Festival season is upon us and at Selfpublishbooks.ie, we like to keep you up to date with the latest goings on in the world of books.
This month, the Cúirt International Festival of Literature takes place in Galway City, so we decided to give you the low down on the festival and what to expect.
What is it?
The Cúirt International Festival of Literature is an annual literature festival held since 1985 in Galway.
The festival consists of a variety of events taking place over the course of a week each April with attendances and contributions from Irish and international authors. It includes readings of poetry and fiction, discussions, poetry slams, book launches, masterclasses, spoken and musical performances, multimedia events, theatre, and visual art. It was originally a poetry festival but its scope has broadened to include other forms.
There are plenty of events, from masterclasses to readings, exhibitions to talks for the public to peruse. Here are just a few that caught our eye which might be of interest.
Events
Poetry Workshop with Martina Evans.
This workshop talks through the use of poetry, art and film. It explores the forests as a metaphor for human relationships and transformations – separating the woods from the trees. Particular attention will be paid to the difference between form and structure in poetry.
The workshop will take place from 10am on April 27th in the Hotel Meyrick.
Fiction workshop:
How many pages will you read before you walk away from a book? Ten, twenty, or fifty? Setting the stakes can hook your reader (or an agent or editor, for that matter) immediately. So what does it take to get a reader instantly invested in your story? An irresistible character or perhaps a suspenseful plot? Or a string of sentences so gorgeous they simply can’t walk away?
American novelist Jami Attenberg examines a selection of brilliant and addictive beginnings from short stories and novels across an array of genres. Workshop a writing exercise, discuss what attracts you to a story and outline the stakes of your own works-in-progress.
The workshop will take place from 10am until midday on April 28th in the Hotel Meyrick.
Writing for young adults with Claire Hennessy
In this 2-hour workshop Claire will explore what fiction for teenagers looks like today, looking at how to develop compelling characters with an authentic voice and an engaging plot. Through a mix of discussion and writing exercises, with a publishing Q&A at the end, participants will learn how to avoid common mistakes when writing YA fiction and how to write the best book they can.
Claire Hennessy is a writer, editor, book reviewer, and creative writing teacher based in Dublin. She is the author of several YA novels, including Nothing Tastes As Good (2016) and Like Other Girls (coming May 2017). Claire is a co-director and co-founder of the Big Smoke Writing Factory creative writing school in Dublin, co-founder and co-editor of the literary journal Banshee, and Puffin Ireland editor at Penguin Random House.
The workshop will take place from 10am until midday on April 30th in the Hotel Meyrick.
Crime Writing Workshop:
Sophie Hannah is an internationally bestselling writer of psychological crime fiction, published in 32 languages and 51 territories. Sophie’s novel The Carrier won the Crime Thriller of the Year Award at the Specsavers National Book Awards. Two of her crime novels, The Point of Rescue and The Other Half Lives, have been adapted for television.
Explore the work of others and develop your own, with Sophie’s expert guidance.
The workshop will take place from 11am until 1pm on April 30th in the Hotel Meyrick.
There are lots of events taking place over the course of the festival. You can find even more here.
Where
Galway City
When
23rd – 30th April 2017
There you have it. A brief run down of the goings on at the Cúirt International Festival of Literature 2017. If you attend any of the events, or even just pop up to Galway to see what is happening, let us know. Also, if inspiration hits you while you’re there and you would like to get a book published with us, get in touch.
