Seamus Heaney lends support to new Irish publishing initiative

By John Spain

Books Editor, The Irish Independent

Friday March 07 2008

Nobel prize-winning poet Seamus Heaney is one of a number of leading figures from various sections of Irish life who will work to support Ireland's book publishing industry in the future.
The new advisory committee has been organised by the Irish Book Publishers' Association (Cle), which will hold the inaugural Dublin Book Festival in Dublin City Hall this weekend. The members of the group, to be called Patrons of Irish Publishing, have agreed to put their weight behind new initiatives to promote Irish books.

The other members are retired judge Finbarr Flood, TDs Michael D Higgins and Mary O'Rourke, broadcaster Mary Kennedy and former supermarket boss Senator Fergal Quinn.
The President of Cle, Sean O Cearnaigh, said that the patrons acknowledge the importance of a strong indigenous publishing industry and that their "knowledge and influence will be an invaluable resource to book publishers in Ireland".
The announcement of the new initiative comes against the background of a decline in the number of literary works and children's books being published in Ireland.
But some sections of publishing in Ireland, in popular fiction and non-fiction, for example, are doing extremely well.
Even so, four out of every five books now sold in Ireland are imported.

The new Dublin Book Festival will take place in City Hall on Dame Street from tomorrow to Sunday, from 10am to 6pm daily. All the events in the festival are open to the public and entry is free.

Highlights of the inaugural festival will include:

In Conversation: a series of public conversations featuring Anthony Cronin with Anne Haverty, Dermot Bolger and Joseph O'Connor with Anthony Glavin, Kate Thompson and Cathy Kelly with Sue Leonard, Pauline Bewick with Maureen Gaffney and John Montague with Mary Cloake.

Up For Discussion: public debates on topics like The GAA & the 21st Century, Crime in Ireland, de Valera & Collins, and Cute Hoors & Brown Envelopes, featuring authors who have written on these areas.
A programme of the festival events is available online at http://www.dublinbookfestival.com/ festival.com.