Dublin Book Festival came and went in a flash, packed to the rafters with brilliant writers, influential and knowledgeable speakers and eager audiences. I spent five days running from one event to another, immersing myself in a splendid mix of politics, business acumen, book launches, storytelling, true stories and inspiring debate.
Comprising of a heady mix of financial and business advice and pure literary indulgence, the programme proved to be one of the most varied and all-encompassing that I’ve seen at any festival. The atmosphere was fabulous, with sell-out events in all venues and a real buzz around the city and online – proving why the city deserves its UNESCO City of Literature status.
It was truly great to see support from lots of writers who are also involved in writing.ie. I caught up withVanessa O’Loughlin, Catherine Ryan-Howard, Laura Cassidy and Sarah Webb, to name but a few. And as lovely as it is to see familiar faces, it’s also encouraging to see lots of people you don’t know; it shows that whatever the economic situation, interest in writing and publishing is still thriving in Ireland.
I was particularly overwhelmed by the level of support from children. At all the Treats for Kids events, there were masses of children thoroughly enjoying themselves. And if the standard of children’s competition winners is anything to go by, Ireland has some excellent up-and-coming talent in the next generation.
You can read about the events I attended at Dublin Book Festival, including the panel discussion about chick lit with Vanessa, over on the official festival blog.
