Media Release
20th February 2012

Ennis Book Club Festival has been nominated for a prestigious award in Scotland. The EDGE 2012 awards, which are designed to reward innovation and creativity in Library services, will be announced in Edinburgh on March 1^st at a conference organised by Edinburgh City Council.  Ennis has been nominated for the Social award which celebrates library engagement with community groups.   The Book Club Festival is the only Irish entry to be nominated.

Media Release 
20th February 2012

Despite the recession, booking is brisk for this year’s Ennis Book Club Festival.  Book club members and readers from all over the country will head to Co. Clare for the March 2nd-4th festival which is the only one of its kind in the country. Ticket sales for all the main events are exceeding expectations and organisers are looking forward to another successful festival.

“We are very aware of the need to price events reasonably and of striking a balance between giving our supporters the best possible value and paying our way.  It is a tricky juggling act,” said Festival Chairperson Ciana Campbell. “However, the indicators at this stage are very positive and we are keeping our fingers crossed that the momentum is sustained,” she said.  

Media Release
26th January 2012

This year’s Ennis Book Club Festival line-up includes two influential English novelists who will discuss their writing in the Co. Clare town from 2^nd – 4^th March.  Lynne Reid Banks is a bestselling author for children and adults. Her first novel, The L-Shaped Room, was published in 1960 and caused outrage in more conservative quarters for its portrayal of a an unmarried mother-to-be who is thrown out by her father and has to live in the L-shaped room of the title. The novel was later adapted for cinema by the legendary Bryan Forbes and brought great critical acclaim.

Patrick Gale, from a new generation of prolific British novelists, has written fourteen novels, including the bestselling Rough Music and Notes from an Exhibition. His fourteenth novel, A Perfectly Good Man will be published in March coinciding with the Ennis Festival. Mr Gale will read from his new novel on Friday 2^nd March when the Ennis Book Club Festival is officially opened by the distinguished poet, playwright and broadcaster Vincent Woods.

Lynne Reid Banks and Irish author Kevin Barry will give public interviews at a major event in Glór theatre on Saturday 3^rd March. Short story writer and novelist Kevin Barry was awarded the 2007 Rooney Prize for Literature and shortlisted for the Costa Book Awards for his book City of Bohane.  Ms Banks will talk about a long and hugely successful writing career including her classic children’s novel The Indian in the Cupboard which has sold nearly six million copies worldwide.

“This is our 6^th Book Club Festival which is organised in association with Ennis Town Council and Clare Co Library,” said Festival Chairperson Ciana Campbell. “What started from small beginnings has grown steadily into a nationally recognised event attracting book club members and readers from all over the country. This year’s list of writers and poets is our most varied yet and we are particularly pleased to have attracted names like Lynne Reid Banks and Patrick Gale from across the water.”

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Ennis Book Club Festival Launch Images by Eamon Ward Photography