We’re beavering away putting the final touches to our Ennis Book Club Festival 2016 programme. Since our last update in November, we’re delighted to announce a number of additions to our 2016 programme, and indeed a number of exciting new developments.
Firstly, check out our brand new website at: www.ennisbookclubfestival.com. It provides the latest news on the writers, musicians and performers who will be joining us for what promises to be a truly unique and inspiring Festival in March 2016.
Our full list of confirmed contributors is below. We’re particularly excited to be able to announce a number of new additions to the Programme:
Supporting our theme of revolution, we’re honoured to welcome former BBC Chief News Correspondent Kate Adie to the Festival. Kate was one of the first British women sending despatches from danger zones around the world. She covered, amongst others, the Gulf War, and events in former Yugoslavia, Armenia, Albania, Rwanda and China. Her first book, The Kindness of Strangers, an account of her work as a reporter and how she came to undertake it, remained on the Sunday Times best seller list for 37 weeks.
On Saturday, 05 March, we’ll also be joined by The Happy Pear team – David and Stephen Flynn. They’ll share stories and laughs, recipe demos and their contagious passion for all things healthy during their food and lifestyle event at EBCF 2016. What better way to maintain those 2016 resolutions than by joining the Wicklow “greengrocers” who have inspired a food revolution!
Writer and Aosdána member, Evelyn Conlon will join us also on Saturday to read from her latest novel NOT THE SAME SKY. It takes us back in time to tell the story of three young women who were among the 4,000 orphaned Irish girls shipped to Australia following the Great Famine of 1847.
To celebrate Seachtain na Gailge, we’ll be joined by Ailbhe Ní Ghearbhuigh for a beguiling mix of poetry and music.
And, supporting our panel of revolutionary women on Sunday 06 March, we will be joined by Senator Ivana Bacik – subject, of course, to her not being in the throes of scrutinising spring Election 2016 results that very weekend!
Since November the winners of the prestiguous 2015 Bord Gáis Energy Irish Book Awards have been announced. We’re just delighted that Sinéad Gleeson, editor of The Long Gaze Back took home the Best Irish-published Book of the Year. Sinéad will join us alongside Christine Dwyer Hickey, Siobhán Mannion and Lisa McInerney to celebrate the Irish short story.
Lisa McInerney, of course, was also shortlisted for a Book Award, as indeed was Diarmaid Ferriter (who’ll be joining us at the Festival) with his latest book A Nation Not A Rabble. The events surrounding 1916 will also be considered in discussions with Henrietta McKervey who writes so poignantly on the fifty year commemorations in her first novel WHAT BECOMES OF US.
As you’ll know, we always aim to champion new writers at the Festival. We’re delighted therefore to see Vanessa Ronan, who joins us to discuss THE LAST DAYS OF SUMMER (due out in summer 2016) being championed by Joseph O’Connor as the hot tip for next year – “a seriously gripping debut from a major talent”.
Our final Festival programme and tickets for individual events will go on sale shortly. Before that however, watch this space – and Follow us on Facebook and Twitter – to get news of some very exciting further contributors we hope to confirm in the coming weeks.
And finally, with Christmas so near, don’t forget that Ennis Book Club Festival VOUCHERS are on sale through the glór box office. What better present for the book lover in your life than a pass to the 2016 Festival! All vouchers can be redeemed against individual events tickets at the Concession rate once these go on sale (see further information on Vouchers and Accommodation below).
So, from us, it remains simply to wish you all a peaceful Christmas and a happy New Year!
10th Anniversary
Ennis Book Club Festival
Vouchers
With Christmas just around the corner why not purchase a special 10th Anniversary Book Club Voucher. Vouchers available:
10th Anniversary Gold Voucher – €100
10th Anniversary Silver Voucher – € 50
Each voucher purchased by 23 December 2015 will enable you to buy Ennis Book Club Festival event tickets at the Concession Rate. Vouchers can be redeemed against purchase of individual tickets once these go on sale at the glór Box Office (see www.glor.ie for full details).
Accommodation Packages
We’re working with local hotels to ensure that Ennis Book Club Festival attendees can avail of a range of Early Bird Accommodation packages. Book by 15 January 2016 to avail of special weekend packages at the following hotels:
Auburn Lodge: 2 nights B&B @ €145 single / €170 for two sharing / €235 for three sharing. Packages also available for one and three nights.
Old Ground: 2 nights B&B with one dinner @ €149 pps. Offers also available for group bookings.
Temple Gate: 2 nights B&B with one dinner @ €135 pps.
West County: 2 nights B&B with one dinner @ €95 pps; 2 nights Bed & Breakfast with two dinners €115 pps. Single supplement €15 per night.
Woodstock: 2 nights B&B with one dinner @ €119 pps (€159 single).
Be sure to quote Ennis Book Club Festival when making all bookings!