Lazy Sunday Service

I attended the Irish Crime Fiction Festival event in Trinity College Dublin yesterday.  It was very well attended, especially the evening session with Michael Connelly and John Connolly, which had about 400 people crammed into the examination hall.  It was an interesting day and the three panels and evening discussion all had some engaging and enlightening discussion.  I even managed to slip out of lurk mode and introduce myself to a couple of folk, including Michael Russell who kindly signed a copy of his newly purchased latest book, The City of Strangers.  It doesn't matter how many events I attend as a speaker or an audience member, I always feel like I'm out of place, somehow trespassing in someone else's world.  And I'm quite happy to spend the time isolated in a crowd; a voyeur rather than a participant.  So it was good step out of that bubble a couple of times, but also to sink back into it.

Here are photos are of the three panels.  Sorry for the poor quality - taken on my phone without a flash.

Panel 1: Eoin McNamee, Conor Brady, Stuart Neville, Kevin McCarthy, Michael Russell

Panel 2: John Connolly, Jane Casey, Arlene Hunt, Alan Glynn, Conor Fitzgerald, Declan Burke

Panel 3: Brian McGilloway, Paul Charles, Declan Hughes, Louise Phillips, Gene Kerrigan, Niamh O'Connor

My posts this week:
Chiselling away at open data blockages
Irish crime fiction festival, this week coming
Smart cities, big data and their consequences
Review of Hunting Eichmann by Neal Bascomb
Some media coverage of AIRO-based work
An honest man?

Irish crime fiction festival, this weekend coming

I attend a couple of dozen of events a year.  I'm usually pretty ambivalent about most of them.  Whereas I'm genuinely excited about attending the Irish crime fiction festival to hear the views of a great bunch of Irish crime writers.  Tickets can be sought through the website.  Here's the programme.

Friday 22 November
Trinity Long Room Hub, Trinity College

7.00pm-8.30pm: 'A Short Introduction to Crime Fiction: Why We Write It, How We Write It, and Why We Read It', featuring Trinity College alumni.
Introduction: Corman Ó Cuilleanáin a.k.a. Cormac Millar
Panelists: Jane Casey, John Connolly, Alan Glynn, Declan Hughes, and Eoin McNamee.

Saturday 23 November
J.M. Synge Theatre, Arts Building, Trinity College

10.00am-11.15am: 'Historical Crime Fiction'.
Panelists: Conor Brady, Kevin McCarthy, Eoin McNamee (chair), Stuart Neville, and Michael Russell.

11.30am-12.45am: 'Irish Crime Fiction Abroad'.
Panelists: Declan Burke (chair), Jane Casey, John Connolly, Conor Fitzgerald, Alan Glynn, Arlene Hunt.

1.30-3.30pm: Surprise Film Screening

3.45pm-5pm: 'Crime Fiction and Contemporary Ireland'.
Panelists: Paul Charles, Declan Hughes, Gene Kerrigan, Brian McGilloway (chair), Niamh O'Connor, Louise Phillips.

Saturday 23 November, Closing Event
6pm (doors open 5.30), Public Theatre, Trinity College (€6 tickets)
'An Evening With Michael Connelly'.

I tend to be a lurker at these kinds of things, but I might get up the courage to go and introduce myself to a few of the speakers.  There's only one that I've not yet read at least one of their books.   

Irish Crime Fiction Festival, Nov 22-23

I picked up this bit of news from the blog of the Oracle of Irish crime fiction, Declan Burke, Crime Always Pays (if you're interested in all things Irish crime fiction then it's a must-read).  On November 22nd/23rd Trinity College Dublin, in association with New York University, are hosting an Irish Crime Fiction Festival.

Confirmed speakers so far are Declan Burke, Jane Casey, Paul Charles, John Connolly, Conor Fitzgerald, Alan Glynn, Declan Hughes, Arlene Hunt, Kevin McCarthy, Brian McGilloway, Eoin McNamee, Niamh O'Connor, Louise Phillips, Peter Quinn, Michael Russell, and Stuart Neville.

The initial programme is:

Friday 22 NovemberLong Room Hub, Trinity College
6.30pm-8.30pm: Panel Discussion and Book Signing

Saturday 23 November
Long Room Hub, Trinity College
10.00am-11.15am: Writers Panel, 'Historical Crime Fiction'
11.30am-12.45am: Writers Panel, 'Irish Crime Fiction Abroad'
12.45pm-1.30pm: lunch
1.30-3.30pm: Surprise Film Screening
3.45pm-5pm: Writers Panel, 'Crime Fiction and Contemporary Ireland'
6pm (doors open 5.30): 'An Evening With Michael Connelly' (interviewed by John Connolly)
Exam Hall, Trinity College

The event is free, except for a €6 charge for the Connelly/Connolly panel.  Details about the event and tickets can be found on the festival website.

I've already booked my tickets.  I suggest if you're interested you do as well before they're all snapped up.