The annual Strokestown International Poetry Festival will be held from Thursday, 27th of April to Sunday, 30th of April.
The committee promises to introduce new and emerging, national and local talent, alongside established, international and diverse voices, speakers and musicians.
Over the weekend there will be a variety of readings, talks and panel discussions; book launches of anthologies, journals and sole collections; workshops for adults and children, and screenings of poetry-related films.
This year the inaugural Joan McBreen lecture on poetry will be delivered. On Sunday evening there will be a celebration of the work of Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin by assembled poets, followed by a reading of her work.
The four-day poetry festival is all housed graciously under the one roof of the recently reopened Strokestown Park House and Gardens and the National Famine Museum.
The festival will open on Poetry Day Ireland, Thursday, 27th of April, with the premiere of Bealach an Fhéir Ghortaigh/Hunger’s Way, commissioned by the festival during the pandemic and featuring the work of a host of poets and musicians responding to Strokestown Park House and the surrounding landscapes.
Friday evening’s highlight is a reflection by John McKenna on his 30-year friendship with Leonard Cohen, with Katie Jacques performing some Cohen songs.
For a more detailed programme and to book events, see https://strokestownpoetryfest.ie/ or follow Strokestown International Poetry Festival on Twitter, @strokestownpoem and on their Facebook page.
