Between Andrew Rawnsley's exposes about Tony Blair and British Chancellor Gordon Brown in his new book Servants of the People and revelations about Peter Mandelson in the updated edition of Donald Macintyre's Mandelson and the Making of New Labour, the British are spoiled these days with titbits about what goes on in their corridors of power. Here, such information is thinner on the ground, but there are some political tomes in the offing. Early next month sees publication of Noel Browne: Passionate Out- sider from Gill and Macmillan, who promise that author John Horgan will explore what they call the tantalising gaps in Browne's autobiography Against the Tide . . . It's fitting somehow that, following John Cooney's biography of Browne's old adversary John Charles McQuaid, there's going to be another reassessment of the complex mastermind of the Mother and Child Scheme. Junkies of that fascinating era in Irish political life will enjoy comparing and contrasting the two books. Also next month, New Island Books will publish a political memoir by Labour's Barry Desmond called Finally and In Conclusion, which looks back on 30 years in politics. It's hard to imagine it being too controversial, but no doubt there are plenty of players in Leinster House right now who'll have tales to tell the minute they're out of office, and Sadbh only hopes Irish publishers are quietly signing them up now for long, meaty reads in the years ahead.
A few years ago Sadbh participated in a memorable literary festival in Tullamore called The Great Balloon Fire Festival. Now the Offaly town is back with Fanning the Flames, a week-long celebration of reading, writing and music starting on Monday. One of its chief aims is to fan the flames of interest in literature by putting contemporary writers in touch with more than 60 primary schools. Children's author Tom McCaughren will be reading from his new book Ride a Pale Horse, set around 1798, and he has promised to bring artefacts of the time with him to Offaly. Other writers taking part include Ann Egan, Michael Coady and Micheal O Siadhail. More details from 0506-46830.
Meanwhile, across the county border in Laois, they're gearing up for the John Keegan Millennium Weekend. Among those speaking this year are Dr Daithi O hOgain of UCD's folklore department, who will speak on "Saintlore of the Midlands", Dr Padraig O Machain of the Dublin Institute of Advanced Studies and Dr John Feehan of UCD who'll talk about the relevance of the heritage of early Christian Ireland to the tiger economy of 21st-century Laois. Much of the programme takes place in the magnificent new Dunnamaise Theatre in Portlaoise, and there will be visits to monastic sites such as Kyle, Dunamaise, Aghaboe and Timahoe. People who still associate the town with nothing but its prison are seriously out of date, as those attending events on October 13-14th will see.
Sadbh has been wondering what people have been doing with their Whoseday books: she keeps her own copy as a Visitor's Book. And what is the record number of signatures collected in a single book to date? This week Sadbh talked to Sligo doctor Philip Murray, who has been assiduously collecting signatures for more than a year now with the intention of leaving the book to his daughter as a family heirloom. "I have about 200 signatures," Philip Murray told Sadbh. "When someone signs it, they often give me a contact for another person. The book is on the go all the time, in the post. I reckon I'll get 250 signatures - 300 would be the ultimate." One signature in Murray's book that no one else will get in the future is that of the late Francis Stuart. "He signed the book a couple of days before he died. His wife told me it was the last time he held a pen in his hand." Sadbh would welcome news of other Whoseday books - what are people using them for, and can anyone beat Dr Murray's trove of 200 signatures?