BBC Northern Ireland hosts Book Week in partnership with Libraries NI
Next week, BBC Radio Ulster/Foyle’s airwaves will be buzzing with interviews, conversations and features about reading as BBC Northern Ireland presents Book Week NI.
Published: 28 October 2016
If you, like me, haven't read much before now, then let's start the journey together and then we can share with each other ideas about great books on the biggest show in the country!
Book Week NI (Saturday 29 October – Friday 4 November) is a joint initiative between BBC Northern Ireland and Libraries NI to celebrate the pleasures and benefits of reading and share the message that books and reading are for everyone.
BBC Radio Ulster’s Stephen Nolan met with Communities Minister, Paul Givan MLA, this week at Belfast Central Library ahead of BBC Northern Ireland’s Book Week. While there, Stephen became a member and got his own library card which he can use to borrow books and enjoy a range of other free services across Northern Ireland.
Paul Givan MLA, who has responsibility for libraries across Northern Ireland says: “I am pleased that BBC Northern Ireland and Libraries NI are working together to support learning and literacy; books are for everyone and can be accessed for free either online or through the 98 libraries or 16 mobile units across Northern Ireland. Libraries are a key service to communities and I encourage people to get involved in The Biggest Book Group in the Country and to visit their local library and to borrow their first book.
On Monday 31 October, Stephen Nolan will be launching The Biggest Book Group in the Country. Once a month, BBC Radio Ulster’s The Nolan Show will give listeners the chance to share their views on that month’s chosen book. In the first of The Biggest Book Group in the Country, Charlie Lawson will introduce and read some extracts from the book group’s first ever book (to be announced that morning). Listeners will then have a month to read the book, available at local libraries, before the programme discusses it at the end of November.
Stephen Nolan says: "I've been told that I'm losing out not reading books - that a great book will take me to new worlds, new ways of relaxing and new ways of broadening my thoughts. So I'm going to give it a go. If you, like me, haven't read much before now, then let's start the journey together and then we can share with each other ideas about great books on the biggest show in the country!”
Also on BBC Radio Ulster during book week, Steven Rainey will present Cover to Cover every weekday at 4.30pm. The programme will feature interviews with authors including Wilbur Smith, Jilly Cooper, Bernard Cornwell, Anne Rice, Nicci French and Ian Rankin. Steven will also be joined live in studio by guests such as mentalist David Meade and crime author Stuart Neville to hear about their favourite books and will be talking classic and contemporary page turners with fans of the written word.
Stephen Rainey says: “I’ve always loved reading, and Cover to Cover is an incredible opportunity for me to meet the writers of some of the best-selling books ever written, and to share the stories that made them so popular. From horse-riding and romance with Jilly Cooper, to Wilbur Smith’s tales of adventure in the land of the Pharaohs, Cover to Cover will bring you inside some of the best books ever written, taking you on a journey that can be even better than what’s on the printed page.
“All of us love a good story, so whether you’re a bookworm or not, Cover to Cover will give you an escape from the real world.”
On Gardeners’ Corner on Saturday 29 October Cherrie McIlwaine will be joined by Wendy Austin as they visit Ormeau Library in Belfast to browse the shelves for books that will appeal to those with green fingers. On Thursday 3 November The Arts Show will be taking an in depth look at local crime noir at 6.30pm and on Friday 4 November Ralph McLean will be picking tracks inspired by his favourite music books from 8pm.
It’s often said everyone has at least one good novel in them but how do you get one published? Good Morning Ulster will be finding out how to get your name in print throughout the week from 6.30-9am.
Online there will be animations and videos including a series of new short films involving local personalities talking about books that changed their lives, their childhood favourites or their favourite book of the moment. These will be available to watch throughout the week on the BBC Northern Ireland social media accounts.
Books and reading are for everyone, and BBC Northern Ireland’s Book Week NI hopes to encourage audiences to share their book-shaped stories and experiences. Audiences are encouraged to share their favourite books from childhood, the book that they keep returning to and which may have changed their life. BBC NI is also interested in hearing about the book that grown-ups would recommend to their younger selves, books that young people are reading right now and what they like about them.
Book Week NI offers many opportunities for audiences to get involved, both on air, online and on social media. Book lovers can share a photo of their favourite book or even their book collection across BBC NI social media using #bookweekni.
Book Week is a great opportunity to talk about books, to read and discover something new, or to start reading again. A whole world of possibilities awaits...
MD
