Rosanna Cooney, Clare McKenna, Dearbhla Mescal, Oona Frawley and Julia Kelly. With Muireann O'Connell
This International Women’s Day, join Dublin Book Festival for a day of events in the stunning Powerscourt Estate in Co. Wicklow. From conversations around wellbeing and a walking tour, to the power of words to capture deeply moving stories, this will be an engaging day spent in the company of inspiring women writers and other book lovers, all in the most beautiful of locations.
Celebrating Women’s Voices: Morning Events 10:30am – 1.15pm
Taking Care of You: Rosanna Cooney and Clare McKenna in conversation with Muireann O’Connell
As wellness continues to be a priority for many in our fast-paced world, two experts join us to share their experience and deeply researched inspiration around nurturing our wellbeing. Saunas and cold-water bathing have soared as spaces not just for leisure and activity but for fostering community. Rosanna Cooney’s Sweathouse (Irelandia Press) explores the ancient roots of Ireland’s sauna tradition, illuminating how this is far from being a new craze, and charts Rosanna’s journey around Europe in search of the most magical saunas. Popular broadcaster and health coach Clare McKenna has become a renowned voice when it comes to wellbeing. In her new book Would You Be Well? (Hachette Ireland), Clare draws on her wealth of knowledge and experience to help you cut through the overwhelm and shape wellness habits that fit your life. From mindset shifts to ‘small step’ rituals, discover what works for you.
Finding Joy: Dearbhla Mescal in conversation with Muireann O’Connell
For years now, poetry lover Dearbhla Mescal has been inspiring and encouraging her online followers to find the joy in everyday life and celebrate the little things. Finding Joy (Eriu) is her first book. This beautiful new collection of poems, musings and recollections, filled with wisdom and compassion, encapsulate Dearbhla’s own practice of finding joy in the everyday moments. Offering both comfort and inspiration, this book invites the reader on a journey of reflection and renewal.
Moving Memoirs with Oona Frawley and Julia Kelly
Words have the power to capture the most raw and honest stories; stories that are deeply personal yet contain universal truths that resonate widely. Writers Oona Frawley and Julia Kelly have written two equally beautiful and moving memoirs exploring themes of both love and joy, grief and loss, and the rich stories to be found within families. Frawley’s This Interim Time (The Lilliput Press) is a stunning meditation on memory and family, balancing between grief at the passing of those closest to her, and joy at the emergence of new life. Kelly’s Still (New Island Books) is a love letter of sorts to her mother after her passing. It pieces back together, and breathes new life into, the story of a complex but much loved woman who found new freedom in life in her later years.