[dropcap]W[/dropcap]hen my boyfriend was having a tough time with exams, I had only one solution: to buy tickets to see Colm Tóibín in conversation with Sinéad Crowley as part of the International Literature Festival. It’s the reasonable thing that everyone does when in distress. For a similar reason, on the same day I received my electricity bill, I bought tickets to Bernie Sanders at the Dalkey Book Festival.
I could have chosen any festival to support my boyfriend in his existential despair, but the International Literature Festival holds a special place in my heart. Founded in 1998, the festival aims to feature an array of international performers, authors and genres; and every year they succeed in portraying the diversity that truly exists in the literary world. For this year’s festival, I give you a lowdown on the events I missed due to a 9-5 work schedule and what you should attend on the ILFDublin closing night.
The Event I Wish I’d Seen:
Writing Nigeria: Chibundu Onuzo & Noo Saro-Wiwa
I was… *holds back tears*… in work when Chibundu Onuzo and Noo Saro-Wiwa spoke in The Complex. After the lingering effects of Melanie Otto’s Postcolonial Literature course that is rightfully mandatory as part of English Literature in Trinity, the importance of how authors and performers approach writing countries and areas of Africa has remained at the forefront of my mind. This event would have been my “one to see” especially due to Chibundu Onuzo. Onuzo is only five years older than myself, the youngest woman ever to sign with Faber & Faber, studying for her pHD with two critically successful and culturally significant novels under her belt. My plan was to go to the event, bow to her, and wait for her glory to whip through the air and bless me.
What I did See:
Colm Tóibín in conversation with Sinéad Crowley
You have to give it to the International Literature Festival; they choose fantastic venues. Although I was initially unsure of their decision to host a literary heavyweight in a 177 seat space, their choice of the Smock Alley completely quieted all my worries. With the caring facilitation of the ILF volunteers, the space became utterly intimate as even a slight whisper could be heard all around. I ended up awkwardly sitting front row and, having never seen a photo of Colm Tóibín in my life, was introduced to the physical stature of the man who was constantly raved about by friends and family. He sat metres away and began the gathering with a reading from his new novel House of Names.
I was always more interested in the man that was Colm Tóibín more so than his tales of Irish life. Yet his contemporary take on Grecian tales piqued my interest, so much so, that when he stopped reading I realised I was thirsting for more of the story. With this excerpt of House of Names, I knew I had finally found my favourite Colm Tóibín novel.
The beginning of the conversation was mainly concerned with the writing of Tóibín’s new novel; the process and research involved in crafting a contemporary novel derived from Greek mythology. However Tóibín managed to keep the topic interesting and fresh with his views on current Irish politics and asides aimed pointedly at Fine Gael leadership candidate Leo Varadkar. The name repeatedly came up, nearly always in relation to the early morning rise for early morning work; a tactic haphazardly deployed by Tóibín, himself. After a couple of hours, he admitted, he would go back to sleep again.
The true highlight of my time spent in the company of Colm Tóibín was his conjuring of his own underdog tale: how he became a writer. A true storyteller, Toibin regaled us with humorous anecdotes of unsuccessful poetry and rejections from journals Dublin-wide, giving aspiring writers hope that when they find the right genre, they will find their voice. Tóibín’s voice, he stated clearly, came when he had the idea for his first ever novel. Citing influences such as Joseph Conrad and George Eliot, Tóibín’s literary roots are firmly based in the English realist realm yet it is clear from his work, and his conversation, that he is an Irishman writing with the depth of Irish experience; whether that experience is expressed in Enniscorthy or Mycenae.
I will treasure the experience of seeing a writer that will undoubtedly remain prominent in the Irish conscience for years to come. Tóibín is the embodiment of Irish storytelling with the evening – thanks to the International Literary Festival’s attention to detail – being nothing less than a sparkling event.
What I Will Be Seeing:
Sally Rooney
Monday 29th May 18:00
Belvedere House
Trinity alumna Sally Rooney will be joining the International Literary Festival to discuss the amazing story behind her debut; Conversations with Friends. A Tn2 favourite, any evening with Sally Rooney is one that should be on your priority list to attend. Expect a review of this evening shortly.
ILF: The International Literature Festival Dublin 2017 is finishing tonight, Monday May 29th, after a successful run of world class events involving Werner Herzog, Jo Nesbo, Ruby Wax and many more throughout the city of Dublin.
