The Rolling Sun Book Festival, set in Westport, County Mayo, is a quirky boutique festival that indulges bookworms and connoisseurs of music, song, and poetry. Set in the shadow of the ancient spiritual mountain, Croagh Patrick, it evokes the many layers of Irish culture in the best bardic and poetic traditions. The festival kicked off last night, Thursday November 3, with poet Ger Reidy launching Lady Cassie Peregrina a poetry collection by Terry McDonagh in the Custom House Studio and will continue with a jam packed number of days until it finishes on Sunday November 6.
The festival will be officially opened this evening, November 4, in the Clew Bay Hotel at 8pm, with an evening of song, chat, food and wine featuring Anne Doyle, the doyenne of RTE newsreaders, sharing her favourite books, and Donal Fallon, history columnist on Newstalk, with his own inimitable take on Westport and Major John McBride. Music will be provided on the night by Coda. Places are limited and tickets cost €25.
On Saturday there is a great line up of events with a seminar on Self Publishing for Success with experienced self publishing author Alex Blackwell in the Sean Staunton Room, Town Hall Theatre, at 2pm.
The seminar will be followed by On the Couch with Claire Grady, Deirdre Purcell, and Ann O’Loughlin in the Clew Bay Hotel at 3.15pm. Westport native Claire Grady was the first female editor of the Irish Independent and she will be in lively conversation with authors and journalists Deirdre Purcell and Ann O’Loughlin, followed by book sales and personal signings by the authors. Admission is €15.
On Saturday evening author Sebastian Barry will be in conversation with Frank Reidy about his glittering career and his new book, published this month, Days Without End, in the The Walnut Suite, The Plaza Hotel, at 8.30pm and admission is €15. On Sunday night acclaimed wildlife cameraman Doug Allen shares his remarkable experiences, including documentary film footage and talking about his new book In the company of Giants with a Q&A session afterwards in the Town Hall Theatre at 8pm. Admission is once again €15. For more information on the festival or how to book tickets log on to www.rollingsunbookfestival.com
