Literary editor Caroline Walsh suggests worthwhile dates for your diary.
Cork goes book crazy for four free days
A free four-day celebration of reading and books kicks off in Cork on Wednesday - with music and exotic food stalls thrown into the mix. It runs until next Saturday. Central to events will be a civic reception on opening day for the city's native son David Marcus, honouring his contribution to the world of Irish letters, and followed by readings in his honour by Dermot Bolger, Mary Leland and Joe Shanahan, introduced by William Wall. All four writers were first published by David Marcus. On Thursday, an event focusing on Poland and Ireland includes Evening Heraldliterary editor Tom Galvin, author of There's an Egg in My Soup, on his five years working in Poland, and Gdansk-based journalist Przemsylaw Gulda, who's just finished a novel about his home city. Friday sees readings by Bernard O'Donoghue and Gina Moxley. On Saturday, Grand Parade will be filled with book stalls, and among the myriad events is a reading by African-American poet and polemicist Amiri Baraka, followed by a Q&A session with the writer, chaired by poet Trevor Joyce. More details at www.corkcitylibraries.ie and www.triskelartscentre.ie.
Myers in North on non-fiction shortlist
Two books of Irish interest this week made the longlist of the Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction, now in its 10th year: Kevin Myers's memoir of the Troubles, Watching the Door, published here by Lilliput and recently in England by Atlantic Books, and former Tony Blair aide Jonathan Powell's Great Hatred, Little Room: Making Peace in Northern Ireland(Bodley Head). The 20-strong list also includes Mad, Bad and Sadby Lisa Appignanesi; Miracles of Life, JG Ballard's memoir; The Whisperers: Private Life in Stalin's Russiaby Orlando Figes; and A Life of Picasso: Triumphant Years, 1917-1932 by John Richardson. The shortlist will be announced on May 15th, the winner on July 15th, the victor getting £30,000 (€37,600) and each shortlisted author £1,000 (€1,250).
Achill remembers Böll and tragedy
A focus on changes in Ireland over the past 50 years is the subject of Hugo Hamilton's talk at the fourth annual Heinrich Böll memorial weekend on Achill Island from May 2nd to 4th, which celebrates the time the German writer spent in Ireland. Also scheduled is a screening of the film Shark Island, made by Hugh Falkus in 1951 off the coast of Achill, during which his boat hit a rock and went down. The crew and Falkus's wife drowned - only the film-maker survived, living on to finish the film. The screening will be introduced by Michael Gielty of Dooagh, who remembers the tragedy. Chris Newton, author of biography, Hugh Falkus: A Life on the Edge, published by Medlar Press, will give a talk. A reading by poet Gerald Dawe and readings from Böll's Irish Journal will also feature. For more details, e-mail hbollachill@anu.ie.
A little romance at Trevor symposium
A screening of The Ballroom of Romance, and an interview with its director Pat O'Connor by Ruth Barton, will be one of the highpoints of the William Trevor symposium at Trinity College Dublin, which opens next Friday and continues on Saturday. It marks the eminent Irish short-story writer and novelist's 80th birthday. The line-up of scholars giving papers includes Gerald Dawe, Hermione Lee, Dolores McKenna, Amanda Piesse, Michael Parker, Eamonn Hughes and John Wilson Foster. All events are in the Thomas Davis Theatre and are free.