Listowel Writers’ Week has appointed a curator for next year’s festival.
Stephen Connolly, who has previously worked on literary festivals in Belfast and Galway, and with well-known literary figures including Roddy Doyle, Van Morrison, and Stephen Rea, will take up the newly-created role.
The hiring of a curator was one of the eight recommendations for the future development and survival of the festival, presented to the board of Listowel Writers’ Week by arts consultant Dermot McLaughlin.
One of the other recommendations, to disband the voluntary committee, has received backlash from high-profile authors, politicians, and the former committee members.
The internationally acclaimed author, Colm Tóibín, resigned as president of Writers’ Week in protest over the disbanding of the voluntary committee.
The Board previously stated it would adopt all the recommendations from the independent report.
In a statement on its website, Listowel Writers’ Week says the appointment of a curator will strengthen the quality, diversity, and complexity of its programme, and broaden and deepen the reach of the festival.
The statement says the quality of applicants for the position was extremely high, and the festival is delighted to attract and recruit such a high-quality curator.
Catherine Moylan, on behalf of the board of the festival, said Stephen’s vision for next year’s festival is broad, innovative, fresh and exciting, while it also encompasses both a respect for its proud literary heritage as well as an eclectic, outward looking international perspective.
Despite the disbanding of the voluntary committee, the board says committee members are more than welcome to contribute to the festival in terms of ‘meet and greet’ and helping out with various organisational duties.
Next year’s festival will take place from 31st May to 4th June.
