German Ambassador to open Achill Heinrich Böll Weekend

THE Achill Heinrich Böll Weekend returns this year from April 29 to May 1 in Dugort village. The festival will be opened on April 29 by the German Ambassador to Ireland, H.E. Cord Meyer-Klodt.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Heinrich Böll getting the Nobel Prize for literature and 30 years of the writer’s residency in Dugort.

The programme includes readings and literary walks with René Böll, son of Heinrich Böll, John F. Deane, Hugh Hamilton, Kerry Hardie, Claire Keegan, Kerstin Mey, Iggy McGovern, Kevin Toolis, Mithu Sanyal and members of the Achill Writers Group.

The Achill Heinrich Böll Weekend has been running since 2006. In 2020 the festival had to be cancelled due to the pandemic and last year it could only take place online.

This year's event includes an exhibition by Galway artist Samir Mahmood, who was recipient of the Academic Achievement and the inaugural Mary Lavelle Burke Bursary Awards from GMIT Mayo (2020), leading to the artist residency at the Heinrich Böll Cottage.

As in the past, the festival is organised by the Heinrich Böll Committee, in conjunction with the German Embassy, The Goethe-Institut Irland and Mayo County Council.

The Heinrich Böll Cottage has been made available to artists free of charge for a limited period of time and has set itself the task of giving a supportive environment to writers and artists and preserving the memory of Heinrich Böll and his literary work on Achill.

For the complete programme of the festival, and to book tickets, visit the website, heinrichboellcottage.com.

For more information, please email hbollachill@anu.ie.