BRAY LITERARY FESTIVAL

THE inaugural Bray Literary Festival was a great success. It took place last weekend in a range of venues across the town.

On the first night of the festival in Bray Town Hall, winners of the flash fiction and poetry competitions were announced.

Ronan Keenan was the winner of the Flash Fiction category, and Niamh MacCabe the runner-up. In Poetry, first prize went to AM Cousins, and Simon Lewis was the runner-up. Winners received €200 each, and runners-up €50.

There were readings from the competition winners on the night, along with duelling poets Breda Wall Ryan and Kate Dempsey, and young Fighting Words writers, as well as musical accompaniment from Rachel Duffy.

The festival was organised by writers and husband-and-wife duo Tanya Farrelly and David Butler.

There were readings, workshops and discussions for adults and children, with venues including Colaiste Ráithin, The Mermaid, The Harbour Bar, The Martello and the Town Hall.

It all started on Culture Night, and the diverse and interesting programme which followed included music as well as prose and poetry, as well as open mic nights and explorations of the genres from crime to the stage.

Liz McManus; Tanya Farrelly; Cllr Christopher Fox, cathaoirleach Bray Municipal District; Alan Hayes of Arlen House Publishers; and Catherine Dunne.

Helen Harrisson, Josephine Leahy, Brian Quigley, editor Michael O’Reilly and Bray Arts chairperson Julie Rose McCormack at the launch of the Bray Arts Journal at the Royal Hotel.

Bobbie Ryan, Jerry Ryan, Jordan O’Regan and Mark Davidson from Fighting Words Glencree at ‘Poetry, Music and Fighting Words!’, the launch of Bray Literary Festival on Culture Night.

Olwen Dixon, Conor Dorcey, Therese O’Connor and Maria Hyland Casey from the Little Bray Writers group at the readings at the Royal Hotel on Saturday night.

Nuala O’Connell and Verell Booth from Wayside Writers at the readings in the Royal Hotel on Saturday night.