Events

Poetry Time with Alan Hanna’s Bookshop

Poetry Day Ireland
30 April 2020

Check-in – for this virtual alternative to the planned event – where you’ll find links to a collection of poems, created in response to a line in a favourite book, from a variety of poets including:

Eileen Casey, David Grant, Vivienne Kearns, Michael J. Whelan, Doreen Duffy,
Susan Condon, Kevin Bateman, Eoin Flynn, Damien Donnelly, Eilín de Paor,
Joe Carthy, Diane Murphy, Helena McCanney, Theresa O’Leary, Holly Dignam
and Orla Grant-Donoghue.

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PAST  EVENTS:

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Looking Up

A chapbook of Poems and Stories from the 2019 Red Line Book Festival Residency.

Time:  7pm
Date:  Monday, 17 February 2020
Venue: The County Library, Tallaght

This dream team, steered by Lisa Harding, were the participants of the Red Line Book Festival inaugural Writer in Residence project. Come along to this free event where you can hear the writers and poets who participated in the project read from their work.

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Fiery Arrow invites you to the launch of
The Lea-Green Down

A collection of responses to the poetry of Patrick Kavanagh edited by Eileen Casey and including work from many poets, including:

David Butler, Gavan Duffy, Geraldine Mills, Joan Power, Tanya Farrelly, Brian Kirk, Doreen Duffy, Mae Newman, Paula Meehan, Brigid Flynn, Trish Nugent, Eileen Casey, Enda Coyle-Greene, Grace Wells, Marie Gahan, Maria Wallace, Orla Grant-Donoghue and Susan Condon.

Time:  6.30pm – 8.30pm
Date:  Wednesday, 18 July 2018
Venue: The Irish Writers Centre. (Refreshments will be served.)

“The poet Patrick Kavanagh 1904-1967 would take enormous pleasure in having a standing army of poets and writers pay tribute to his work in this handsome and original publication. Eileen Casey has grasped the initiative, outcome of personal talent and imaginative enterprise, to honour one of our greatest national poets in this magnificent collection on the fiftieth anniversary of his death.”
– Dr Una Agnew

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Ian Rankin is one of the world’s greatest crime writers, creator of the hugely popular Inspector Rebus novels, as well as a string of standalone thrillers, and we are delighted to welcome him for a first visit to Pavilion Theatre.

Presented by dlr Library Voices Series
on Thursday 26 November, 2015 – 20:00 at Pavilion Theatre

Even Dogs in the Wild, the twentieth Rebus novel, brings back Ian Rankin’s greatest characters in a story exploring the darkest corners of our instincts and desires.

When DI Siobhan Clarke investigates the death of a senior lawyer, she discovers a link to a local gangster, and enlists the help of recently retired John Rebus. Meanwhile, an anonymous killer stalks the night streets, focussed on revenge. It’s a game of dog eat dog, in the city as in the wild.  Vintage Rankin – not be missed.

Full Booking Details available here

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Writers’ Conference: 26 – 28 June 2015

 Take A Step Towards Your Dreams!

This unique conference offers a road map
for you to achieve your full potential as a writer in the 21st century.

Enjoy a weekend in Dublin – an exciting and historic literary city – while traditionally published authors,
with industry experience, give you the inside story on this rapidly changing industry.

Ideal for both fiction and non fiction authors, this conference will be hosted at the Irish Writers Centre in the heart of Dublin and sponsored by BooksGoSocial.com, the leading global online book promotion service and will consist of:

• Writing craft sessions to help you improve your craft and broaden your writing skills
• Digital marketing sessions for writers will show you how you can gain readers, fast, online
• Conference Dinner & Awards on Saturday night in The Gresham Hotel, O’Connell Street, Dublin
  – After Dinner Speaker: The Only Self Published Author ever endorsed by Rolling Stone magazine, “… a one of a kind literary offering . . .” – Kenny Herzog, RollingStone.com

The line-up of conference speakers include:

Laurence O’Bryan
(founder of BooksGoSocial.com, published in 11 languages, Harper Collins & other)
teaches digital marketing at diploma level, has been training authors in digital marketing for 4 years and is also a published author. He spent ten years trying to break into the publishing industry and finally won a contract after starting a blog and launching a Twitter account in 2009.

Margaret Murphy
(Bestselling & Award Winning British Crime Writer & Writing Craft Instructor)
has published nine critically acclaimed psychological thrillers under her own name – in the UK and the USA, as well as in translation across Europe – receiving accolades from newspapers including The Times, Guardian and Telegraph in the UK, and starred reviews from both Publishers’ Weekly and Booklist in the USA.

Jessica Page Morrell
(Editor, author of a variety of acclaimed writing craft books and regular U.S. writing craft conference speaker)
understands both sides of the editorial desk–as an editor and author. She is the author of Thanks, But This Isn’t For Us, A (Sort of) Compassionate Guide to Why Your Writing is Being Rejected; Bullies, Bastards & Bitches, How to Write the Bad Guys in Fiction; The Writer’s I Ching: Wisdom for the Creative Life; Voices from the Street; Between the Lines: Master The Subtle Elements Of Fiction Writing; and Writing Out the Storm.

Jean Gill
(Author, teacher and writing craft instructor)
is a writer and photographer now living in the south of France. Since 1988, she has published eighteen books in a wide variety of genres, both with traditional publishers and self-published. A member of the Welsh Academy and Writers on Tour scheme, Jean has led writers’ workshops for all ages and abilitites/disabilities.

Catherine Ryan Howard
(Leading European self-publishing expert and social media consultant)
is a writer, self-publisher and caffeine-enthusiast from Cork. She started self-publishing in 2010 with the release of her bestselling travel memoir, Mousetrapped, and is known for the pragmatic self-publishing advice she shares on her blog, Catherine, Caffeinated. Since 2012 she’s worked with Penguin Ireland, helping them devise and execute their commercial fiction social media campaigns.

Debbie Young
(PR Guru & Commissioning Editor at the Alliance of Independent Authors)
had a long career as a journalist and PR professional. Having self-published two collections of short stories, Debbie is now writing her first novel. Her non-fiction books include the Alliance of Independent Author’s (ALLi) guidebooks. She also helps drive ALLi’s campaigns, launching #PublishingOpenUp at the London Book Fair in 2014 and #Authors4Bookstores in 2015.

Dublin is the UNESCO City of Literature:

The city of Swift, Joyce, Beckett, Yeats, Wilde, Synge & Shaw
as well as the modern masters: Edna O’Brien, Roddy Doyle, Colum McCann and a dozen others.

Full conference details available here

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There’s plenty of events to keep all avid readers and aspiring writers busy and plenty more to come. Check out a selection below:

Something  Wicked presents:
Crime Writing Workshop with Louise Phillips

Louise Phillips is the bestselling author of Red Ribbons and 2013 winner of Crime Novel of the Year for The Doll’s House.

This free workshop will cover all aspects of crime writing including: plot, character, tension, effective dialogue and so much more.

Click the poster for more information, including registration details.

Date:  Thursday, 13 March 2014
Time:  7.00pm – 8.30pm
Venue:  Manor Books, 3 Church Road, Malahide
Admission:  Free event but registration essential.
Email: info@somethingwicked.eu

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Writers at Smock Alley:
John Connolly

A celebration to launch The Wolf in Winter
with music from John Kearney & Lucy Farrell

Smock Alley are delighted to announce another event in their ongoing series of author talks with neighbours, the Gutter Bookshop.

Join them to celebrate the launch of the twelfth Charlie Parker thriller, The Wolf in Winter. John Connolly will be joined by musicians Jonny Kearney and Lucy Farrell in what promises to be a unique and thrilling evening. There will be a book signing after the event in The Gutter Bookshop.

Date:  Thursday, 20 March 2014
Time:  6.30pm
Venue:  Smock Alley Theatre
Admission:  Free ticketed event (€1 admin fee for on-line tickets)

 

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Irish Crime Fiction: A Festival

Trinity College Dublin and Glucksman Ireland House, New York University are holding a festival devoted to Irish crime fiction, featuring more than a dozen of the most exciting Irish crime novelists. This will be a memorable weekend, devoted to a key genre of contemporary Irish writing, so please make plans to join us.

Among the confirmed participants are Conor Brady, Declan Burke, Jane Casey, Paul Charles, Michael Connelly, John Connolly, Conor Fitzgerald, Alan Glynn, Declan Hughes, Arlene Hunt, Gene Kerrigan, Kevin McCarthy, Brian McGilloway, Eoin McNamee, Stuart Neville, Niamh O’Connor, Louise Phillips, and Michael Russell.

We’re particularly pleased to announce that our weekend will conclude with a major event: for the Irish launch of his newest novel, The Gods of Guilt (Orion Books, November 2013), Michael Connelly will be interviewed by John Connolly. After the interview, and questions from the audience, Michael will be signing books, which will be for sale on the evening. Tickets are required for this final event, and they are €6 (inc. fees) from eventbrite.com.

Date:  Friday, 22 – Saturday, 23 November 2013
Time:  6.30pm
Venue:  Trinity College Dublin
Admission:  Free events (€6 for Closing Event)

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Book Launch:  The Outsider by Arlene Hunt

From the time she was born, Emma Byrne was different from other children. Shy and reclusive, her world revolved around animals, so much so that by the time she was 15, Emma was a much sought after horse trainer.

So who would try to harm this gifted young woman? Who was shooting in Crilly Woods on that fateful August day?

Emma’s twin brother, Anthony, is determined to get to the bottom of what happened to his sister, and in the course of his investigations makes a terrible mistake, one that will change all their lives forever.

The Outsider: sometimes those who love us most hardly know us at all.

Date:  Thursday, 7 November 2013
Time:  6.30pm
Venue:  The Gutter Bookshop
Admission:  Free

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Red Line Book Festival 2013:  Three Men Talking About Things They Kinda Know About

Ireland’s leading performance poets take you on an emotional journey about what it really means to be a man. With Stephen James Smith, Colm Keegan & Kalle Ryan.

Venturing where few men have gone before they talk life, love, family and feelings in a show about universal truths, the things that make us human and the things that mess us up.

“…each of the men brings their own energy, tone and distinct poetic style to the composite structure…”**** The Irish Times

Contains some strong language, suitable 15+

This event is supported by Poetry Ireland

Date:  Wednesday 16th October 2013
Time:  8pm
Venue:  The Civic Theatre, Main Auditorium
Admission:  €12/€10 concession

  

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Red Line Book Festival 2013:  Against the Black Sky We Listen : an Irish Peacekeeper’s Poems

Michael J. Whelan is a soldier-poet, historian and United Nations veteran. Michael writes powerful, emotive poems of witness, tragedy, friendship & loss brought like baggage from war zones through which many Irish soldiers have passed; he is a voice of moments in the past.

In, Against the Black Sky, We Listen, he writes poems inspired by his experiences and memories as an Irish soldier with the peacekeeping forces during the conflicts in Lebanon and Kosovo.

Michael will read from his collection of poems placed 2nd in the Patrick Kavanagh Poetry Awards 2011, some of which have been published in New Irish Writing 2013 and other literary journals.

Date:  Thursday, 17th October 2013
Time:  7.30pm
Venue:  RUA RED Arts Centre, Tallaght
Admission:  Free

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Red Line Book Festival 2013:  LADYKILLERS

Crime Writing by Leading Female Authors: Alex Barclay, Arlene Hunt, Louise Phillips and special guest former Boulder Coroner Joanne Richardson in conversation with Susan Condon

A killer evening not to be missed! Some of Ireland’s most popular female crime writers share insights into creating a gripping thriller. Special guest Joanne Richardson, former County Coroner of Boulder Colorado, brings an interesting element to the evening as she shares her experiences in this challenging role.

Alex Barclay’s first novel Darkhouse was a Sunday Times Top Ten Bestseller. Since then Alex has written several bestselling thrillers and won the Ireland AM Crime Fiction Award at the Irish Book Awards for her third novel, Blood Runs Cold, which was the beginning of the Special Agent Ren Bryce series.

Arlene Hunt’s dark and atmospheric stories perfectly capture the grimy underworld of Dublin and beyond. She is the author of a series of fast-paced crime-thrillers, featuring John Kenny and Sarah Quigley from Quik Investigations. Her sixth novel Undertow was nominated for best crime novel of the year in 2009. Her current novel – a stand alone set in the US – entitled The Chosen, was voted as TV3′s Book of the Month for November 2011.

Louise Phillips’ bestselling debut crime novel, Red Ribbons, was shortlisted for Best Irish Crime Novel of the Year (2012) in the Bord Gais Energy Irish Book Awards. Her eagerly awaited second psychological crime novel, The Doll’s House was published August 2013

Joanne Richardson was County Coroner in Boulder Colorado from 2003 to 2012 and was responsible for determining cause and manner of death, which indicates whether the death was accidental, natural, suicide or homicide. Despite having what many would perceive to be a morbid profession, Richardson is upbeat, colourful and frank about her work.

Susan Condon is currently editing her debut novel – a crime fiction thriller set in New York City. Her writing career began in 2008. She has won many short story awards and was Longlisted in the RTE Guide / Penguin Ireland Short Story Competition 2012.

Date:  Friday 18th October 2013
Time:  8pm
Venue:  The Civic Theatre, Main Auditorium
Admission:  €12/€10 concession

 

Whether you are a crime fiction reader or currently honing your skills as a crime fiction writer, this is an event not to be missed. An opportunity to delve into the minds of three prolific writers as they divulge the secrets (we hope!) to their success and how they manage to get into the minds of their characters: the victims and the killers . . .

At the end of the night, there will be a chance for you, the audience, to ask those burning questions that have been eating away at you. If you can’t make it on the night and that burning question will not go away, post it here. The most intriguing question will be asked, on your behalf, on the night.

Hope to see you there!