The 23rd Aspects Literature Festival which is taking place from 25 – 28 September in Bangor features a truly inclusive programme offering something for everyone – enticing the uninitiated to join in! Aspects is well renowned for bringing household names to Bangor and this year’s line-up will not disappoint.
In the 100th year since the outbreak of World War 1 and following the recent WW1 Commemoration Events in North Down, the Festival will take on a reflective feel, looking at war through modern day eyes, those who fought and those who report on the fighting.
On Thursday, 25 September, broadcaster Gerry Kelly will be interviewing Falklands War Veteran Simon Weston OBE in The Festival Marquee in The Walled Garden. Simon, who received 46% burns during the bombing of Sir Galahad in 1982, is known the world-over for his optimism which he radiates. His story and his determination have inspired the will to excel in countless others. And his irrepressible humour, infectious enthusiasm and his engaging personality have made him an extremely sought after motivational speaker.
Simon has made many, many television and radio appearances, including major BBC documentaries; ‘Simon’s War,’ ‘Simon’s Peace,’ ‘Simon’s Triumph’ and ‘Simon’s Return.’ This has been complemented by literary success as a best-selling auto biographer and most recently, as an author of children’s fiction. For this event, Simon will also read from his novel ‘Moving On.’
Well-known TV war reporter Martin Bell will also be making a very special appearance at this year’s Aspects Festival. In keeping with the war theme, Martin will be in conversation with BBC Radio Ulster’s John Toal and will be talking about his career where he has broadcast from most major combat zones and reflecting on these experiences.
Bell who served in the Army in Cyprus during his National Service joined the BBC in 1962 after graduating from Cambridge and began a distinguished career as a foreign affairs correspondent. Over the next 30 years, he covered 11 conflicts and reported from 89 countries, making his name with reports from wars and conflicts in Vietnam, the Middle East, Nigeria, Angola and Northern Ireland.
This special event will be taking place on Sunday 28 September, also in The Festival Marquee at The Walled Garden.
Friend of Aspects Fergal Keane will be in conversation with Kenneth Irvine on Friday 26 September. Keane, a winner of numerous awards including a BAFTA, Royal Television Society Journalist of The Year and an OBE
for services to television journalism . He is also the author of seven books, most notably his top ten best-seller ‘Road of Bones’ on the siege of Kohima in World War Two which was recently named Military book of the year.
No stranger to conflict, Keane will be recounting his experiences as a veteran war reporter, mostly recently reporting from The Gaza Strip.
Also on Friday 26, local author Sheena Wilkinson will be reading from ‘The Great War,’ a recently released anthology of stories about World War 1. The book is a collection of stories inspired by objects from The First World War and Sheena will be reading her story ‘Each Slow Dusk’ inspired by the 1914-1918 school magazines of Methodist College, Belfast where she taught for 19 years. Sheena, a shining light on Northern Ireland’s literary scene was recently granted a major award from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and has just completed her term as an inaugural Bringing to Book Writer in Residence at the Church of Ireland College of Education in Dublin. This event will be taking place in The Council Chamber at The Town Hall, Bangor.
All tickets for these events are now on sale at www.northdown.gov.uk/bookings. For the full line-up, please download a programme at www.aspectsfestival.com
Tickets are available at www.northdown.gov.uk/bookings, from the festival Box Office at North Down Museum (028 9127 1200) and from Bangor Visitor Information Office (028 9127 0069).