The Secret Bookshelf: Carrickfergus book store to host Seamus Heaney talk and Trevor Kennedy launch

Lovers of literature will have plenty to keep them occupied this autumn at Carrickfergus bookstore, The Secret Bookshelf.
By Helena McManus
Published 13th Sep 2023, 11:20 BST
Updated 13th Sep 2023, 14:16 BST

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The independent retailer, based at The Courtyard, will be hosting a number of events in the coming months, including a talk on Seamus Heaney and the launch of a new horror collection.

The shop is a frequent venue for workshops and other book-related events, details of which can be found on the Facebook page.

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Last month, visitors were able to meet some of Ireland’s top Young Adult authors at a special showcase.

The Secret Bookshelf at The Courtyard, Carrickfergus.The Secret Bookshelf at The Courtyard, Carrickfergus.
The Secret Bookshelf at The Courtyard, Carrickfergus.

Next on the programme is ‘Becoming Seamus Heaney – a talk by Dr Michael Kinsella’, which will take place on Thursday, September 21 at 6pm.

Dr Kinsella has been presenting talks on Seamus Heaney’s writing and life at the Northern Ireland Institute for Human Relations.

The Secret Bookshelf’s event page notes: “He was the literary and biographical adviser for Seamus Heaney HomePlace, a contributor to Seamus Heaney: A Bibliography 1959-2003 by Rand Brandes & Michael J. Durkan, and has been assisting Professor Michael Parker on what promises to be the definitive study on Seamus Heaney's writing, Seamus Heaney: Legacies, Afterlives.

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“During the talk, Dr Kinsella will be presenting ‘Becoming Seamus Heaney’, an exploration of the poet’s life story and how it would take Heaney over forty years to grow into his rural childhood.”

The talk will be followed by a question and answer session.

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Tickets are £5, with all proceeds going towards the Air Ambulance (NI) in memory of Larne schoolgirl, Scarlett Rossborough.

For details on how to book, visit Eventbrite here.

Meanwhile, the arrival of darker evening will coincide with a new book launch by Trevor Kennedy on Friday, September 22 at 6:30pm.

Trevor’s debut horror collection, ‘Bad Dreams and Reflections: A Collection of Weird Horror Stories’ conjures a world where vampiric cats, insectoid abominations, and mischievous genii coexist with demonic entities from Hell and Lovecraftian terrors.

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A writer and editor based in Belfast, Trevor has been working in the genre literary field for around ten years.

He edits Phantasmagoria Magazine and its spin-off Special Edition Series, along with other related books under his TK Pulp imprint.

He is also a radio presenter for Big Hits Radio UK and co-host of Citizen Frame film review podcast.

Related topics:Seamus HeaneyCarrickfergusIreland