As acclaimed US educationalist, Charles William Eliot so aptly put it in his instructive tome The Happy Life (1896): “Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counsellors, and the most patient of teachers”.
The Dublin Book Festival runs from next Friday until Sunday, and offers a packed programme. Participants include Marita Conlon-McKenna, Judi Curtin, Anthony Cronin, Dermot Bolger, Joe O’Connor, Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill, Kate Thompson, Cathy Kelly, Manchán Magan and Gabriel Rosenstock. See www.dublinbookfestival.com.
By coincidence, the Ennis Book Festival, a vibrant social and literary gathering specifically aimed at book club members, takes place on the same dates. This three-day programme of events will be launched by novelist John Connelly and kicks off with a giant book club meeting to discuss his whimsical novel The Book of Lost Things. Authors taking part will include John Boyne, Salley Vickers, John Breen, Jennifer Johnston, Allan Guthrie, Mark O'Halloran and Kevin Myers. See www.ennisbookclubfestival.com.
In addition, next Thursday is world book day. See www.worldbookday.com for details of local and international events, for adults and children, throughout March.