WORLD BOOK NIGHT AFTERS

Shauna Gilligan reading from Happiness Comes from Nowhere

The World Book Night event in Celbridge library went off very well. Myself, Shauna Gilligan, Mae Leonard and Debbie Thomas read. The library, in conjunction with Cultivate Celbridge gave out free books over the course of the day, and then raffled 5 copies of each of the guest writers' books on the night.

Mae Leonard, of Naas & Limerick, in full flow

I really enjoyed hearing an extract from Shauna's début novel Happiness Comes from Nowhere, Mae Leonards's memoir pieces (she had us all singing 'Glory-o, glory-o, to the bold Fenian men' at one point), and Debbie's madcap adventure of a decapitated Aztec head.

Meself

We got a very warm welcome at the library (tea, biccies and buns which pleased Juno) and from the audience, who were lovely. All in all, a very nice time was had.

Debbie Thomas

WORLD BOOK NIGHT & BREWERY LANE AFTERS

I am horribly busy these days, feeling quite grumpy because I have so much to do/achieve/complete/work on. But there are nice things in the midst of all the deadlines.

TONIGHT I am reading for World Book Night, from Mother America, in Celbridge library in County Kildare. I'm thrilled because it will be my first time to read with my friend Shauna Gilligan. The other writers on the bill are Mae Leonard and Debbie Thomas. 7pm to 9pm, free admission, refreshments, and all welcome.

The weekend just gone I was in Carrick-on-Suir teaching a two-day course on the short story at the inaugural Brewery Lane Writers' Weekend. And what a lovely weekend it was - the people were great and the hospitality was second to none. Big thanks to Margaret O'Brien for the invitation to participate.

I was so happy to get to Tipp as I managed a side-trip on the way home for essential NIP research. Now all I want to do is go back down there and soak up more of it. Tipperary is so beautiful.

Here are a few pics to give a flavour - I have neither the time nor the wit to report properly.

Juno outside Brewery Lane Theatre, where all the events took place

Richard Hayes of Waterford IT who gave a stunning seminar on Ovid's Metamorphoses

Myself and the class, with Margaret O'Brien on the right

Ormond Castle, Carrick-on-Suir

Country signpost on my research side-trip

Slievenamon, which features in my NIP - I wanna go back, waaah