BLOOMSDAY 100: AFTERNOON READINGS
MARTHA'S STREETS
By Dermot Bolger
14th June 2004 at 3.30 pm on Radio 4
Producer Oonagh McMullan

SYNOPSIS: Martha is ninety one and lives in a nursing home in Dublin, but she doesn't bother with the other patients as her only true companion is her edition of Joyce's Ulysses. Dermot Bolger's touching story tells us how this book influenced and inspired one woman's journey through life.

DERMORT BOLGER: Award winning Irish writer, Dermot Bolger, is both a very successful playwright and novelist. His plays include: The Lament of Arthur Clearly and In High Germany. His recent novels include Temptation and The Valparaiso Voyage and his new novel, The Former People will be released this year. Dermot also devised and edited the highly acclaimed Irish novel Finbar's Hotel and its sequel Ladies Night at Finbar's Hotel.

DOREEN KEOGH is a well known and respected actor in theatre, film, television and radio. Her television credits include: Pulling Moves, Ballykissangel, The Royle Family, Cold Feet and Coronation Street.


EMMA JANE
By Eílís Ní Dhuibhne
Read by Victoria Smurfit
15th June 2004 at 3.30 pm on Radio 4
Producer Heather Brennon
Eílís Ní Dhuibhne

SYNOPSIS: Emma Jane was waiting impatiently at the airport with her boy friend for their flight to his palatial home in a far off land; she was apprehensive but excited at the prospect of meeting his glamorous and exotic family for the first time. However, an upsetting and unexpected scene at the airport caused her to reassess their relationship.

ÉILÍS NÍ DHUIBHNE was born in Dublin. She has written collections of short stories and novels, including The Bray House, The Inland Ice, Dúnmharú sa Daingean, and The Dancers Dancing. She has also written plays and novels for children. She has been the recipient of many awards for her work, including the Stewart Parker Award, The Bisto Book of the Year Award, the Butler Award for Prose, and the Oireachtas Award for a novel in Irish. The Dancers Dancing was short-listed for The Orange Prize for Fiction 2000.


NO, I SAID
By Keith Ridgway
16th June 2004 at 3.30 pm on Radio 4
Producer Heather Brennon
Sorcha Cusack, Keith Ridgway

SYNOPSIS: It may be the 16th June, but that means nothing to a woman being driven mad by her elderly mother’s eccentricities and infernal lists; and now what on earth does she want with that dusty old book and ancient family photograph off the top of the wardrobe? Will she ever solve the puzzle and get to the bottom of her mother’s stranger than usual antics on this particular day?

KEITH RIDGWAY is from Dublin. His novella Horses, was published in 1997 and was followed in 1998 by his critically acclaimed first novel The Long Falling, which has since been awarded both the prestigious Prix Femina Etranger and Premier Roman Etranger in France. His short stories have appeared in various anthologies in Ireland, Britain and the United States. His collection Standard Time, won the Rooney Prize in 2001. His most recent novel The Parts, is set in Dublin and he is currently writing his next novel.

SORCHA CUSACK is a very experienced actress, she is probably best known for her long running role as nurse, Kate Wilson in Casualty. She has also appeared in The Inspector Lynley Mysteries, Playing the Field and Eureka Street. She has appeared in many radio plays including The First Witch, The Real Charlotte and The Day Daniel O’Donnell Got Married as well as stage productions such as The Vagina Monologues, A View From the Bridge and Feast of Snails.


THE WEDDING RING
By Bernard MacLaverty
17th June 2004 at 3.30 pm on Radio 4
Producer Sarah Stack
Frances Tomelty, Bernard MacLaverty

SYNOPSIS: Bernard MacLaverty's story tells of Ellie who died on June 16th 1904 and with her went the memory of her secret love.

BERNARD MACLAVERTY: Born in Belfast, writer Bernard MacLaverty has found success through his novels as well as radio plays, television and screenplays. He has published four collections of short stories and four novels - the latest of which, The Anatomy School, was published in August 2001. Over the years his work has won many awards and prizes. Grace Notes was awarded The Saltire Scottish Book of the Year Award (1997) and was short-listed for The Booker Prize.

FRANCES TOMELTY'S impressive list of acting credits includes work in film, theatre, television, radio and audio books. Her television credits include: Ballykissangel, Inspector Morse, Kavanagh QC and Cracker.







JUNE'S BIRTHDAY
by Maeve Binchy
Read by Lauren Buglioli
18th June 2004 at 3.30 pm on Radio 4
Producer Heather Larmour

SYNOPSIS: On a trans-Atlantic trip to Dublin for her 16th birthday on the 16th June, June Arpino is more interested in the history of her mother's estranged family than the colourful Bloomsday celebrations around her. In this specially commissioned story, Maeve Binchy, one of Ireland's best-loved writers, explores the enduring, destructive, and healing power of words.

LAUREN BUGLIOLI is a young American actress whose recent credits include 'The Children's Hour' at the Union Theatre, the new television series 'Shane', the children's series 'Star' adn the feature film 'Nine Lives'.


MAEVE BINCHY: is a celebrated and award-winning writer whose many novels and collections of short stories include; Firefly Summer, Circle of Friends, The Lilac Bus, Evening Class, Tara Road and most recently, Quentins (2002).