A Food Writer's Paradise

If food writing’s your thing then you’re in for a treat at the Ballymaloe LitFest. We are focusing on every aspect of the literature of food and wine - from the craft of professional food writing, self publishing, history and the celebration of the art of writing.

On Sunday, two of the UK and Ireland's most respected food critics, Matthew Fort and John McKenna, will discuss the journey of food writing from cave drawings to digital recipe swapping. 

And talking of the digital world, as you will know I am still a relative beginner when it comes to technology and the world of blogging. So I'm delighted that we have a workshop led by some of the Irish pioneers who are taking food writing into the future. Bloggers Aoife Carrigy (Holy Mackerel. ie) and  Lucy Pearce (our resident blogging teacher at the Cookery School, whose next course is on May 18th) and Caroline Hennessy, journalist and co-founder of Irish Food Bloggers Association will be joined by the founder of Grow It Yourself , Michael Kelly to discuss the emergence of this new form of food writing.  

If you’ve always harboured dreams of being a food writer and were wondering about self-publishing I highly recommend heading along to Michelle Darmody’s workshop, followed by Rachel Allen, Rowley Leigh, Jancis Robinson and Nick Lander’s conversation on the Tyranny of The Deadly Deadline, which will give you the inside track on what it’s really like to be a food writer. Believe me it’s not nearly so glamourous as you might imagine – well, not all of the time!

In separate events, acclaimed chefs and authors David Tanis  and Denis Cotter will read from and discuss their award-winning books. And you can catch two of Ireland’s best-loved contemporary wine writers, John Wilson and Tom Doorley talking about wine books in general, with a particular nod to the books of Maurice Healy, Ireland’s first wine journalist. There will be a tasting of some wines featured in the books, and simple tips on the secrets of wine tasting.

And on Sunday evening in the Carrigaun Room there is a Literary Conversation and Workshop chaired by Professor of Modern English at UCC, Claire Connolly, entitled The Taste of Words: Food and Literature in Performance.

And if you just can't choose get yourself a day pass - or one for the whole fabulous weekend!