Programme
We are delighted to announce the details of the 2024 Listowel Writers’ Week Festival programme, curated by the poet Martin Dyar. Our festival theme this year is Mother Nature.
Please note that some of the below events are subject to change. The final programme will be formally published in the coming weeks. Please also stay tuned for full details of the 2024 Creative Writing Workshops offering at Listowel Writer’s Week. Tickets for all events and classes are available through.
Wednesday 29th May
8pm
Opening Night Celebrations & the Listowel Writers' Week Annual Awards, featuring acclaimed singer songwriter Molly O'Mahony
Thursday 30th May
10am
Walking Tour
11am
Book Launch in Listowel Library
LUNCHTIME
Festival in a Van (a special outreach partnership delivering poetry and music performances to residential care audiences in the Listowel area throughout the day)
2pm
Caoilinn Hughes & Colin Walsh
2.30pm
Book Launch in Listowel Library
3pm
Oein DeBhairduin & Órfhlaith Foyle
Sponsored by NEWKD
3pm
Film Screening: 'Cry My River', directed by Olesia Morgunets Isayenko (in Ukrainian, with English subtitles)
4pm
Erin Fornoff & Gustav Parker Hibbett
Sponsored by NEWKD
5pm
Clair Wills & Vona Groarke
6pm
Joanna Donnelly: A Journey Around the Sea Area Forecast
7pm
Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin
8pm
Alice McDermott in conversation with Edel Coffey
9pm
Poet's Corner, Christy's Bar
Friday 31st May
10am
Walking Tour
11am
Book Launch in Listowel Library
LUNCHTIME
Lunchtime Poems: open air poetry reading opportunity for beginner, emerging and established poets
2pm
Wild Waters: Richard Nairn in Conversation with Jane Clarke
2.30pm
Book Launch in Listowel Library
3pm
Root and Branch: Anja Murray & Brían MacGloinn (Ye Vagabonds) in conversation with Martin Dyar
4pm
Windfall: Irish Nature Poems to Inspire and Connect, Jane Clarke & Jane Carkill (In partnership with Poetry Ireland)
5pm
Éanna Ní Lámhna, an interactive Wonders of the Wild event for children
6pm
Mike McCormack & Edel Coffey
7pm
Sofia Andrukhovych & Malachy Browne sponsored by NEWKD
8pm
Soon to be Announced
9pm
Poets Corner, Christy's Bar
Saturday 1st June
10am
Walking Tour
10am
'Snizzly Snouts', a multi-sensory children's storytime experience with Karl Browne, in partnership with Vision Ireland.
11am
Children's Writing Awards
LUNCHTIME
The Wolfstongue Saga with Sam Thompson
LUNCHTIME
Lunchtime Poems: Open air poetry reading opportunity for beginner, emerging and established poets
1pm
Animals as Characters with Jane Carkill, a narrative art class for children.
1pm
Cúirt Filíochta: Irish language poetry event. Filí na Gaeilge ag léamh a gcuid filíochta. Eagraithe ag Matt Ó Maonaigh, cléireach na Cúirte, i gcomhar le Seachtain na Scríbhneoirí, le Glór na nGael Lios Tuathail agus le tacaíocht Oifig na Gaeilge, Comhairle Co. Chiarraí.
2pm
Brendan Casey & Noel O'Regan
2pm
Coyote's Wild Home: Lily Kingsolver in conversation with Anja Murray (in partnership with Seamus Heaney HomePlace)
2.30pm
Book Launch in Listowel Library
3pm
Black and Irish: Leon Diop and Briana Fitzsimons
Sponsored by NEWKD
4pm
Dear Gay: Suzy Byrne in conversation with Roddy Flynn
5pm
Rough Beast: Máiría Cahill in conversation with Kathy Sheridan
6pm
Poets Zaffar Kunial & Bernard O'Donoghue, with acclaimed harpist Alannah Thornburgh
7pm
Sarah Bernstein & Colin Barrett, reading and in conversation with Sam Thompson
8pm
The Road to Riverdance: Bill Whelan in Conversation with Richard Ford, with live musical performance by acclaimed musicians Zoë Conway & John McIntyre.
9pm
Poets Corner, Christy's Bar
Sunday 2nd June
10am
Halyna Budilova reading from Giant Tales & Tales of the Snow Giant, sponsored by NEWKD (recently translated from Ukrainian into English)
10am
Sheila Barry Memorial Bus Tour
11:30am
Writers' Week Mass
12pm
Film Screening: The Secret of Kells, directed by Tomm Moore. In partnership with Cartoon Saloon, marking the fifteenth anniversary of the film's Oscar nomination.
1pm
Sam Blake reading from her new YA novel Something's About to Blow Up
1pm
Book launch in Kerry Writers' Museum
1pm
Pat Sheedy reading from his debut memoir A One Hundred to One
2pm
Caitríona Ní Chléirchín & Laoighseach Ní Choistealbha (in partnership with Poetry Ireland)
3pm
Public lecture on the Listowel literary tradition by Dr Deirdre Serjeantson: 'Landscape and Memory in the Novels of Maurice Walsh'.
4pm
Maureen Beasley, Christy's Bars
4pm
The Madonna Effect: Reinvention as You Age, comedy panel with Barbara Scully, Orla O'Doherty & Val Troy
5pm
New Age of Storytelling: Popular Digital Content creators Tadgh Fleming & Derry Fleming in conversation with Deirdre Walsh
6pm
Rachael English & Sinéad Gleeson
7pm
We Need to Talk: Dr Tony Holohan
INFORMATION:
Listowel Writers’ Week, 24 The Square, Listowel, Co Kerry, Ireland V31 RD93
Tel: +353 68 21074 | Email: info@writersweek.ie
Events:
Programmes and performers may be subject to change.
Events are approximately 1 hour in duration and usually finish with an audience Q&A.
Please arrive 10 minutes before event commences, latecomers will only be admitted at the discretion of the Festival.
If you are collecting tickets, this must be done at the Ticket Desk in The Listowel Arms Hotel at least 30 minutes before event commences.
Ticket Exchange/Refund:
Once purchased tickets cannot be exchanged or refunds given. Refunds will only be made in the event of a cancelled performance.
Parking:
There will be FREE parking available throughout the town for the duration of the Festival courtesy of Kerry County Council
