Kinsale Arts Week is delighted to announce the addition of two of Irelands most esteemed literary figures to the Neil Jordan panel discussion at the Trident Hotel on Saturday 12th July at 12.30pm.

Novelist, playwright and poet, Dermot Healy has won the Hennessy Award (1974 and 1976), the Tom Gallon Award (1983), and the Encore Award (1995), he is a member of Aosdána. Also a member of Aosdána, Aidan Higgins has written short stories, travel pieces, radio drama and novels. His novels include Langrishe Go Down which won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize and the Irish Academy of Letters Award and Balcony of Europe which was short-listed for the Booker Prize.

Dermot Healy and Aidan Higgins will join with Steve McDonagh (Publisher, Brandon Books) and Neil Jordan himself in an exploration of the literary career of Jordan. Known to most for his ground-breaking film direction Neil Jordan is also an established writer. He has published four novels, The Past (1979), The Dream of a Beast (1983), Sunrise with Sea Monster (1994) and Shade (2004). He set up The Irish Writers` Cooperative in 1974 and went on to win The Guardian Fiction Prize for his book of short stories Night in Tunisia in 1979.

* Please note that in a change from the programme Stephen Woolley will be unable to attend.

Doireann Ni Bhrian, well-known RTE presenter, narrator and independant Radio Producer will be in Kinsale on Sun 13th July at 6pm in the Friary Space where she will be in coversation with Baroness Julia Neuberger.

Best known for her affiliation with RTE Radio 1, Ni Bhriain was a long-running reporter on the radio current affairs programme Women Today. Currently, Doireann Ni Bhriain is based in Dublin, working in arts management; she also producus radio programmes. Recent work includes Planning Our Cities, a 6 part radio series on urban planning for RTE Radio One, and two documentaries for RTE Raidio na Gaeltachta: Ce Leifidh Mo Leabhar` and `Taisce Cheoil Duchais Eireann`.

Baroness Neuberger is a rabbi, social reformer and member of the House of Lords. She was Britain`s second female rabbi and the first to have her own synagogue. She was created a Life Peer in 2004. A former Fellow of Harvard Medical School, Baroness Neuberger was Bloomberg Professor of Divinity at Harvard University for the Spring Semester 2006. She is currently a Trustee of the British Council and also of the Booker Prize Foundation. She is the author of several books on Judaism, women, and healthcare ethics and on caring for dying people. Her most recent book is Not Dead Yet - a manifesto for old age.

Renowned travel writer and former BBC correspondent, Paul Clements will be interviewed by Pat Kenny on this morning`s Pat Kenny Show on RTE Radio One. This comes ahead of his appearance at Kinsale Arts Week. On Thursday 17th and Friday 18th July, Paul Clements will be sharing his expertise in the field of travel writing with anyone who wants to try their hand at this increasingly popular literary form. The workshops will take place between 10am and 5pm each day and for a fee of only €80 both full days are covered.

Paul Clements will also facilitate " What`s left to discover? - Travel writing today" a panel discussion focusing on the art of travel writing. This panel will also fetaure Dervla Murphy, Tim Severin and Alannah Hopkin.

We have moved our Carnival Workshop to Sunday 13th of July instead of the other dates previously advertised. Our apologies for any inconvenience caused.

There will be Circus Skills and Art & Design on offer.

Bookings can be made online or through our Box Office, Old Folk House, Guardwell. 021 4700877.

We will be having another volunteer meeting for everyone, old and new on Tuesday 8th July in The Box Office, Old Folk House, Guardwell. The Box Office will be the centre of operations during the festival and we want everyone to get a bit more familiar with it. We will have the schedule for the festival ready for this meeting so everyone will get their jobs and information then.

We still need more volunteers so all are welcome.

Look forward to seeing you there..