As part of the Laois Leaves Festival, Laois Writers Group will present the launch of new book ‘WordsUnLaoised’ at Portlaoise Library on Wednesday, November 6, at 6.30pm.
The book will be launched by Kildare author John McKenna, a regular contributor to RTÉ Radio One show, Sunday Miscellany.
Words UnLaoised is a collection of stories and poems by nine people living in Laois.
Laois folk singer Emer Dunne will entertain the audience, writers will read extracts from the book, and refreshments will be served – all as part of the free launch.
Below is a brief synopsis of what readers can expect from WordsUnLaoised:
“Meet the woman who cycles to her sister’s home with all the local gossip and harbours a dark secret. A devoted daughter tells of her mother’s friend and their youthful exploits as the friend faces the end of her life.
“Read tales of working as a young man in 1970s Dublin Admire the courage of a young woman on a pilgrimage to Station Island in Lough Derg.
“Prepare to be moved by the short life of a beloved child. Share in the adventures of the daughter of a Ballacolla blacksmith and relive a silage harvest or the dreamscape created by snow.
“Chuckle at a child’s experience of lockdown and stand beside an English soldier/planter reviewing his life as he prepares for the Battle of Glenmalure.”
Laois Writers Group carries on a particularly Irish tradition of storytelling and much more. The group has been in existence for many years and has published several anthologies in this time.
The group is bound together by a love of the written word and a desire to share with each other. Members write poetry, short stories, memoir, novels and everything in between.
They write stories of today and yesterday, of happy times and sad times. Each writer brings a unique perspective that will bring these words to life for the reader and hopefully a smile or two.
