Irish author Donal Ryan, winner of the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction, will share his observations on contemporary society and the writing life in an interview at the 2025 Allingham Festival. His novel
Heart, Be at Peace revisits the characters of The Spinning Heart as a small Irish community faces the contemporary challenges of social media, drugs, and illegal industries.
Previously featured guest at the 2013 Allingham Festival, Donal Ryan’s path to literary recognition reflects the highs and lows of a writing career. His first two novels were rejected 47 times before finding a publisher. Then
The Spinning Heart was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize, and Ryan now lectures in Creative Writing at the University of Limerick.
Donal Ryan
Interviewing Donal Ryan will be Nuala O’Connor, prizewinning author of
Seaborne and
Nora. Their conversation will take place at 3:30 Saturday afternoon 8 November at the Abbey Arts Centre in Ballyshannon.
Poet and memoirist Afric McGlinchey will also lead an immersive creative writing workshop at the 2025 Allingham Festival on “Setting and Weather as Metaphor”. The two-hour workshop for 15 participants will be held from 9:30 to 11:30 am in Kilbarron House, Ballyshannon on Saturday morning 8
th November.
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Nuala O'Connor
An Irish-born poet, freelance book editor and mentor for the Munster Literature Centre, Afric McGlinchey spent her formative years and early childhood in Zambia and Zimbabwe. She has published poetry collections including
The Lucky Star of Hidden Things and
Ghost of the Fisher Cat, and a memoir titled
Tied to the Wind. Her many awards and testimonials are listed at
www.africmcglinchey.com.
Afric McGlinchey will launch her new collection titled
À la Belle Étoile at the Literary Lunch, also on 8 Nov 2025. Tickets for the Creative Writing Workshop on “Setting and Weather as Metaphor” are available through the Allingham Website at
www.allinghamfestival.com
Aifric McGlinchey
2025 Allingham Festival events run from from 5-9 November. Highlights will include a Keynote Speech by human rights activist Nelofer Pazira, a performance of
Paddy: The Life and Times of Paddy Armstrong featuring Don Wycherley, an in-depth interview with veteran broadcaster John Creedon, and a programme of reminiscences and excerpts from the work of Donegal playwright Brian Friel – plus films, exhibitions, podcasts, book launches and open-mic events. Programme details are listed on-line at
www.allinghamfestival.com