They did it! 28 hours, 111 writers, over 1,100 people through the front door and over 103,000 online viewers! To celebrate their 25th anniversary, the Irish Writer’s Centre hosted Read for the World, an attempt to break the record for ‘most authors reading consecutively from their own work’. The previous record was set at the Berlin International Literature Festival and featured 75 authors.Read for the World saw 111 writers taking part over 28 hours in a single venue. Each author read an extract from their own work for 15 minutes before passing the torch on to the next. This marathon relay was open to the public and broadcast live online from 10am on June 15th and through the night until 2pm on the 16th.
Dermot Bolger, who read from External Affairs at 8.30pm on the 15th was looking forward to the event when he told writing.ie “writing can sometimes be a very isolated life and it is always good for any group to come together, whether they break a record or not.” With just the slightest trepidation about the ‘insomniac shifts’, Bolger told us he would be dropping in to support his fellow writers.
After an introduction by Senator David Norris at 10am, proceedings were kicked off on Friday morning by the author of Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (2008), John Boyne, with a reading from his new novel The Absolutist. Other big names taking part include Marita Conlon-McKenna, Gerald Dawe, Catherine Dunne, Gabriel Rosenstock, Roddy Doyle and Seamus Heaney.
Sarah Webb, author of several books for adults as well as children including The Shoestring Club (2012), was excited to be reading from Ask Amy Green: Boy Trouble.
“It’s a cracking idea and I can’t wait to hear some of the other authors read too – they have a fantastic line up. I’ve never read for 15 minutes before, so it will be an interesting challenge. I hope the audience are ready for a heady tale of friendship disaster and errant boyfriends!”
As well as being the 25th anniversary of the Irish Writer’s Centre this Bloomsday was also be the 130th anniversary of James Joyce’s birth and the 90th anniversary of the publication of his Irish epic, Ulysses. Now that the book has passed the 75 year mark and the rights have become public, many people are wondering whether or not they should be re-imposed, in order to protect the work. However, author and Irish punk legend Ferdia Mac Anna insists that anything that can bring attention to Joyce’s work and turn people on to reading and writing can only be good in the long run. He says, “Don’t we want to see people come to Ireland to see writers read rather than come to Ireland to buy books?’
Juliet Bressan, who read from Snow White Turtle Doves was reflective; “James Joyce would be astonished and very honored by the work we are doing in his name. Joyce made literary history in Dublin: he changed the way in which we read, and he will influence and inspire writers and readers forever. I am very proud to be included in this rock and roll event.”
Dermot Bolger reflected that Joyce may have given us the virtues of silence and exile but this weekend’s record attempt would require the Irish to master the virtue of punctuality!
Below find just a selection of the authors who read, for full details, click here:
Friday 15th June
10.15-10.30: John Boyne reading from The Absolutist
11.30- 11.45 Sarah Webb reading from Ask Amy Green, Boy Trouble
13.30-13.45: Juliet Bressan reading from Snow White Turtle Doves
15.15- 15.30: Gabriel Rosenstock reading from Clann na nEan.Riocht na Cailce.
20.30-20.45: Dermot Bolger reading from External Affairs
Saturday 16th June
10.00-10.15: Seamus Heaney reading from Opened Ground: Selected Poems, 1966-1996
10.30-10.45: Marita Conlon-McKenna reading from Under The Hawthorn Tree
11.30-11.45: Catherine Dunne reading from Missing Julia
12.15-12.30: Gerald Dawe reading from My Mother City
13.30-13.45: Roddy Doyle reading from The Van
21.30-21.45: Ferdia Mac Anna reading from The Rocky Years
(c) Sienna MacAnna June 2012
With thanks to Just Add Attitude blog for the wonderful welcoming photograph of the Irish Writers Centre.
The Irish Writers Centre is located at 19 Parnell Square, Dublin, www.writerscentre.ie
