UL One Campus, One Book AY15/16
By Seán Lynch
This year’s featured author for UL One Campus, One Book 2015/16 told those attending the launch event that she was “waiting for someone else to stand up to talk about their book instead”.
Sara Baume, author of Spill Simmer Falter Wither, spoke about her delight at being the initiative’s chosen author for the academic year: “It just makes me smile so much to think of myself talking to a crowd of people who care and want to listen, and I would never dream that it would reach so many people and generate such a warm response”.
This is the third year of UL One Campus, One Book, which is an initiative led by the Regional Writing Centre and Centre for Teaching and Learning.
The launch event took place on Wednesday, 18th November, in the Millstream Common Room.
Prof. Joseph O’Connor, whose novel The Thrill of it All was featured for last year’s UL One Campus One Book, introduced Sara at the event, saying: “I was just blown away by the book.
“Sara’s book made me want to remember why I ever wanted to read as a kid, or why I ever wanted to write.”
Donal Ryan, Writer-in-residence, UL, was also present at the launch. His novel, The Spinning Heart, was the first featured novel for UL One Campus, One Book in 2013/14.
Dr. Íde O’Sullivan, Co-Director Regional Writing Centre, spoke at the beginning of the event, saying: “Its aim is to bring members of the campus community together to share in the joy of reading.”
Before audience members had the opportunity to ask the author questions about the novel, Dr. O’Sullivan said: “How often when reading a book would you have said that you would have loved to meet the author and interrogate them about their book.”
Sara spoke about the influences her visual art had on her writing: “Because my background is in visual art, I made various things, as I was writing and, for me, it was a way of keeping my hands busy, because, as everyone knows, writing is brainwork”.
When asked about whether she finds it difficult to write, Sara said: “There were plenty of days I didn’t feel like writing and I gave up at some point. My way of continuing to feel as though I’m doing something was to work with my hands.”
After the event, one audience member said: “I really loved her description of herself and the book. Makes me want to read it again”.
The next UL One Campus, One Book event will be a discussion on visual and literary art in spring 2016, where Sara will talk about the influences on and relationships between her writing and visual art.
There will also be a How I Write, Ireland interview by Lawrence Cleary, Co-Director, Regional Writing Centre, later in the year, discussing Sara’s writing processes and strategies.
All three UL One Campus, One Book authors are nominated in this years’ Irish Book Awards 2015.
UL One Campus, One Book authors - Professor Joseph O'Connor, Sara Baume and Donal Ryan.
