‘Curating isn’t just about big names, though an email from Tom Hanks is quite exciting’
Dalkey Book Festival founder is still pinching herself about organising what Salman Rushdie once dubbed “the best little festival in the world”
Sian Smyth, Bono, Tom Hanks and Andrea Catherwood at the 2023 Dalkey Book Festival. Photo: Conor McCabe
If you had told my 20-year old-self that she’d end up curating a literature festival, she would have been delighted. Books have always been my first love. Had you told her that running a book festival involved as much worrying about portaloos, generators and traffic cones as enjoying the work of great writers, she might have had second thoughts.
In truth, organising a literary weekend is much like organising anything else – it comes down to detail, systems and management.
Join the Irish Independent WhatsApp channel
Stay up to date with all the latest news
