Franco-Irish Literary Festival 2012

The Franco-Irish Literary Festival (which usually takes place in Dublin in April each year) is a great occasion where French and Irish writers, poets and similarly creative people, get together to discuss how they incorporate a particular theme into their work. The theme changes every year. In 2012  the theme was pleasure / plaisir / pléisiúir.

 

I attended some of the panel discussions and enjoyed hearing how writers differed in their responses to the questions from the audience as regards their motivation to write. It's always refreshing to hear someone speak their mind and not just follow along with the consensus, because they think they have to.

 

 

Photo of the gardens at Dublin Castle in Dublin city centre, where the festival usually takes place. The Chester Beatty Library is to the left of this photo (out of shot). A lovely calm atmosphere pervades this art museum and library, which houses amazing examples of Islamic and Western art collected by the mining magnate Alfred Chester Beatty. Entry is free and it's well worth a visit if you are in Dublin.

This is the 2012 festival website: http://francoirishliteraryfestival.com/2012/