Released on: February 4, 2008, 3:25 am

Press Release Author: High Profile Names Added To Ennis Book Club Festival Line-up

Industry: Entertainment

Press Release Summary: Ennis, County Clare, 3rd February 2008 - A number of high
profile names have been added to the bill for the Ennis Book Club Festival 2008,
which takes place in the Clare capital from 29th February to 2nd March.

Press Release Body: Event organisers have secured the participation of Diarmuid
Gavin, writer, garden designer and TV personality; Richard Tillinghast, critically
acclaimed US poet; Fintan O'Toole, drama critic, journalist and broadcaster; Ré Ó
Laighléis, the biggest selling contemporary writer in the Irish language; Theo
Dorgan, award winning Cork-born poet and broadcaster; and Vincent Woods, playwright,
poet and presenter of RTE Radio One's 'The Arts Show'.

The Ennis Book Club Festival 2008, supported by Clare County Library, is expected to
attract hundreds of book club members and book lovers from all over Europe and North
America.

The programme of events will feature author visits, readings, lectures, workshops,
exhibitions and cookery demonstrations, musical entertainment, chocolate tasting in
various venues around Ennis, and a speed dating-style networking session for book
club members to get to know one another and exchange views.

The three-day festival will also feature Roddy Doyle, a Dublin dramatist,
screenwriter and Booker Prize winning author of 'The Commitments', 'The Snapper' and
'The Van'; British author Joanne Harris, who wrote the best seller 'Chocolat'; Hugo
Hamilton, winner of the Rooney Prize for Irish Literature; Morgan Llywelyn, an
esteemed author of historical fantasy, fiction and non-fiction books; Dermot Bolger,
the author of eight novels and winner of the Samuel Beckett Award; and Nuala O
Faolain, Irish Times columnist and author of 'Are You Somebody?'; Neven Maguire, an
award winning celebrity chef; and Lorna Landvik, author of the best selling novels
'Patty Jane\'s House of Curl' and 'The Tall Pine Polka'.

Ciana Campbell of the Ennis Book Club Festival Organising Committee described the
upcoming festival as a unique opportunity for book club members from Ireland and
beyond to get together to share their joy of reading, to meet authors, to discuss
books, and to have a weekend break with friends.

She added that non Book Club readers were also invited to come along and to find out
how to establish a club in their own area.

Commenting on the festival line-up, Ms. Campbell said, "The involvement of so many
high profile authors, academics and literary figures will no doubt contribute
greatly to what will be a diverse programme of events."

Besides various readings and workshops by the principal participants, the Festival's
programme of events will comprise two presentations by Trinity College Dublin
lecturer Dr. Darryl Jones on the work of Jane Austen; a presentation on the papers
of Maurice Walsh (author of the Quiet Man) by archivist Martin Morris; a poetry
session and CD launch by the Clare Three-Legged Stool Poets; and the story of the
West Clare Railway by famed folklorist Eddie Lenihan.

Elsewhere, there will be a presentation entitled '10 Books You Must Read' by Fintan
O'Toole and Ms. Marion Coy, Director of the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology; a
walking tour of the historic streets and buildings of Ennis; a talk by University of
Limerick English lecturer Dr. Michael Griffin on the 18th century Ennis poet Thomas
Dermody; a talk on the 19th century's most famous folk healer, Feakle-native Biddy
Early; and an 'Author Identification Parade' fun competition featuring author
effigies designed and constructed by Maghera artist Jean Regan.

Kate Bateman of the School of English and Drama and the School of Education and
Lifelong Learning in UCD will host a workshop entitled 'How to Read a Novel'. 'How
to Read Poetry', meanwhile, is the title of poet Mary O'Donnell's workshop where she
will share valuable insights into exploring poetry.

Noreen Meagher, who is blind, will host a talk on the value of Audio books for the
visually impaired. Included in the session will be a presentation by Colleen
Fitzgerald from the National Council for the Blind of Ireland. Irish language
readings will be also held to mark Seachtain na Gaeilge 2008, while RTE's Rachael
English and broadcaster/journalist Caimin Jones will chair the Festival's two main
symposiums.

Tickets for all events are now on sale at Glór Box Office (065
6843103/info@glor.ie). For further details on the Ennis Book Club Festival 2008 see
ennisbookclubfestival.com. Alternatively email info@ennisbookclubfestival.com or
contact 00353879723647 / 00353857758523.

-ENDS-

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