Literature gets a boost in Northern Ireland

A public-private sector publishing collaboration is set to promote Northern Ireland’s new and established writers in Northern Ireland through a series of tours in arts centres, tourism centres and other venues. A partnership involving publishers Blackstaff Press, Guildhall Press, Lagan Press, the Arts Council of Northern Ireland (ACNI), the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure, and the Verbal Arts Centre has been established under the name ‘PublishingNI’, the first collaboration of its kind in Northern Ireland. Six venues are already signed up to host the tours, starting in February, and a website will be at the heart of a network for both publishers and writers, providing information on new books, readings, signings, networking and training opportunities. Bronwen Williams, Co-ordinator of PublishingNI, described the aim of the new venture as being: “…to reach out to new readers and to create more opportunities for writers here. Through our programme of mini tours, we hope to stimulate sales of Northern Irish books and to increase public awareness of our excellent home-grown writers and their work.” Officially launched at ACNI, PublishingNI also plans to foster links with publishers in England, Scotland and Wales.