Longford literary gathering launched

The organisers of the Granard Booktown Festival are hoping to build on the phenomenal success of the opening year to establish their place as the preeminent literary gathering in Ireland.
Last week the official launch took place in Granard Library imparting a flavour of the tasty line up of events on offer from Friday, April 19 to Sunday, April 21.

Inspired by the global Booktown movement, Granard's literary get-together will encourage people who love books to visit the town and share in the arts generated around books. Last year the north Longford town took its first steps to establish a book festival of international significance.
“Granard Booktown is more than just a local festival. It's an international one, showcased in the writers joining us from as far away as the USA to closer to home,” John Connell, the co-founder and co-director of Granard Booktown Festival, told the gathering.

“After the success of our first year, we put our heads together last summer and began organising this year's festival. We are blessed by our committee members and their contacts that expand worldwide. Those connections have allowed us to cast a wide net and bring you a selection of exceptional speakers for this year's festival,” the author said.
The booktown model is designed to bring books and literature to rural communities. At the launch Colm Murray, Cathaoirleach of Longford County Council, spoke of the scholarly heritage of the county: “Longford is a very fitting place for this festival.
“We have a great literary tradition in the county. In the past month we have launched our literary trail in the county, which visits places associated with our significant writers. Those include Maria Edgeworth, Padraic Colm, Oliver Goldsmith and Leo Casey.”

The festival will feature a diverse range of topics; from GAA to farming to fashion. Longford County Council Member for Granard,Turlough McGovern, paid tribute to founders John Connell and Ronan O'Toole: “Without John and Ronan we would not be able to have this festival,” he said.
“This time last year we were nervous about launching,” Cll McGovern told the assembly, “We know we will build on the success established by last year's festival.”
One of the co-organiser, Ronan O'Toole, spoke of the excitement in the build up to the event: “It's somewhat difficult to believe it's been a year since our inaugural festival. We have been tinkering away since May '23 on it. To find ourselves a month out from this year's festival is thrilling.”

Poet Noel Monahan is the artist in residence for Granard Booktown Festival 2024. At the lunch he alluded to the appreciation the people of the North Longford town have for the arts: “I've read here over the years and I have always enjoyed coming back to do readings in Granard,” he said.
The poet treated the audience to three poems, one of which was in Irish.
John Connell outlined the labours behind the scenes: “We started planning this festival two weeks after finishing last year's festival. It's nearly a year long journey to come back here to share the list of participants. Last year was very successful; sold out events, national and international media attention and so much goodwill.

“We felt it would be hard to top that success, but we have put together a programme we feel will do just that,” Mr Connell said.
The assembled guests at the launch heard the participants include Irish author and artist Sinéad Gleeson, winner of the 2023 Booker Prize Paul Lynch, BBC correspondent Fergal Keane, authors Richard Flanagan, Richard DeWitt and Mark Wormald.
In conclusion Mr Connell said: “Booktowns and literary festivals are made over time, and it takes a team of people to pull off this weekend. Once again, our enormous thanks go to the people of Granard and County Longford. They make all this possible.”