The Pluck Of The Irish

No country on the planet comes close to Ireland as a literary powerhouse.
It has produced an impressive list of Nobel laureates and Booker Prize winners and has a booming publishing scene, and now Ireland’s Granard Booktown Festival has a place on the map.
What’s the secret behind Ireland’s literary success? How is it nurtured and sustained? Luck or pluck?
Exploring these questions with chair Claire Mabey are Irish farmer and author John Connell, award-winning writer and broadcaster Noelle McCarthy and acclaimed author Dame Fiona Kidman.

The 2025 Featherston Booktown Karukatea Festival proudly presents the Irish #1 best seller - John Connell - as the first ever international guest writer to attend the annual Festival. The Graham Family Irish Endowment is proud to support the 10th anniversary of Featherston Booktown in bringing John to this prestigious Festival.

This event is generously sponsored by Tessa O’Rorke and Tim Clarke.