WEST CORK LITERARY FESTIVAL - BANTRY, 6-12 JULY 2008 10TH ANNIVERSARY PROGRAMME ANNOUNCED The West Cork Literary Festival's 10th anniversary is being marked by an exciting programme, with a variety of new events added to those which have made the Festival so successful to date. There is an extra day this year, making six full days of Readings, Workshops, Seminars, Children's Events, Exhibitions and Music.
The celebrations begin with the official Festival launch by Senator Eoghan Harris on Sunday 6 July at 18.00 in Bantry Library, to which everyone is welcome.
Joseph O'Connor, Colin Dexter, Colum McCann, Dervla Murphy and Paul Durcan lead the stellar line-up of more than 50 authors who will be taking part in this year's Festival.
The number of Workshops for aspiring writers has been increased, with twelve for adults:
The Novel, Beginners/Intermediates - Michael Collins The Novel, Advanced - Carlo Gébler Short Story - Sean Lusk Writing for the Stage - Veronica Coburn Women Who Want to Write - Kate O'Riordan Poetry - Peter Fallon Screenwriting - Jeffrey Caine Songwriting - Colin Vearncombe Creativity & Spirituality - Michael McCarthy The Thriller - Damien Lewis Writing for Children - Oisín McGann Bringing Your Work Alive in a Public Reading - Mia Gallagher
The scope of the Afternoon Seminars has been broadened to include a Masterclass with Colum McCann and talks that merge the arts, by Matthew Sweeney on the connection between poetry and film, and the Sculptor Rowan Gillespie on how the written word acts as a source of inspiration to the artist.
The Children's Programme has three Workshops for ages from 4-14, timed so that parents can attend their own events. And for the first time there will a Reading every afternoon by different children's authors, such as Marita Conlon-McKenna, Oisin McGann and Derek Landy.
A continuing feature of the Festival is the large number of free Readings - at 11.00 each day in Bantry Bookshop, and twice daily at 13.00 and 17.00 in Bantry Library, the hub of the Festival.