John Steinbeck festival ready for it's seventh year of festivities

The Steinbeck Festival Limavady is set to enter it’s seventh year, running throughout the month of February.

Over the years it has attracted big name celebrities and this year features Fergal Keane in conversation with Mark Carruthers for example, as well as the gifted young blues artist Muireann Bradley.

Run by a small group of local enthusiasts the not-for-profit Festival aims to bring the Arts to all tastes and all ages in the community catering for everyone from 4 year olds, to 11 year olds, to 15 year olds, the general public and those with special interests in, music, photography, poetry, history, the Arts, and of course, John Steinbeck, in particular.

This year it will have a story-telling event for 4-6year olds, a schools’ programme for GCSE pupils, a whiskey tasting of ‘Limavady 1750’, as well as poetry performances by local poets, in addition to a cross-community poetry evening of English, Irish and Ulster Scots poetry with invited guests from The Cathedral Quarter Festival, Letterkenny and the Frances Browne Festival, Stranorlar.

Fans of the very popular ‘Blue Lights’ series will get a chance to engage with creators of the series, Declan Lawn and Louise Gallagher, at the Festival, and actress Joyce Greenaway brings her highly acclaimed one-woman show, ‘Whisk(e)y Wars’, to the Festival. Renowned photographer James Hughes will open our ‘Dust Bowl’ Photography Exhibition in the Roe Valley Arts and Cultural Centre with an illustrated talk.

The Steinbeck Festival Limavady grew out of a Friday evening event in the cellar of the Alexander Arms Hotel in 2019. It was organised by Dougie Bartlett to celebrate the connection which John Steinbeck, the Nobel Prize winning American author, has with the local area.

There were a couple of readings on the night, along with local musicians, Ashleen Allen, Shane McAteer, and Allan Nicholl playing the blues, in addition to a very well-received performance by Boyd Gray, as John Steinbeck himself.

An event not to be missed is ‘Steinbeck Saturday’ featuring talks on Steinbeck’s books, by Dr Linda Mc Keown and Dr Andrew Pickering with a lunch in the uniquely preserved, 1840s Limavady Workhouse, followed by a tour of the building. Events can be booked through our partners at the Roe Valley Arts and Cultural Centre Box Office on 02877760650 and information@rvacc.co.uk