COUNT the literati stars in Limerick now for three days of Éigse Michael Hartnett. Colum McCann is here to spread the Narrative 4 mission of international story telling, Donal Ryan will deliver the annual Hartnett lecture and writer Des Healy is to lead the Saturday 16 walk-about.
Poets Michael Coady, Jo Slade, Jane Clare and TheIrish Times’ Gerard Smyth are in tow for this Newcastle West festival weekend. Naturally, joint Éigse bursary (€4000) winners, Doireann Ní Ghríofa and John McAuliffe will present to read their winning works.
Éigse Michael Hartnett is opened this evening Thursday 14 at 8pm by Mayor of Limerick City and County, Cllr Liam Galvin. He’ll be supported by a keynote address by poet Rita Ann Higgins musing on ‘Wasp in a Mug, or why is it some poems unsettle us.”
Friday 15 will see a Story Exchange where 24 students students will have the experience of stepping into another’s shoes through the telling of their stories.
Éigse teamed up with Narrative 4 to bring this to Newcastle West as part of the mission to develop empathy and leadership in young people through the powerful medium of storytelling.
It is an international foundation, co-founded by writer McCann and other writers and artists.
The Limerick birth proper is on Sunday 17, 5pm at 58 O’Connell Street in the city with John Moran, chair of Hunt Museum, Loretta Brennan Glucksman of UL Foundation and the city of Limerick.
