Talks on W.B. Yeats and Book Launch
Embassy Sofia held three events to commemorate the 150th Anniversary of the birth of William Butler Yeats.
On the 26th May, visiting lecturer Dermot Meleady delivered a talk in Europe House Sofia where he examined the parallels between the career of Yeats and the Irish Nationalist leader John Redmond. Among the items Dermot spoke on were Yeats early involvement with the Fenian movement, his establishment of the Abbey Theatre, his relationship with Maud Gonne, the attempt by Yeats and others to establish a gallery of modern art in Dublin and the 1916 rebellion. The event was attended by a crowd of 20 people.
On the 2nd June, at the same venue, Ambassador Biggar was the guest of honour at the launch of the Bulgarian translation of two of Yeats early prose works, 'John Sherman' and 'Dhoya' by the Bulgarian publishing house Perseus PH. The translation is part of a series by Perseus, supported by the EU programme Creative Europe.
Ambassador Biggar, thanked Perseus for bringing these works and the works of a number of other Irish authors - including Bram Stoker (Perseus published the first Bulgarian translation of 'Dracula' earlier this year), Richard Brinsley Sheridan and Oscar Wilde - to the attention of the Bulgarian public.
The Ambassador said "W.B. Yeats is one of our greatest authors, whose work reflect our national soul. He is the first of four Irish authors, who received the Nobel prose for literature. I am glad that this book - prose, inspired by a deep poetic mind, will reach readers in Bulgaria".
Ambassador Biggar and the translator Emil Minchev then read an excerpt from the book in original and in translation.
The publisher, literary critic Plamen Totev, presented a multimedia presentation on the important moments in Yeats' life and works, as well as the turbulent love of the author with Maud Gonne, which has also left its mark on "John Sherman".
An audience of just under 70 people attended the book launch.
On Friday night the 12th June and audience of almost 40 people attended a talk by visiting lecturer and Co. Sligo born Jack Harte on the influence the country had on the work of Yeats. The event was scheduled to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the birth of Yeats.
The poet called Sligo 'the land of heart's desires' and his happy memories of his childhood there were to sustain him all his life. The talk which was illustrated allowed those attending to see the locations in which the poems featured were set. The presentation included details of Yeats childhood in Co. Sligo and on the background stories of the poems discussed.