Cork World Book Fest combines readings by world class writers in a variety of settings, with a cultural street fair, book stalls, street arts, etc. Paul Durcan, Claire Keegan, John Banville, Dermot Healy, Derek Mahon, Carol Ann Duffy, Greg Baxter, Moya Cannon have all featured at previous Fests from 2005 to 2012.
It is a participative, inclusive event, involving members of book clubs based in the City's libraries and other readers groups, giving audiences who would not normally attend literary events a chance to experience readings by leading Irish and international writers.
The Cork World Book Fest will take place in the City Library, in Triskel Christchurch, in the Grand Parade plaza, and in Bishop Lucey Park. In light of Ireland's Presidency of the EU, the festival is reaching out to writers from European countries through a partnership with the Dalkey Archive Press, programming writers featured in 'Best European Fiction 2013'. Other confirmed European writers include major Polish writer Pawel Huelle and London-based Libyan Hisham Matar; French photographer Jean-Marc Godes will create a unique exhibition of images of books and readers.
In 2013 the festival will introduce a new 'guest curator' initiative: Paul Muldoon has agreed to be the first guest curator; his choices as emerging writers are the African-American Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Tracy K. Smith, and Michael Dickman. Special guest in 2013 will be Thomas Kenneally, the renowned Irish-Australian writer.
