The Belfast native who was held hostage by Islamic Jihad in Lebanon for four and a half years will participate in the international festival’s Sunday Symposium to talk about memoir.

The ‘Reading Memoir’ session will also feature Richard Tillinghast, critically acclaimed US poet; Hugo Hamilton, winner of the Rooney Prize for Irish Literature; and Nuala O Faolain, Irish Times columnist and author of ‘Are You Somebody?’

Keenan is the author of four books including ‘An Evil Cradling’, the 1991 winner of the Irish Times Literature Prize for Non-fiction. The book tells of the great friendship he experienced with fellow hostage John McCarthy, and the brutality that was inflicted upon them by their captors.

Commenting on Brian Keenan’s participation in the second annual festival, Ms. Patricia Callaly of the Ennis Book Club Festival Organising Committee said, “Brian Keenan is a wonderful writer and an eloquent speaker. I have no doubt that his unique narrative style of writing complemented by his fascinating background will attract even greater numbers of literary enthusiasts to the festival. He deservedly joins a stellar list of world renowned authors on this year’s festival programme of events.”

Other confirmed festival participants include Roddy Doyle, a Dublin dramatist, screenwriter and Booker Prize winning author of ‘The Commitments’, ‘The Snapper’ and ‘The Van’; British author Joanne Harris, who wrote the best seller ‘Chocolat’; Lorna Landvik, actor, playwright and author of the best selling novels ‘Patty Jane's House of Curl’ and ‘The Tall Pine Polka’; Dermot Bolger, the author of eight novels and winner of the Samuel Beckett Award; Neven Maguire, an award winning celebrity chef; poet; Fintan O’Toole, drama critic, journalist and broadcaster; Ré O Laighlís, the biggest selling contemporary writer in the Irish language; Diarmuid Gavin, writer, garden designer and TV personality; Theo Dorgan, Cork-born poet and broadcaster; and Morgan Llywelyn, an esteemed author of historical fantasy, fiction and non-fiction books.

The Ennis Book Club Festival 2008, supported by Clare County Library, is expected to attract hundreds of book club members and book lovers from all over Europe and North America. The programme of events will feature author visits, readings, lectures, workshops, exhibitions and cookery demonstrations, musical entertainment, chocolate tasting in various venues around Ennis, and a speed dating-style networking session for book club members to get to know one another and exchange views.

Tickets for all events are now on sale at Glór Box Office (065 6843103/info@glor.ie). For further details on the Ennis Book Club Festival 2008 see ennisbookclubfestival.com. Alternatively email info@ennisbookclubfestival.com or contact 00353879723647 / 00353857758523.

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Founded in 2006, Dunphy Public Relations is a communications group led by Mark Dunphy from County Clare. Mr. Dunphy previously held the position of ‘Head of News and Current Affairs’ in Clare FM Radio.

Dunphy Public Relations has secured extensive local, national and international media coverage for clients including Clare County Council; Supply Network Shannon; The Atlantis Holiday Group; Shannon Town Council; Cliffs of Moher New Visitor Experience; Clare Museum; Digino Marketing; Renewable Energy Skillsnet; Magico.ie; Kilrush Town Council; Clonlara Wholesale; Minister for Labour Affairs, Tony Killeen; Clare County Library; and Ennis Town Council.