Book festival opens another chapter of success
by Sean Hillen
March, 2009 - So enjoyable is the annual Ennis Book Club Festival that this year one enthusiastic woman in her 70s changed her kidney dialysis appointments so she could attend. That’s the kind of story that gladdens the heart of Frances O’Gorman, local librarian for over 20 years and chairperson of the hard-working festival committee.
“We wanted to create an event that was for readers and had an informal kind of atmosphere,” she said in an interview on the last day of this year’s festival. “We didn’t want it to be formal or high-brow in any way.” This year, as they have for the last three years, the organizers managed to gather together a diverse range of speakers and
subjects. These included crime writer, John Connolly, who hosted an interactive evening at which participants were divided into various tables and discussed ideas and themes in one of his books. He then sat at each table in turn answering questions about his style, content and meaning in his recent work, ‘The Book of Lost
Things.’ Other speakers, during a packed three-days, included John Boyne, author of ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas;’ Sally Vickers, author of Miss Garnet’s Angel;’ and travel writer, Manchan Magan. Poetry was read by Medbh McGuckian and Tom Conaty; as well as other readings from Gerard Stembridge; Gerard Donovan; Peter
Cunningham; Denis Sampson; Eddie Lenihan; Jennifer Johnson; Eddie Stack, and many more.
On a practical level, Anna Heussaff and Georgina Byrne guided people on new ideas for book clubs while a Sunday morning debate included Sinn Fein’s Gerry Adams, former Irish Times foreign correspondent, Conor O’Clery and former Minister Michael D. Higgins on the lively panel. “Before one festival ends, we already have new ideas for the next one,” said Frances, explaining the importance of early preparation and detailed organization.
“Initially, we wrote to every city library in Ireland to get contact details for book club
members and started to reach out by word of mouth. We knew there was an audience out there. It is getting easier now. By April, a month after each preceding event finishes, we are already contacting writers. This is important, for they arrange
their speaking engagements well in advance.” Frances and her team try to do as much background research as possible on potential guests, including attending other events and listening to podcasts. “It is not enough for guests to have written fine books. They must also be good talkers and have the ability to hold an audience’s interest,” she said.
The book club festival is a classic team effort, she added, “We have around forty volunteers who do everything from collecting people at train and bus stations; arranging lunch tables; and organizing projectors and screens. They’re invaluable.” The festival, which brings a lot of business to the town through hundreds of visitors, costs between 40,000 and 50,000 Euro to host and this year’s partners included Failte Ireland, the Arts Council and Clare County Library. Local bookstores, community centers and hotels are also involved. Committee members – which also include Ciana
Campbell, Patricia Callaly, Paula Sheils, Mary Kenneally, and Ruth McDonnell- arranged other complementary and enjoyable activities including walking tours of
Ennis; chocolate tastings; and even a play ‘The Trial of Oscar Wilde,’ performed by students at Trinity College Dublin, Oscar’s alma mater, and whose idea, Frances adds with a smile of pride, was that of her daughter, Caoimhe.
