Coming Out: Author Andrew Meehan On Discovering He Writes Love Stories Andrew Meehan is nailing his colours to the mast. He writes love stories, he says – although it took him until his third and most recent novel to recognise it. It was only as he was working on his latest novel, Instant Fires, that realisation dawned. “Halfway through I discovered, ‘Andrew, you write love stories. OK, it took you a while to cop on to the fact it’s what you do’.” Looking back, he understands that all three of his novels are love stories. “You write what you want to read,” concludes Andrew. “We all get put in ..read more

Hidden Truths in Reissued Classics “Fiction sometimes unearths truths – and truths we’re not even aware of knowing,” says novelist Catherine Dunne. She’s talking about her novel, A Name For Himself, and Lia Mills’s novel Another Alice, reissued in new editions as part of the Arlen House Classic Literature. Both were published originally in the 1990s, but their themes of coercive control and an abused childhood remain relevant today. More info: http://arlenhouse.ie ..read more

Writer Colum McCann talks about his hope that his book, Apeirogon, may contribute to peace. It fictionalises the true story of two fathers, an Israeli and a Palestinian, who each lose a child in the conflict. Elsewhere in the interview, Colum says he can’t write poetry but is drawn to it, and talks about writers he has known including Frank McCourt and Benedict Kiely. He also reads from his novel. Produced and presented by author and journalist Martina Devlin. Music by Daragh Dukes. :: Apeirogon is published by Bloomsbury https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/apeirogon-9781526607874 ..read more

Welcome to Episode 6 of Belong Bí Ann. What is it about books and libraries we love so much? Authors Dermot Bolger and Liz Nugent explore their relationship with books and libraries, and why they are so important to us. Belong | Bí Ann Artists Podcast is hosted by Sorcha Keane and is a collaboration between Dublin City Libraries and axisBallymun and funded by the Dormant Accounts Fund ..read more

Welcome to Episode 5 of Belong Bí Ann. The Library in the Community is a new service from Dublin City Libraries. In this episode, librarian Louise Tobin tells us all about the work of this great service, while Kristin Kristjansdottir from the Dublin Volunteer Centre explains how the DVC got involved in the Home Deliveries during lockdown. Belong | Bí Ann Artists Podcast is hosted by Sorcha Keane and is a collaboration between Dublin City Libraries and axisBallymun and funded by the Dormant Accounts Fund ..read more

Welcome to Episode 4 of Belong Bí Ann. Host Sorcha Keane is joined by singer Sharyn Ward. In this episode, we hear how important music is to Sharyn and to the Traveller Community, the power of music and song in Sharyn's own life, and Sharyn performs two beautiful songs. Belong | Bí Ann Artists Podcast is hosted by Sorcha Keane and is a collaboration between Dublin City Libraries and axisBallymun and funded by the Dormant Accounts Fund ..read more

Welcome to episode 3 of Belong Bí Ann podcast. Cathy Scuffil, Dublin City Historian in Residence tells host Sorcha Keane about her journey to become a historian, explores the history of weaving in the Liberties, and tells the story of the Lost Ceili of 1916! Belong | Bí Ann Artists Podcast is hosted by Sorcha Keane and is a collaboration between Dublin City Libraries and axisBallymun and funded by the Dormant Accounts Fund ..read more

Welcome to Episode 2 of Belong Bí Ann. Join host Sorcha Keane, as she chats with poetry collective WeAreGriot, comprising Felispeaks, Dagogo Hart and Samuel Yakrua. We hear about how each artist discovered poetry and how WeAreGriot came to be. Includes a beautiful performance by the trio. Belong | Bí Ann Artists Podcast is hosted by Sorcha Keane and is a collaboration between Dublin City Libraries and axisBallymun and funded by the Dormant Accounts Fund ..read more

Welcome to episode 1 of Belong Bí Ann podcast. Join host Sorcha Keane as she chats with writers Manchán Magan and Oein De Bhairduin. We hear about their writing, the impact that libraries have had on their personal and professional lives, and how language and history weave their way through both writers' work. Belong | Bí Ann Artists Podcast is hosted by Sorcha Keane and is a collaboration between Dublin City Libraries and axisBallymun and funded by the Dormant Accounts Fund ..read more

Belong | Bí Ann Artists Podcast is hosted by Sorcha Keane and is a collaboration between Dublin City Libraries and axisBallymun and funded by the Dormant Accounts Fund. A series of live conversations and performances with artists and guests, featuring each of the 21 branches of Dublin City Libraries. The guest and artists will chat about their relationship with their local libraries, through the lens of arts and culture, highlighting the impact these public spaces have had on their lives and wellbeing. Each podcast episode will feature events from the libraries and will follow general themes ..read more