Festival director Eimear O’Herlihy talks to Irish Country Living about some of her favourite books and what to look forward to at this year’s festival

What was your favourite book as a child?

I loved Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. I was given a present of a Little Women picture book when I was a small child and it all looked so glamorous – the dancing, the ice-skating, the handsome boy next door. Then when I was a little older my mum gave me the hardback edition that had been hers when she was a child. I even visited Alcott’s house on a trip to the States a few years ago.

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What book did you study at school that left a lasting impact?

I must admit that when I was in school, works by Shakespeare and Dickens felt too much like homework, and despite the incredible writing I didn’t really relate to any of it. These works absolutely belong on the curriculum, but I’m delighted to see contemporary works by writers such as Claire Keegan, Donal Ryan and Martin McDonagh also being studied in schools.

What books will you be packing in your holiday suitcase this summer?

As soon as this summer’s West Cork Literary Festival draws to a close, I’ll start my festival 2018 reading. The festival takes place in the magificent setting of Bantry Bay, so I’m always on the lookout for books with a nature or maritime theme. There seems to be a new trend for waterbiographies or swimming memoirs, so I’ll be packing a selection of these as they combine my dual love of reading and sea swimming. The perfect holiday read.

What is the most exciting Irish book you have read this year?

I was really looking forward to Sara Baume’s second novel, A Line Made By Walking. I’m a huge fan of Sara’s writing and I’m delighted that this book exceeded my expectations.

What events are you most looking forward to at this year’s Literary Festival?

It’s really hard to have favourites when I feel so invested in all of the writers coming to the literary festival. I’m really excited to be meeting writers such as Sarah Perry, Colm Tóibín and Jon McGregor, and I can’t wait to hear about Lara Marlowe’s work as a foreign correspondant in Paris.

What book/writer is your guilty pleasure?

Thankfully, I never feel guilty about reading books and am happy to read across all genres. Does getting lost in a maze of nonsensical celebrity “news articles” on the internet count as a guilty pleasure?

For further information, visit www.westcorkliteraryfestival.ie