Friday, June 21, 2013

Sixth Swift Satire Festival, Trim

Full details of the Sixth Swift Satire Festival, Trim, Co. Meath, which will be held from 4 July to 7 July 2013, have been posted on the website.

This annual event celebrates the life, works and legacy of Jonathan Swift by bringing together distinguished guests from the arts, politics, the media and comedy to celebrate satire.

Swift was appointed vicar in Laracor, just out the road from Trim, in 1700. The author of such famous satires as Gulliver’s Travels, A Tale Of A Tub and A Modest Proposal, had many firm friends in the town of Trim itself.

The full programme is on the website as is a downloadable brochure.

The launch takes place on Thursday 4 July at 8pm in the Trim Castle Hotel. Admission is free, wine and canapés will be served and the launch will be followed by the first event of this year’s festival, the perennial staple of  The Battle of the Books, the satire competition between keen rival groups Meath Writers Circle and Boyne Writers Group. This takes place at 9pm, also in the Trim Castle Hotel. Admission: €5.

A novel event (Pun! - Gulliver's Travels is usually considered to be a novel) is The Gulliver Gathering reading. All 302 pages of Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels will be read by 302 people (one page per reader) in the biggest simultaneous reading event ever undertaken in Ireland. Places can be pre-booked on the website.

This takes place on Saturday 5 July. Registration of readers from 11.30am on the day, and the reading will start at 1pm sharp. Venue: Trim Castle grounds (opposite Garda Station). Don't miss being part of this!

Other events include: A Bite of Satire in the company of President Michael D. Higgins: Eneclann Genealogical Roadshow: Poetry in Motion: Project Swift – a spectacular projection of the life, travels and works of Jonathan Swift: Satire-Day Comedy Festival: Satire-Day Evening Show: Oliver Callan’s Satire Circus: The Swift Round Table with Barry Murphy, Alan Shortt and Very Special Guests: The Swift Tour.

Full details on the website.

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