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Wicklow's First Nature Writing Festival
Glencree Valley 22nd & 23rd June
An exciting new festival for County Wicklow - THE SHAKING BOG NATURE WRITING FESTIVAL - will take place in the Glencree Valley on 22nd & 23rd June, 2019.
On 22nd & 23rd June something very special will be happening in the Glencree Valley, County Wicklow. A brand new midsummer festival of nature writing -The Shaking Bog - will be awakening and enlivening the valley with a diverse offering of events. From poetry readings to conversations, workshops to nature trails, creative writing for children to musical interludes - this festival will offer an immersive and enriching experience for literature and nature lovers alike.
It will be a huge privilege for the local community and all the many other visitors we hope to welcome, to present national and world renowned artists and writers at the Glencree Centre for Peace and Reconciliation, Fighting Words Wicklow and Knockree Hostel.
Amongst others, names worthy of note include: Britain's favourite nature writer (and farmer) John Lewis-Stempel, award-winning poet Pascale Petit, poet and official "national treasure" Paul Durcan, celebrated writer Carlo Gebler, Wicklow-based author and naturalist Declan Murphy, Emmy award-winning wildlife cinematographer Theo Jebb and superstar children's author Shane Hegarty.
There will be a feast of opportunities for children with a very special 'Young Shakers' day-long event at Aurora House Glencree, presented in association with Fighting Words. This event includes songwriting, graphic fiction and creative workshops as well as storytelling, bird and bat box building, scavenger hunts and a special grand finale event. Children will also feature in their own Budding Writers Reading Event at Curtlestown School.
A special tribute is also planned for the Bray resident, the extraordinary poet Shirley McClure who died recently, with readings and contributions by poets Jane Clarke and Katie Donovan.
To top it all off the festival finale will be a concert of music and readings at St. Kevin's Church, Glencree featuring the wonderful Liam O'Maonlai with guests including Mary Coughlan, The Square Pegs, Diarmuid Gavin; Katie Donovan; the Fugato Quartet and others.
The festival is grateful for funding from Wicklow County Council and County Wicklow Partnership Leader Programme. It is indebted to the support of its partners; Poetry Ireland, Glencree Centre for Peace and Reconciliation, Fighting Words and local festival sponsors King Tree Services and Greenking Composting.
Director Catherine Nunes - who also founded the acclaimed Dublin Dance Festival - said:
"I am extremely excited to curate a festival within my own local community. Living here in such extraordinarily beautiful landscape has been both my sustenance and my inspiration for this event. I wanted to do something that would reawaken our connection to the natural world in an intimate and meaningful way. But I also hope that The Shaking Bog will reflect the serious quality and excellence of the nature writing that is being published today and for the festival events to be both thoughtful and thought-provoking."
Download the programme below as a pdf.
Visit the website: www.theshakingbog.ie
Shaking_the_Bog_Programme_22_and_23_June.pdf (1642k)
This page was added by Deirdre Burns on 06/06/2019.
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