🎉 We're thrilled to announce that we've been selected as a County Finalist in the Arts & Culture Category of the @NationalLottery Good Causes Awards 2025! 🎉 . 🙌 This nomination isn't just for us – it's for everyone in the community who's been part of the festival. 🙌 From volunteers and staff.

📣 Kneecap statement repost from X:

It was so cool to be involved in this gem of a festival in Granard, despite whatever has happened to my Longford accent

Thank you to everyone who came out to our final day here in Granard! We had another jam packed day of talks so lets have another walkthrough of what went on here in Granard 📚 #GranardBookTown

Great to see Conor Niland and @gcooney93.bsky.social at @granardbooktown.bsky.social Conor’s book the Racket - about the travails of a lowly Irish tennis player - is *really* good

Multidisciplinary artist Luke Casserly joined writer and artist Dani Gill in Granard Library, where they discussed Luke’s recent production for the Abbey, Distillation. Described as being a performative journey, Distillation takes you to the Irish bog landscape through scent #GranardBookTown

We’ve opened our third and final day here in Granard Library with a beautiful and moving “Granard Miscellany” 📚 Writers from the Granard Writer’s Group read out some of their latest work and were accompanied by music from local, talented Granard musicians #GranardBookTown

Just taking a wee morning stroll before my event @granardbooktown.bsky.social in Ireland today. Am surrounded by lochs, and feel very at home. Gorgeous!

It’s been a busy, busy day two here in Granard! I think we’re due a little recap of the day 📚 📸 All images in thread, Liam Flannery

Delighted to have a shout out from @carolecadwalla.bsky.social for Democracy for Sale at @granardbooktown.bsky.social 😊 Join the buzz democracyforsale.substack.com

Love these photos of my chat with Conor Gearty at @granardbooktown.bsky.social yesterday. We talked a lot about human rights, anti terrorism laws and colonialism but we also laughed a lot. Was terrific fun

Local papers are on their knees, yes, but still a treat to be featured in yours Spoke to Longford Leader ahead of the Granard Booktown Festival today. Am really excited to be interviewing the peerless @conorgearty.bsky.social today and speaking to @shaunagh.bsky.social tomorrow about my work. 😊

What a momentous ending to a brilliant first day here in Granard 🎉 Claire Keegan in conversation with Sinéad Gleeson, in front of a full house in the Granard School Hall #GranardBookTown

Back in the library, we were thrilled to have award-winning writer Seamus O’Rourke in a brilliant, humour-filled discussion about his life and career with festival director John Connell #GranardBookTown 📸 Liam Flannery

Over in a packed full Fay’s Bar, we were joined by artist and poet Dani Gill who chatted with the inspiring Granard native Rebecca Tallon de Havilland about her life and career 📚 #GranardBookTown 📸 Liam Flannery

And we’re off! 🎉 A great opening discussion with Longford natives Conor Gearty and Peter Geoghegan who sat down to discuss Conor’s new book Homeland Insecurity: The Rise and Rise of Global Anti-Terrorism Law 📸 Liam Flannery #GranardBookTown 📚

A quick message from our co-director @johnconnellwriter.bsky.social ahead of the festival kicking off here in Granard! 🎉,📚

Really looking forward to opening @granardbooktown.bsky.social this evening with Conor Gearty Stunning weather for it

Only a couple hour to go until we kick things off here at Granard Library for #GranardBookTown! With our first talk with Conor Gearty and @petergeoghegan.bsky.social 📚

So looking forward to my first time at @granardbooktown.bsky.social on Sunday 13th April. I’ll be talking to Aoife Barry about my book #TheInheritance

Really looking forward to it, Cauvery! @granardbooktown.bsky.social

🚨 New Event Added 🚨 . 📣 Football Writer Miguel Delaney will be in conversation with Longford native and sports journalist Gavin Cooney, discussing his best-selling book States of Play 📣 . 🎟️ Tickets are on sale via our website. Grab yours now!!! 🎟️ . #granardbooktown25 #books #literature

Irish businesses will struggle to compete with Amazon ie, both online and in the high street. Shop direct with your Irish retailers, who already exist. Support local, not the billionaires.

🚨 Claire Keegan in conversation with @sineadgleeson is now SOLD OUT!! 🚨 . 🎫 Tickets for other events are still available but also selling very fast! Book yours now to avoid disappointment!! 🎫 . #granardbooktown25 #festival #arts #writing #reading @sineadgleeson.bsky.social

Excited to be heading to Ireland next month to talk rivers and wildness with @wodworm.bsky.social #TheFlow 💙

Ooooh! What a line-up!

Thanks as always @rickoshea.bsky.social hope to see you soon!

Looking forward to appearing at this great festival 13th April!

✨ After an incredible launch night at Granard Library, our full programme is now available for download from our website.✨ . 🎟️ Tickets can be purchased ➡️ buff.ly/gufco3n 🎟️ . #books #writing @carolecadwalla.bsky.social @sineadgleeson.bsky.social @rickoshea.bsky.social @liznugent.bsky.social

🚨Special Guest - John Banville🚨 . 🗣️ John Banville joins us on April 13th at 6:30 pm to discuss his new book The Drowned with one of our finest writers, Belinda McKeon.🗣️ . 🎫 Tickets are €18.50 plus booking fee and go on sale from Friday, March 7th at 10 am, exclusively through our website. 🎫

🚨Special Guest - John Banville🚨 . 🗣️ John Banville joins us on April 13th at 6:30 pm to discuss his new book The Drowned with one of our finest writers, Belinda McKeon.🗣️ . 🎫 Tickets are €18.50 plus booking fee and go on sale from Friday, March 7th at 10 am, exclusively through our website. 🎫

🚨 Special Guest - Carole Cadwalladr 🚨 . 🗣️ Join us this April 12th at 7:15 pm as Carole Cadwalladr @@carolecadwalla.bsky.social , sits down with iconic Irish broadcaster Bryan Dobson @bryandobson6 to discuss her career. 🗣️ . 🎫Tickets are €18.50 plus booking fee and go on sale from Friday, March 7th🎫

🗣️ Join us this April as we welcome renowned author Claire Keegan to Granard for an in-depth conversation with acclaimed writer Sinéad Gleeson. . 🎫 Tickets go on sale from 07/03/25, exclusively through our website. 🎫 . #granardbooktown #books #literature #writing #novels #longford #arts

🌟 We'll be launching our full 2025 programme on March 6th at 7pm in Granard Library🌟 . 👋🏻Come join us as we share all the wonderful events we have lined up for #granardbooktown25 . 👀 Also, be sure to check in on our social media next week as we will be announcing our three headline guests!! 👀

🚨 Volunteers Wanted!! 🚨 . ✨ We’re looking for enthusiastic volunteers for this year's festival✨ . 💻 To sign up as a volunteer, visit our website, click on the “Volunteer” link in the menu, and fill out the form. We can’t wait to treat you to a fantastic weekend and a free t-shirt! ✨ . #arts #books

✨We hope everyone is safe and well after 🌀 Storm Eowyn✨ . 🔶We are very excited for #granardbooktown25 and will be announcing our headline guests in the coming weeks!! ✴️ . 🚨 This year we will also be looking for volunteers to join our team for the weekend and will put out a sign-up form soon.,📝 👫👬👭

The worst news: thank you for the films, David Lynch variety.com/2025/film/ne...

🎄 🎁 🎄 Happy Holidays to everyone from the Granard Booktown Team!! ☃️ ❄️ 🎄 . ✨ Like the elves we've been busy all year prepping for the big day in April 2025. ✨ . 🎉We can't wait to announce some of the amazing guests we've lined up and we hope to see you all again on the April weekend 11-13!!🎊

[MATEWAN, John Sayles, U.S., 1987]

BLOG POST: What to watch next if, like me, you wish there were at least a hundred more of those 1970s BBC ghost stories for Christmas. 🎞📽 precastreinforced.co.uk/2024/11/24/t...

A reminder today, as US politicians including the President fall over one another to attack the ICC over arrest warrants and defend Netanyahu…

Had a handful of homophobic/transphobic messages here today because I’ve created a Starter Pack supporting LGBTQIA+ writers. Please follow and share this pack to help keep Bluesky the positive place it promises to be. go.bsky.app/UD2Hf7W

Congratulations to Samantha Harvey on her deserved Booker win! . . www.theguardian.com/books/2024/n...

My annual post highlighting Open Culture, a great site that has free online courses, free audiobooks, free classic film and lots of other resources on art and culture. Good people. www.openculture.com - check them out and follow me n here @openculture.bsky.social

Thanks so much @siobhanmcelduff.bsky.social 😊

I'm happy to see the blue sky with all the book lovers here. Our 2025 festival takes place from April 11 - 13. Follow us to stay up to date with all the latest news. You can also check out our website below. ⬇️⬇️⬇️ granardbooktownfestival.ie #books #festival #writers #literature #art