Bernard MacLaverty returns to his home town for this special event at Belfast Book Festival. 

From award-winning novels such as Midwinter Break and Grace Notes, to his masterful short stories and screenplays, Bernard’s work explores everything from family love to ageing, Catholicism, the Troubles and the making of art. 

Discussing his work for page and screen, including the recently remastered film, Cal, adapted from his 1983 novel, Bernard will be in conversation with Anne Tannahill, former Managing Director of Blackstaff Press, who published his first book in 1977 and many subsequent titles.

Meet the writers

Belfast man Bernard MacLaverty lives in Glasgow. He has published six collections of short stories and five novels. His latest book was Blank Pages & Other Stories. He has written versions of his fiction for other media - radio plays, television plays, screenplays (for Cal, for Lamb, and Midwinter Break and short film Bye-Child) and libretti for Scottish Opera. He is a member of Aosdána in Ireland.

Anne Tannahill was managing director of Belfast publisher Blackstaff Press from 1980 to 2003. During this time Blackstaff books won numerous awards for content and design and in 1992 the company was named by the Sunday Times as UK Small Publisher of the Year. It also received a Special Commendation in 1990 from the judges of the Ewart-Biggs Prize for its contribution to mutual understanding in both parts of Ireland. An ex-President of the Irish Book Publishers' Association, Anne also served as a governor of the Linen Hall Library and as a member of the Northern Ireland Cultural Traditions Group, the BBC Northern Ireland Broadcasting Council and the RTÉ Authority. After her retirement from Blackstaff, Anne worked as a freelancer, compiling The Living Air for BBC NI and writing Publishing for Success for NI Publishing Resource. She was also for many years a volunteer reading assistant and governor of Dunmurry Primary School.