Blogs

As we countdown to the Dublin Literary Award 2021 announcement on 20 May we are highlighting the 6 beautifully written and diverse titles on the shortlist. If you are looking for reading inspiration - look no further! 

As we countdown to the Dublin Literary Award 2021 announcement on 20 May we are highlighting the 6 beautifully written and diverse titles on the shortlist. If you are looking for reading inspiration - look no further! 

As we countdown to the Dublin Literary Award 2021 announcement on 20 May we are highlighting the 6 beautifully written and diverse titles on the shortlist. If you are looking for reading inspiration - look no further! 

As we countdown to the Dublin Literary Award 2021 announcement on 20 May we are highlighting the 6 beautifully written and diverse titles on the shortlist. If you are looking for reading inspiration - look no further! 

As we countdown to the Dublin Literary Award 2021 announcement on 20 May we are highlighting the 6 beautifully written and diverse titles on the shortlist. If you are looking for reading inspiration - look no further! 

As we countdown to the Dublin Literary Award 2021 announcement on 20 May we are highlighting the 6 beautifully written and diverse titles on the shortlist. If you are looking for reading inspiration - look no further! 

In this episode of the DCLA podcast, Michelle Read reads the first three stories featured in The Long Gaze Back. Michelle Read, is an actor and voice artist and an advocate of reading aloud for adults. She reads ‘The Purple Jar’ by Maria Edgeworth; ‘Frank's Resolve’ by Charlotte Riddell; ‘Poisson d'Avril’ by Somerville and Ross.Recorded at the LexIcon on 12 April 2018, with thanks to Marian Keyes Dún-Laoghaire Rathdown Libraries for making the audio available to us.Maria Edgeworth (1768 – 1849) was a writer of adult and children’s literature. She was the most popular author writing in the early 19th Century, and her writing was also critically acclaimed by the critics of the day. Her most famous novel is Castle Rackrent, and Edgeworth is still the subject of study on academic curricula.Charlotte Riddell (1832-1906) was a prolific writer of novels and short stories, publishing 56 books in a writing career that spanned 44 years. To hear more about Charlotte Riddell, listen back to Recovered Voices, where Lisa Coen, Louise Kennedy and Kathleen McMahon and Sinead Gleeson discuss the forgotten writings of Charlotte Riddell, Norah Hoult and Mary Lavin.Somerville and Ross were cousins and writing partners Edith Somerville and Violet Florence Martin. Their most famous works are those featuring the Irish RM, but their novel The Real Charlotte is considered their finest piece of writing. To hear more about the interesting Somerville and Ross, listen back to a talk by Martina Devlin.You can subscribe to the Dublin City Libraries and Archives podcast on Soundcloud, iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. This season is based on recordings from the 2018 Dublin: One City, One Book events. Dublin: One City, One Book is an award-winning Dublin City Council initiative, led by Dublin City Libraries and Dublin UNESCO City of Literature, that encourages everyone to read a particular book during the month of April every year. 2018's choice was 'The Long Gaze Back' which you can read on Borrowbox and of course you can order it from your favourite bookshop.The Dublin: One City, One Book for 2020 is Tatty by Christine Dwyer Hickey, available electronically on our BorrowBox app and from your favourite bookseller.Finally if you’re interested in podcasts why not check out the Dublin Festival of History podcast which features recordings from the free annual event and the new City of Books podcast with Martina Devlin, the podcast for people who believe stories matter. And that you can never have too many books.

In this episode of the DCLA podcast, Looking Forward, Gazing Back, writers June Caldwell and Sinéad Gleeson and theatre maker and campaigner Lian Bell of #WakingTheFeminists movement discuss the practices, processes and contexts of Irish women’s writing today.  Chaired by Garret Fagan. Recorded at the National Library of Ireland on 21 April 2018, thanks to National Library of Ireland for making this audio available to us. June Caldwell's acclaimed collection of short stories Room Little Darker, was published in 2017. She is a prizewinner of the Moth International Short Story Prize. Her first novel, Little Town Moone, was published in 2019.Lian Bell works as a set designer, cultural project manager, and artistic collaborator. She was Campaign Director of #WakingTheFeminists, the highly successful one-year grassroots campaign for equality for women in Irish theatre. Sinéad Gleeson’s debut collection of essays: Constellations: Reflections from Life was published in April 2019 by Picador. She is the editor of The Long Gaze Back and The Glass Shore, two anthologies of stories by Irish women writers. She is currently working on a novel. Garrett Fagan works for UCD Adult Education and Dublin UNESCO City of Literature.You can subscribe to the Dublin City Libraries and Archives podcast on Soundcloud, iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. This season is based on recordings from the 2018 Dublin: One City, One Book events. Dublin: One City, One Book is an award-winning Dublin City Council initiative, led by Dublin City Libraries and Dublin UNESCO City of Literature, that encourages everyone to read a particular book during the month of April every year. 2018's choice was 'The Long Gaze Back' which you can read on Borrowbox and of course you can order it from your favourite bookshop.The Dublin: One City, One Book for 2020 is Tatty by Christine Dwyer Hickey, available electronically on our BorrowBox app and from your favourite bookseller.Finally if you’re interested in podcasts why not check out the Dublin Festival of History podcast which features recordings from the free annual event and the new City of Books podcast with Martina Devlin, the podcast for people who believe stories matter. And that you can never have too many books.

In this episode of the DCLA podcast, musician Eileen Gogan responds to stories from The Long Gaze Back and talks to editor Sinéad Gleeson. They discuss the parallels and crossovers between song writing and writing, the difficulty of choosing a title, writer’s block, influences and the parallels between poetry and lyrics. Eileen is accompanied by musician Ed McGinley.For rights reasons you will only hear clips from Eileen’s songs, to hear, including her new album Under Moving Skies visit https://eileengoganandtheinstructions.bandcamp.com/Recorded at Walkinstown Library on 9 April at 2018.  Dublin City Libraries & Archives · Notes of ChangeEileen chooses stories from The Long Gaze Back and pairs them with her songs that echo the same themes, feelings and ideas. Eileen performs Malibu Stacy, Planets, Home, Sweet Alice, Dreamtime Stories mentioned: ‘Berghain’ by Lisa McInerney ‘The Eldest Child’ by Maeve Brennan‘Somewhere to be’ by Siobhan Mannion‘The Meaning of Missing’ by Evelyn Conlon‘I’ll take you there’ by Niamh Boyce‘Infinte Landscapes’ by Roisín O’Donnell   Eileen Gogan's new album Under Moving Skies is out on 29 May 2020. Her first album, The Spirit of Oberlin, recorded with her band, The Instructions, was released to wide acclaim in 2015. Outside of her solo work, she has sung with The Would Bes’, The Revenants, The Drays and Microdisney.Ed McGinley, singer, song-writer and guitarist with The Dixons and The Winters. His first solo collection Tangled Roots & Twisted Tales was released in 2019.  You can subscribe to the Dublin City Libraries and Archives podcast on Soundcloud, iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. This season is based on recordings from the 2018 Dublin: One City, One Book events. Dublin: One City, One Book is an award-winning Dublin City Council initiative, led by Dublin City Libraries and Dublin UNESCO City of Literature, that encourages everyone to read a particular book during the month of April every year. 2018's choice was 'The Long Gaze Back' which you can read on Borrowbox and of course you can order it from your favourite bookshop.The Dublin: One City, One Book for 2020 is Tatty by Christine Dwyer Hickey, available electronically on our BorrowBox app and from your favourite bookseller.Finally if you’re interested in podcasts why not check out the Dublin Festival of History podcast which features recordings from the free annual event and the new City of Books podcast with Martina Devlin, the podcast for people who believe stories matter. And that you can never have too many books.

Baby, Wobbler and Toddler Book Clubs at Ballymun LibraryWe had a lovely session last Tuesday, 18th December with the Baby, Wobbler and Toddler book clubs. Everyone dressed up in Christmas jumpers and festive gear as we sang songs and read stories. Each of the children received a free book as well as stickers and jellies. The Baby/Wobbler Book Club read That’s Not My Snowman... which is part of the publisher Usborne’s series of tactile baby books.  The Toddler Book Club read the classic tale, Stick Man, by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler. All of the chosen books are perfect Christmas reads for little ones.(That's Not My Snowman)                  (Stickman) (Our small and tall bookclub members)The book clubs are taking a break until Tuesday the 8th of January 2019 and will continue running weekly then.  Join us for more stories and fun in the New Year.See you all after Christmas.  Nollaig shona dhaoibh!!