A new page for 2021 Belfast Book Festival

Belfast Book Festival makes a welcome return from June 10 - 13 with an online programme of live events for book lovers, covering everything from love and politics to Cinderella as a zombie.
Sophie Hayles, CEO of the Crescent Arts Centre, launching this year’s Belfast Book FestivalSophie Hayles, CEO of the Crescent Arts Centre, launching this year’s Belfast Book Festival
Sophie Hayles, CEO of the Crescent Arts Centre, launching this year’s Belfast Book Festival

Presented by the Crescent Arts Centre, highlights of the festival include Annie Macmanus (BBC Radio 1) unveiling her debut novel ‘Mother, Mother’ which is set in Belfast; Ian McElhinney (‘Derry Girls’) and literary biographer Roy Foster exploring the work of Seamus Heaney; Glenn Patterson (‘The Northern Bank Job’) in conversation with author Conor O’Callaghan; Colm Tóibín (‘Brooklyn’), reading from ‘Queer Love: An Anthology of Irish Fiction’ and a special recorded performance from the official poet of the 2012 London Olympics, Lemn Sissay.

For up and coming writers and poets, there will be discussions with industry professionals from the worlds of poetry, prose and publishing about how to get your work seen and heard, and the lucky winners of the Mairtín Crawford Awards for Poetry and Short Story 2021 will also be announced.

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This year’s festival covers a wide variety of themes - including feminism, grief, family, disability, sexuality, body image and the care system - and features writers based in Ireland, the UK, Germany, France and the United States.

Setting the scene for this year’s Belfast Book Festival, Sophie Hayles, Chief Executive of the Crescent Arts Centre which programmes and manages the event, said: “One of the silver linings of the past year is that many people have rediscovered a love of reading in lockdown.

“This year’s Belfast Book Festival embraces that spirit with a superb line-up of writers, poets, authors, thinkers and doers.

“This year’s event will have a really open and interactive feel, with tickets being priced at either £3 or free and audience members being able to ask questions of their favourite writers. Our guests will join us virtually while our event hosts will stream their discussions live from the Crescent.”

For full Belfast Book Festival programme details and to book tickets, priced either £3 or free, visit www.belfastbookfestival.com.

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