The 11th annual Heinrich Böll Memorial Weekend, talks place on Achill Island Friday May 2nd to Sunday May 4th 2014. This years event continues a series of lectures and talks as well as guided walks in the landscape of Achill Island.
The 2014 weekend will be formally opened by Berlin based Irish Times journalist Derek Scally.
The weekend will focus on travel writing and includes a talk by Dea Birkett, WOMEN TRAVELLERS THROUGH THE AGES – DIFFICULT JOURNEYS BY EXTRAORDINARY WOMEN, which will look at the works of travel writer and novelist Honor Tracy, who lived for many years in Achill. Dea Birkett is an award-winning writer and journalist, author of seven books including Serpent in Paradise (about her time on Pitcairn Island in the South Pacific).
Also reading at the weekend event are: Hugo Hamilton, reading from his new novel ‘Every Single Minute’ and in discussion with Derek Scally, Mary Russell the well known travel writer, and the German novelist Birgit Vanderbeke, one of Germany's most successful literary authors. Mary Russell will also deliver a creative writing seminar.
Dr. Gisela Holfter from U. L. will give a lecture on German writers travelling in Ireland in the 20th century. She will also formally open an exhibition archival photograph material HEINRICH BÖLL AND FAMILY from the Böll family collection, and landscape painting; 'PAINTINGS OF ACHILL ISLAND’ by Alex McKenna at Western Light Art Gallery, Keel.
Rene Böll will give an illustrated talk "Heinrich Böll and his family’s fight for humanity". Heinrich Böll and his family were independent in their thinking; they didn't belong to the right or the left. Because of this, Heinrich Böll could speak about liberty for persecuted people, in Russia and in Chile at the same time.
Guided walks in the landscape will be led by Eoin Halpin with a talk by Rev Patrick Comeford, focusing on the Achill missionary buildings at Mweelin – history, origins and people. Guided walks on Saturday and Sunday include lunch each day.
This weekend event is organized with support of the Goethe-Institut Irland. The Achill Heinrich Böll Association is funded by Mayo County Council, The Arts Council of Ireland, and receives donations from members of the public.
To download the Programme please click here. Registration for weekend talks place on Friday May 2nd at 7.00pm at the Cyril Gray Memorial Hall, in Dugort.
Image courtesy of Achill Tourism: http://www.achilltourism.com/