Surprise!

It’s been a week of wonderful surprises and things to celebrate.

Firstly, I am feeling heaps better and the missing mojo has been properly found and reinstalled.

Then my best friend Jane came to visit from Yorkshire and we had a fabulous time together. Trim Castle was a highlight and gave me all sorts of story ideas. It also made me wonder if they’ve ever put on plays in the grounds of the castle. It would be a great backdrop for something Shakespearean.

Trim Castle

A Biased Judgement goes Italian!

The good news kept on coming and last night my editor sent on the news that they have just signed a deal with a giant Italian publisher and my book’s translation will be underway in the near future.

It’s always been a dream to go to Italy. Now I can add a wish to find my book in the window of some Florentine bookshop. Being bought by the bucket-load by adoring fans, naturally. Hmm, I wonder what my book is called in Italian.

The Hay Festival in Kells

In other, almost-as-exciting news, the line up for this year’s Hay Festival in Kells has been announced and it’s fabulous!

As in previous years, the subjects are wide and varied. We can expect a talk about Old Blue Eyes, himself (Frank Sinatra if you’re too young to get that), that fella WB Yeats, the American Civil War…

Some of my  favourite writers are in the line-up too. Roddy Doyle and Anne Enright, Paul Durcan and Colin Barrett are all here talking about books, poetry, writing.

The people behind Cartoon Saloon will be talking about their big film, Song of the Sea.

Oh, and did I mention Brian Eno? Yes, he’ll be here too, talking music and other things.

One whole day will be devoted to programmes about the American Civil War. An estimated 200,000 Irishmen died on both sides of that conflict which ended 150 years ago this year. I’m really looking forward to that — though I can’t promise not to cry if someone sings, as I’m sure they will, Shenandoah.  That song always gets to me.

If you’ve never made it to the Hay Festival in Kells, you really owe it to yourself to check it out.  The entire town joins in, putting up bunting, volunteering, turning every store from the butchers to the chemists into a bookshop for the weekend. There’s food, naturally, and drink (duh!), and events for everyone regardless of age, interest or nationality. The programme includes literature, poetry, debate, discussion, drama, art, music, film, journalism, cookery & food, gardening, workshops, children’s events, animation & illustration, pop-up shops and much, much more.

There are more announcements yet to come, so keep an eye on the website for updates. You’ll find it here: www.hayfestival.com/kells Tickets will be available from June and you can get yours on-line or in Kells at the Chamber Office on Carrick Street. You can call 046 924 0055 from 9.30am to 5pm from Monday to Friday once they are released. Tickets will also be available at Antonia’s Bookstore in Trim, County Meath on 046 943 7532.

The Hay Festival in Kells will run from June 25th to 28th 2015.

Kells, County Meath