Laois Arts Office and Dunamaise Arts Centre are delighted to present Leaves 2021, the 14th annual festival of writing and music in Laois. Clíodhna Ní Anluain is the Guest Curator this year and the festival takes place at Dunamaise Arts Centre, celebrating a diverse and rich synthesis of contributors within a multi-media programme featuring live and virtual events with everything from conversations to music, fiction, non-fiction, poetry, film, theatre, essays, workshops and more, including:

A live reading by short-story supremo Philip Ó Ceallaigh from his 2021 collection Troubles and in conversation with writer Enda Wyley.

Portlaoise native Pauline Clooney on her new novel Charlotte and Arthur with novelist Marianne Lee. The writing lives of trail-blazing Irish women including Éilis Ní Dhuibhne, Celia de Fréine and Phil Herbert. Selina Guinness in conversation with two young writers: Louise Nealon's debut novel Snowflakes and Sheila Armstrong's first short story collection.  

The Alphabet of Birds, a wonderful hybrid production combining a screening, a spoken essay performed by visual artist Sara Baume, along with live music by Irene Buckley.  

Collapsing Horse Theatre Company bring the highly acclaimed A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings for younger book and theatre enthusiasts. Also, Decadent Theatre will present award-winning play Eden, written by Eugene O’Brien in 2001, for this story of stale love and fresh lust in the Irish midlands!

Please note that the details of events listed above are provided by the relevant Local Authorities.