On Thursday, July 18th, writers E.R. Murray and Jan Carson visited Bantry Day Care Centre as part of the West Cork Literary Festival in partnership with Arts for Health West Cork.
The event was a warm and welcoming affair with a relaxed approach, offering plenty of scope for audience participation. Both writers read samples of their own work and shared stories from personal experience, covering everything from where ideas come from to how life and story influence each other and where to find the best tray bakes!
Jan read several Postcard stories, which were in turn funny, emotional, and thought- provoking. These flash pieces were originally written on the back of postcards and sent to friends, which culminated in two unique book collections. Jan also read from her latest short story collection, Quickly, While They Still Have Horses and shared heart-warming memories and tales of family, travel, and growing up in Northern Ireland.
Elizabeth shared personal experiences of living in West Cork, and read two poems from A Life Lived, a poetry and art pamphlet which she created collaboratively with visual artist, Sarah Ruttle, across four local community hospitals, as part of the Arts For Health West Cork programme. The poems ‘Unsung Heroes’ and ‘Down Memory Lane’ evoked plenty of
discussion about bygone days in West Cork and each participant and staff member received a copy of the pamphlet to keep.
As well as sharing plenty of memories and opinions, participants recited some favourite poems that they learned by heart – which, as one participant pointed out, ‘is an important skill to keep alive, as you always have something beautiful to think about when you need it’. The morning was full of laughter and chats, conveying a deep love of sharing story in all its forms, as well as tea and delicious scones.
Afterwards, Jan shared on social media: ‘I would love to see more book festivals creating spaces for writers to give short readings in nursing homes and residential care facilities so those who can’t attend events still get to enjoy the festival. It’s super easy to set this up and really impactful.’
We couldn’t agree more, and we look forward to continuing our Arts for Health partnership with West Cork Literary Festival.
Jan Carson is a writer and community arts facilitator based in Belfast. She has published three novels, three short story collections and two micro-fiction collections. Her novel The Fire Starters won the EU Prize for Literature for Ireland 2019. Jan’s latest novel, The Raptures, was published by Doubleday in early 2022 and was subsequently shortlisted for the An Post Irish Novel of the Year and Kerry Group Novel of the Year. Her short story collection Quickly, While They Still Have Horses was published by Doubleday in April 2024.
Elizabeth Rose Murray writes novels, essays, short stories and poetry for children, young adults and adults. Her books include The Book of Learning – Nine Lives Trilogy 1 (2016 Dublin UNESCO Citywide Read for Children), The Book of Shadows – Nine Lives Trilogy 2 (shortlisted 2016 Irish Book Awards and 2016 Irish Literacy Association Award), The Book of Revenge – Nine Lives Trilogy 3 (February 2018) and Caramel Hearts (May 2016). She has short fiction published in journals and anthologies across Europe, the US, Canada and Australia, and has a new book, Arabella Pepper, The Wild Detective, publishing in April 2025. Elizabeth lives in West Cork and is an artist for the Arts For Health West Cork programme.
You can read more about the A Life Lived project here.