass. Jana Fischerova - The Prohibition of Mary Lavelle as a Turning Point in Kate O’Brien’s Career The Festival Weekend Pass allows entry to all of the events during Standard Ticket €14, Concession Ticket €12 the Limerick Literary Weekend, at the Limerick City Gallery of Art, Dolans and Belltable. Desert Island Books with Pat Shortt, Roisín Meaney & Lisa Harding Standard Ticket €14, Concession Ticket €12

Sunday Ticket Kate O’Brien Lecture - Emer McLysaght and Sarah Breen Standard Ticket €17, Concession Ticket €14 February 25th | €42/€37

Available via box office only. Please call box office on 061 953400 for Tickets can be purchased at the Lime Tree Theatre. Box Office: 061 further information and to book your Sunday Ticket which covers all 953400 or online at www.limetreetheatre.ie events in Belltable on Sunday, 25th February. Tickets may be purchased at the door for individual sessions, while Individual Ticket Prices tickets are still available. Concession tickets are available for student, senior and un-waged purchases. As Music and Splendour, Martha O’Brien Standard Ticket €17, Concession Ticket €14 Please note that ticket capacity is limited at all events, tickets will be issued on a first come first served basis. Please allow time to purchase Deirdre Sullivan | Kit de Waal | Fergal Keane | Kevin Barry | Lisa tickets on the door as no late comers will be permitted once an event McInerney | John MacKenna commences. To book tickets for The Revolution will not be Spotified, Standard Ticket €14, Concession Ticket €12 please see www.dolans.ie

Workshop by Sarah Moore Fitzgerald and Dan Mooney, Getting a Novel Published - from Pitch to Publication Standard Ticket €30, Concession Ticket €25 (Weekend Pass does not cover this workshop) 25 Thank you to all our funders, sponsors, supporters, participants, friends and visitors for their generosity and support of Limerick Literary Festival in honour of Kate O’Brien. A special thank you to Limerick City Gallery of Art and to Úna McCarthy Director/Curator and Siobhan O’Reilly Care of Exhibitions/Collections, for their generosity in accommodating Friday and Saturday’s events. Also a special thank you to the Limerick Culture and Arts Office team for their invaluable support.

Funders : Arts Council, Limerick City and County Council

Sponsors : O’Mahony’s Booksellers, Bella Italia, David Punch & Co Solicitors, Ferguson’s Hearing Aid Clinic, Fines Jewellers Limerick, GEON Engineering, Brian Geary Car Sales, Irish Handcrafts, Leahy & Partners Solicitors, O’Donnell Boutique, Piccola Italia, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Savins Music Centre, Tadgh Kearney Jewellery, Conlans BMW.

Supporters : Limerick City Gallery of Art, Culture and Arts Office, Lime Tree Theatre, No.1 Pery Square Hotel and Spa, Dolans, Chez Le Fab, Ormston House, Narrative 4, Limerick Spring Festival of Politics and Ideas, Limerick City Library, University of Limerick MA in Creative Writing, Crescent Bookshop, Stanzas: Poetry, Prose & Art, Lawless Flow- ers, Country Choice, Kleiser Pianos.

Organising Committee : John Byrne, Valerie Dolan, Anne Marie Gill, Marie Hackett, Vivienne McKechnie, Sarah Moore Fitzgerald, Eileen O’Connor, Darren O’Dea, Donal Ryan, Denise Whelan

Festival Administrator: Eimear Redmond

The Limerick Literary Festival in honour of Kate O’Brien is proudly supported by the Arts Council Festivals Investment Scheme and Limerick City and County Council Festival and Events Grant Scheme.

Design/Layout : www.juleshackett.com www.limerickliteraryfestival.com