The new curator of Listowel Writers' Week says his first months in the role have been 'challenging' because of the controversial re-structuring of the festival which took place last year.
However, Belfast-born Stephen Connolly says he's received a very warm welcome in the town, and believes there's a lot of positivity about this year's event, which officially opens on Wednesday night.
Ireland’s oldest literary festival was embroiled in controversy last September, when the long-serving volunteers were dismissed on foot of a consultant’s report recommending restructuring, including the appointment of a professional curator.
Speaking on Radio Kerry's TalkAbout show, Mr Connolly says he has only a limited understanding of what went on, and feels it's an advantage that he's not from the area:
