The Aran island fort of Dun Eochla faces a cultural invasion tomorrow when nine writers deliver readings there as part of Aran Islands International Poetry and Prose Festival.
"Fear an ti" for the occasion will be former Irish Press editor, and author, Mr Tim Pat Coogan. Weather permitting, the 2,000-year-old fortification will provide the stage for the Donegal-based poet, Cathal O Searcaigh, along with Roddy Doyle, Edna O'Brien, Joyce Carol Oates, John Montague, Dara O Conaola, Sean Rowntree and Dara Beag.
The week-long festival in NUI Galway was opened last night with a reading by Angela's Ashes author Frank McCourt. Most of the programme takes place on the Galway campus, but tomorrow's session will be hosted by Inis Mor's co-op with music by Plearaca Chonamara.
Welcoming the participants last night, Dr Ruth Curtis, vice-president of the university, singled out highlights including a prose reading on Thursday by the Chinese dissident poet, Xue Di. Prof Kevin Barry, Dr Riana O'Dwyer and Dr Pat Sheeran of NUI Galway will also deliver major lectures on Joyce, Synge and Yeats respectively during the week.
Tonight there will be a special presentation to Ms Ann Porter, niece of John Millington Synge, and the actress Sighle Meehan will perform the soliloquy from the last scene of Synge's Riders to the Sea. The programme opens today at 10 a.m. with a poetry reading by Elizabeth Strout, hailed as one of North America's "great new writers", and a prose reading by MaryAnn Tirone Smith, author of An American Killing.
There will also be readings today by Michael Ondaatje, author of The English Patient, William Kennedy, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for his novel Iron- weed, and Dennis Smith, author of A Song for Mary and also The Aran Islands: A Personal Journey.
All readings will take place at NUI Galway. Further information from (091)750418.
