Dates confirmed for the 2012 dlr Mountains to Sea Book Festival and Poetry Now
7/06/2012
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council today confirmed the dates for the Mountains to Sea dlr Book Festival 2012. This year’s festival will take place from the 4th to the 9th of September, and incorporates the Poetry Now festival for the first time.
An oustanding line-up of international authors from across the genres is being prepared, given that the festival now includes Ireland’s top poetry festival, in addition to a first class family and schools programme, and the main programme.
British literary giant, Howard Jacobson, who won the 2010 Man Booker Prize for The Finkler Question, will kick off the festival on Tuesday September 4th, while Pulitzer prize winner, Elizabeth Strout, will travel from the US to speak in the opening days. Other highlights in a stellar line-up will include UK novelist, Philippa Gregory, IMPAC winner Gerbrand Bakker and readings by superb writers such as Jonathan Dee, John Banville, Esther Freud, Daniel Woodrell, David Mitchell and Katie Fforde. The poetry line-up includes legends such as Mark Doty, Paula Meehan, James Fenton, and a Transtromer tribute, while also including the Irish Times Award, and using some stunning new venues.
RTÉ Radio 1’s Sunday Miscellany returns with its fantastically popular show, while Liam Carson will present Imram, the Irish readings extravaganza with special musical guests. Aspiring writers can look forward to a series of Creative Writing Workshops with top tutors, and the family programme will include appearances by major authors such as Robert Muchamore, Marcus Sedgwick, Philip Reeve, Derek Landy and Marita Conlon McKenna.
Tickets will go on sale from July 20th.
Further information is available on the website www.mountainstosea.ie, and via Facebook and Twitter.
ENDS
For further information:
Contact Carolyn Brown , Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council on 01 2054000
Media enquiries and author interview requests:
Contact Maeve Buckley on 086-1582725.
Editors Notes:
The dlr Mountains to Sea Book Festival is produced by Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council. It was started in 2009 and to date has hosted such literary greats as Paul Auster, Siri Hustvedt, Michael Ondaatje, Emma Donoghue, Sebastian Faulks, Maeve Binchy and John Banville. Other distinguished speakers have included Olivia O’Leary, Edward Beckett, and the late Garret Fitzgerald.
Dún Laoghaire Rathdown has been the birthplace and inspiration for many of Ireland’s most influential, entertaining and popular writers. From James Joyce to Samuel Beckett, George Bernard Shaw to Flann O’Brien, Hugh Leonard to J. M. Synge and from Denis Johnston to LAG Strong it is unrivalled for its historic literature. Wonderful contemporary writers from this area include Maeve Binchy, Joseph O’Connor, Julie Parsons, Colum McCann, Hugo Hamilton, Marian Keyes, Bernard Farrell, Declan Hughes, Martina Devlin, Sarah Webb, Paul Murray and Ross O’Carroll Kelly.
The Mountains to Sea dlr Book Festival honours this great literary tradition.
