Wexford Literary Festival has evolved over 7 years into one of the finest Live Literature Festivals in Ireland. The festival aims to attract national and international writers and readers and lovers of literature to gather and enjoy its eclectic programme of literature with readings, workshops and awards events as well as unique fringe events including exhibitions, music, dance and drama performances set around the picturesque historic town of Enniscorthy.
Each year we continue our programme of expansion and growth and have broadened the scope of the festival introducing; Pop Up Poetry, Spoken Word and Film to our very exciting programme of events and we are taking it out into the community with performances in some of our cafes and restaurants as well as our iconic buildings the Castle, the Athenaeum, the Church Institute and of course the Presentation Art centre.
“It seems that the Wexford Literary Festival is really beginning to come into its own. Not only does it provide some really fascinating talks and workshops with authors and people in the publishing industry, but it has also spawned its own community. People return to Enniscorthy each year especially for the event, joining new festival goers and meeting even more new people. In fact, at the Literary Festival, it’s entirely possible that you could find yourself chatting over a cup of coffee to a multi-award winning, multi-million selling author without even realising it! “. Independent.ie
Ambitious, Quality, Engaging, Inspiring, Inclusive, Collaborative, Supporting and Encouraging, Passion-ate for Literature.
We are delighted to expand this year to include Wexford Town in the Festival with Wexford Arts Centre’s ‘The Diary Of Maynard Perdu by Billy Roche and the bookstores literature themed window displays.
Beginning humbly as Words In Wexford in the 2013 Strawberry Fair, evolving into the stand alone Focal Festival and now for the past 3 years operating as the Wexford Literary Festival.
We take credit not alone for providing the town with a new, vibrant and niche festival, but for acknowledging and increasing awareness of our many successful and well known wexford literary talents by naming awards in their honour.
Awards:
The Colm Toibin Short Story Award
The Anthony Cronin Poetry Award
The Billy Roche One Act Play Award
The Eileen Gray Window Display Award
This year we have added the Cursed Murphy Spoken Word Award and in memory of a dear friend and talented supporter who`s untimely passing shocked us all – the Denis Collins visual story award.
Our festival has given a voice and a forum to new and emerging literary talents and we are well pleased with the success many of them have achieved particularly past committee members – Caroline Busher, Cat Hogan, Adele O`Neill, Tina O Callaghan and Sheila Forsey.
Programme of Events
This year`s programme is the culmination of a lot of hard work by our diligent committee Richie Cotter, Anne Gilpin, Róisín Williams, Edel Kelly, Carol Long, Jarlath Glynn and Elizabeth Whyte.
We are extremely excited about this year`s festival and our line up of events and literary personnel including – Sinead Crowley, Felicity Hayes Mccoy, Eamonn Wall, Niamh Devereux, Peter Murphy, Helena Mulkerns, Manchán Mangan, Emer Martin, Ruadh Butler, Paula Campbell, June Caldwell, Margaret Gal-vin, Zena O`Brien, Imelda O`Reilly, Nick Roche, Joe Brennan, Felispeaks, Dominic Palmer, John Cum-mins, Mary Cotter, John D Yates, Johnny Lappin and many others.
We are also holding events at Byrnes bookstore.
• Morning coffee with Felicity Hayes Cccoy
• Afternoon tea with Sheila Forsey
• Self publishing workshop with Andrew Haworth.
We very much hope you like it and we look forward to bringing yet another cultural and uplifting festival to the town and a showcase for all the magnificent talent that is Enniscorthy and Wexford.
For more information on terrific line up of events visit: www.wexfordliteraryfestival.com,