For Seamus Byrne, Gibraltar Literary Festival has grown from strength to strength

The Gibraltar Literary Festival will open on Monday with a week’s worth of talks and discussions from well-known international and local authors. Gibraltar Cultural Services Chief Cultural Officer Seamus Byrne has taken over the organisation of the event this year as Festival Director. Under his helm, Mr Byrne told Features Editor Gabriella Ramagge, he plans to build upon the event with the ambition to make it into one of the best literary festivals in the UK.

Next week scores of international and local authors will be delivering talks and workshops in the flagship event, the Gibraltar Literary Festival.

The authors include fiction writers, journalists, politicians, and even an etiquette expert who will share their knowledge in locations across Gibraltar.

At the helm of the event this year is GCS CCO Seamus Byrne as Festival Director, who alongside the teams at GCS and the Tourist Board, has put together a stellar line-up of over 30 talks and a schools programme.

Mr Byrne was appointed Festival Director last January and from then the work began.

“My computer was on fire, bombarding different publishing houses and working with Sally Dunsmore and Tony Byrne from the Oxford Literary Festival, who are major partners of the Festival,” Mr Byrne said.

“They've been the advisors to the Festival for many, many years now, since its inception as well.”

“I've worked with Duckworth as well for the first time this year. It's a publishing house with Josephine Cassaglia, a Gibraltarian, at the heart of Duckworth, and resides in the heart of the capital in Spain, in Madrid.”

He added that the Festival has partnered with Seabourn Cruise Line for the first time for the a public and a private event held at former Royal butler Grant Harrold.

“The aim from the very beginning was not only to bring a wide range of speakers to Gibraltar, but emphasising as well what we used to do when we had Literature Week, which was allowing a platform for local authors and the many, many Gibraltarians that put pen to paper and have self-published books and support them in their work.”

“That's one emphasis, the other was trying to bring tourism to Gibraltar.”

Mr Byrne highlighted that the Festival is a flagship tourism-led event in Gibraltar.

This meant organising a roll-out of announcements, promotional material, and a pre-lude to the event where British comedian turned children’s book author David Walliams held a sold out talk.

In the run-up to the Festival several local authors have also published their books such as former Deputy Editor of the newspaper Alice Mascarenhas, who launched a book ‘Palabras al Viento’ about her father’s life and career.

Mr Byrne added that the number of events within the Festival has increased with over 40 events including the schools programme and an array of events at BookGEM. He has big ambitions for the future.

“My ambition, if I continue as festival director, is to make it the best festival in Great Britain,” he said.

“It's an ambition. It's a vision.”

Mr Byrne is looking at major literary festivals in the UK such as ones in Oxford and Cheltenham, and the Hay Festival in Wales.

“I’m sure we can achieve that status,” he said.

He added that over the past decade the Festival under his predecessors has built an amazing reputation.

“Our hospitality always speaks for itself and people leave Gibraltar always wanting to come back,” he said.

“That's always a good sign. Everybody speaks highly about Gibraltar Literary Festival, and it's not only due to our hospitality, but of course the great teams past and present.”

“Without a festival team, this is not possible.”

Mr Byrne added he is grateful for the support of long-time festival sponsors Gibunco, festival sponsors and also for the teams at GCS, the Tourist Board, Garrison Library, Ministry of Culture, Government Minister Christian Santos and GibMedia.

“The support that we have that it makes it such a success,” he said.

“But with ambition and vision, I'm sure it will be one of the best festivals in the years to come.”

Looking at the school’s programme, Mr Byrne highlighted James Mayhew who will be painting while GAMPA musicians perform.

“It's a mixture of classical music, art and literature all combined to create an amazing setting for young people,” he said.

School authors include Justin Rollins, comedian Ian Moore, Directors of the Gibraltar Museum, Clive, Geraldine and Stewart Finlayson, journalist Molly McElwee, former cultural director Manolo Galliano and Karim Vatvani, amongst others.

Mr Byrne said ticket sales have been very strong this year with over 80% of tickets sold, and multiple talks sold out.

The Library Tour, Christian Hook, Kathrine Carter, Dame Janne Haaland, Dr Paul Cooper, Lady Fiona Carnarvon, Sir Vince Cable, the Crime Panel featuring Ian Moore Janice Hallet and Thomas Hindle, Grant Harrold, Joao Vale de Almeida, Alex Partridge, and Scott Mitchell’s talk are all sold out.

Seats have been added to some talks due to their popularity.

“It's a reflection of the work that we have done for the last nine months. It's a great team effort and the ticket sales speak for themselves.”

Mr Byrne added that what is most important is promoting literature and reading.

Tickets are still available via www.buytickets.gi