Being literate in Bantry

More grey mizzliness but at least it was warm albeit damp. I worked away in the garden - more blackcurrants and gooseberries gathered in (abundant); the last of the spuds lifted (poor); weeds pulled and rampant herbs (Valerian) cut back. Hot and sweaty, a swim beckoned. It was rather pleasant and yes, it was drizzling, but you're going to get wet anyway!
Showered and off to Bantry where the West Cork Literary Festival is in full swing. This is a very ambitious and prestigious event with some very well known names. I decided to go and see Emma Hooper and Kirsty Logan , two young authors discussing their debut novels. Emma was from Saskatchewan. Here 's a brief summary of her novel 'Etta and Otto and Russel and James':
Etta's greatest wish, living in the rolling farmland of Saskatchewan, is to see the sea. And so, aged eighty-two, she gets up early one morning, takes a rifle, a bar of chocolate and her best boots, and begins walking the 2,000 miles to the water.


Kirsty's book is called The Gracekeepers. This is her opening sentence:The first Callenish knew of the circus Excalibur was the striped silk of their sails against the grey sky.

What a great evening -two remarkable, articulate and interesting women. I bought both books but which to start first. John Nicholson was up next (Us/Once) but my next venture might be to see John Boyne. He wrote Boy in the Striped Pajamas which I didn't enjoy, but I am a big fan of his earlier book Mutiny on the Bounty. There are lots of free readings, workshops and interviews starting at breakfast time and ending up with an open mic late at night - fiction, non-fiction, poetry and children's books. Bantry is heaving with the literati!

I met Himself who had been doing a walk and we bought chips and ate them at the end of the pier watching a black headed tern and a little guillemot do a spot of fishing. Wobbly reflections in the central pond/fountain bit in the Square seemed like a good blip.