Stellar line-up unveiled for Athlone Literary Festival

An audience with novelist and playwright Dermot Bolger, a reading by human rights activist Colm O'Gorman, a workshop on how to write your memoir and a debate on the burning questions of the day ... Just a few of the key attractions of this year's Athlone Literary Festival which takes place from Friday, September 25 to Sunday, September 27. Organisers of the festival have compiled an intriguing and diverse schedule of events for the annual event, which is now becoming a fixture on the cultural calendar of the region. For those excited by the cut and thrust of debate and discussion on some of the vital questions of this turbulent time, The Big Question on Friday evening is tailor-made. Mary Davis, CEO Special Olympics Ireland, Brendan Keenan, Group Business Editor of Independent newspaper, Colm O'Gorman, Executive Director of Amnesty International, and Dr Steven King, Irish Examiner columnist and former advisor to David Trimble will form the high-profile panel of speakers. The debate on Friday evening from 8pm to 10pm in The Prince of Wales promises a session of moral, ethical, controversial and contrasting perspectives as each of the speakers address their own big question. Audience interaction will most definitely be encouraged. On Saturday afternoon, O'Gorman, who was the founder of One in Four, will also read from his recently-published memoirs Beyond Belief, which outlines how he took on the Catholic Church after suffering sexual abuse as a boy in his native Wexford. Dermot Bolger, one of the most well-known literary figures in the country, will deliver a workshop on writing and publishing on Saturday afternoon and there will be further a workshop session on bookmaking for children also on Saturday afternoon. MEMOIR WRITING Those who have long cherished the notion of writing their own life story should note the Memoir Writing Workshop on Saturday morning from 9.30am to 1pm. Acclaimed facilitator Irene Graham will lead the workshop which is designed to stimulate the journey from memory to memoir using a range of challenging techniques. The number of participants is limited to 16 only and there is a course fee of €40 to include all materials. For those who dabble in poetry, there will be an open forum for all to read from their work at 11.30am in the Prince of Wales on Saturday. Published poets Mary Melvin Geoghegan and Kieran Furey will read along with members of the Scribblers writers group in Mullingar and Ballymahon Writers Group. That same morning writer Martin Dyar will be accompanied by musician Conor Walsh in a unique collaboration of poetry and piano. Other speakers include Niall Crowley, former CEO of the Equality Authority, Caroline Walsh, literary editor of the Irish Times and the festival could not pass without a reference to perhaps Athlone's greatest writer, John Broderick, who will be the subject of a critical analysis by Dr Eamon Maher. The festival will conclude on Sunday morning with a literary and cultural walk of Athlone led by Gearoid O'Brien. The festival programme can be obtained by visiting www.athlone.ie/literaryfestival There is a small admission fee to most programme items. A weekend pass can be purchased for €55/concessions €35. Enquiries and bookings to athloneliterary@gmail.com or to 090 6498838. Bookings may also be made at The Prince of Wales Hotel on the festival weekend. However, patrons are advised that some events may book out in advance.