DLR Book Festival, Dun Laoghaire

THE 2010 MOUNTAINS TO SEA DLR BOOK FESTIVAL

Thanks to your wonderful support, the 2010 Mountains to Sea dlr Book Festival was a resounding success.  The people of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown embraced the festival wholeheartedly and the words of congratulation expressed were music to the ears of the organisers.  From Terry Prone’s launch speech on Tuesday all the way through to the closing event with John Banville and Alex Miller, the events were well-attended—as one UK author put it I thought the audiences were wonderful: big and warm—and it’s reassuring to know that our offering was appreciated.  Highlights are almost too numerous to mention but Joseph O’Connor’s reading, Alan Stanford’s Beckett Address, a memorable Sunday Miscellany, The Irish Short Story event, Kate Atkinson, Jackie Kay, The Children’s Author lunch and Garret FitzGerald’s standing ovation on Sunday are all worthy of special mention.

In two short years we have built a festival which, in the estimation of several visiting authors, is way ahead of the typical development curve and this bodes well for the future.  Here’s to 2011 which will oblige us to raise our game even further.  Dates for the festival will be announced after a strategic review.  Once again, thanks for your support and we will look forward to seeing you next year.  Meanwhile DLR Libraries continues this autumn with readings by Jonathan Franzen and John Boyne at the Pavilion theatre (click here for Pavilion website).