Cúirt gets creative for young readers

A day of workshops and readings for young people aged 13 and older will take place on Saturday, April 23, as part of this year’s Cúirt Festival.

Writers Juno Dawson, Simon Van Booy, Sarah Maria Griffin and Selina Nwulu, will encourage young people to take part and give them feedback on their work.

Juno, formerly James, Dawson, is the award-winning author of dark teen novels Hollow Pike, Cruel Summer and Say Her Name. She has also published two non-fiction books, Being a Boy and This Book is Gay. A book about mental health entitled Mind Your Head is due out later this year. Last year, Juno announced her decision to undergo gender transition and has been writing a column for Glamour magazine documenting her journey.

British-American Simon Van Booy has won multiple awards for his fiction and plays, including the Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award. He is much in demand and his Cúirt masterclass for adults sold out in record time.

Sarah Maria Griffin is a young Irish writer who studied for an MA in Writing at NUIG. Her memoir on emigration, Not Lost, depicts the difficulties and opportunities faced by young Irish emigrants.

Selina Nwulu is the young poet laureate for London. Her work reflects her advocacy and research into themes of social justice, identity politics and equality. Her first collection, The Secrets I Let Slip, is out now.

Cúirt Labs will finish with a reading by novelists Louise O’Neill and Rachel B. Glaser in the Town Hall Theatre, which is included in the ticket price.

Louise O’Neill’s latest book is the award-winning Asking for It. American Rachel B. Glaser’s new novel Paulina and Fran (Granta) explores intense friendships and has been praised for ‘its darkly poignant humour’.

Attendance for this day-long event is €10, payable on the day. Cúirt Labs will take place in Galway Arts Centre, where Scottish artist and illustrator Shona Shirley MacDonald will customise the space with fantastical characters and compositions. It begins at 10am.

■ For bookings and information, contact Galway Arts Centre on 091-565886.