Multi award winning author Colm Tóibín is set to take stage at the 15th annual Immrama Festival of Travel writing on Thursday, June 15th at 8pm with a talk under this years festival theme of ‘Emigration, Exile and Slavery’.
The talk with the distinguished author was previously announced for the Saturday afternoon of the festival but due to schedule changes the keynote event with Colm will now take place on the Thursday evening of June 15th. Tóibín is the author of eight novels including Blackwater Lightship, The Master and The Testament of Mary, all three of which were nominated for the Booker Prize, with The Master also winning the IMPAC Award, and Brooklyn, which won the Costa Novel Award. He has also published two collections of stories and many works of non-fiction. His most recent novel is Nora Webster.
The festival gets underway on Wednesday June 14th with the screening of two films, ‘Mongolian Rhapsody’ and ‘Back to Jamaica both by Paddy Hayes. Mongolian Rhapsody follows the journey of Irish fillder Daire Braken as he embarks on a musical pilgrimage to Mongolia.
The other keynote speaker for the festival is humanitarian and author Terry Waite CB. 30 years ago this year Terry was taken hostage in Lebanon and kept in captivity for almost five years. Terry worked most of his life in most of the world’s conflict zones in the area of international affairs. Whilst living in Uganda, he negotiated directly with the late General Amin for the release of hostages; and as a member of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s private staff was successful in aiding the freedom of hostages in Iran, Libya and Beirut. It was in Beirut that he was captured and spent almost five years in solitary confinement. He has written several books ranging from a serious account of his years in captivity, Taken on Trust, to a comic novel, The Voyage of the Golden Handshake. Terry will take to the stage on Saturday afternoon and the Saturday evening keynote speak is yet to be announced though festival organiser’s say, ‘It will be worth the wait.’
Also speaking at the festival from June 14th to 18th is journalist and author Des Ekin who will talk at the festival on Friday, June 16th his bestselling book The Stolen Village (2006) was shortlisted for the Argosy Irish Nonfiction Book of the Year Award and also shortlisted for Book of the Decade in the Bord Gáis Energy Irish Book Awards, it details the 1631 Barbary pirates kidnapping of the inhabitants of Baltimore in West Cork and their subsequent sale into the slave market., writer and documentary maker Tom Feiling will host the famous literary breakfast at Immrama at 8.30am on June 18th. This writer and documentary maker lived in Colombia before making Resistencia: Hip-Hop in Colombia, which won numerous awards at film festivals around the world. and adventurer and author Andrew P. Sykes who will tell of his travels on his bicycle ‘Reggie’ on epic journeys across all of Europe. And historian Donald Brady will offer a talk on Katherine Cecil Thurston 1874-1911: New Woman Author and Ardmore Resident.
On the final day of the festival ‘Family Fun Sunday’ will take place at the Millennium Park, the Lismore Farmers Market will be on the castle avenue plus a Sunday evening panel talk will focus on sport and travel.
For event tickets for the Immrama Lismore Festival of Travel Writing 2017 call (058) 53803.
