A chance to show off your writing talents at this year’s Power of Words Festival - a celebration of all things written, spoken, acted and sung where emerging talent get to take part in the action. Roisin McBrien talks to festival founder Amanda Kelly about what’s in store this year.

Abbeyleix is a beautiful Heritage town in Co. Laois. It has an abundance of cafes, restaurants, bakeries, shops, pubs and unique places for people to enjoy – the perfect intimate venue for a small festival. Amanda Kelly felt that there was room for something different - a writing festival focused on beginning and emerging writers as much as the established ones.

The festival's ethos is best defined by the shortened form of its name, 'POW,' as the team continues to pack a punch in producing a relaxing, accessible festival that places equal emphasis on novice and new authors as well as the established writers who attend. 

“Now that everyone is braving the outside world again, it's the perfect time to explore passions, old and new”, says Amanda.

The return of the many ‘Open Mic’ sessions will provide plenty of opportunity for anyone who wishes to come along and share their writing. ‘The Living Poets Society’ is another unique feature of the festival. A chosen “Living Poet” will have their work honoured and celebrated throughout the weekend. The selected poet last year (for the inaugural festival) was Pat Ingoldsby. The Living Poet for this year's festival will be unveiled shortly. 

Amanda was inspired to launch the festival after attending a creative writing course through NUI Maynooth, where she was tutored by authors Suzanne Power and John MacKenna. A friendship was struck. The Power of Words Festival idea followed after a few summers of hosting fellow writers in her home, where they would eat, drink, and share some of their writing. Amanda recounts how these gatherings were always “a very relaxed and enriching environment for all who attended.” So she decided to extend beyond her sitting room into the wider world.

While the Power of Words event was postponed in 2020 due to the pandemic, it will be held outside this year. The Power of Words Festival team used their time off to cement ties with Hilliard Press in Tennessee. They jointly launched a Short Story Writing Competition, and renowned Laois author Andrea Carter chose the top ten stories. These stories will now appear in a new Anthology of Short Stories, which is set to be launched at this year's festival. Nobody loves stories more than the children who attend the festival, and they will again feature strongly in this year’s event, making the Power of Words Festival a great family occasion for budding readers. The sun shone brightly for the inaugural festival and the team is hoping to be as lucky again this year, especially given that the Power of Words Festival will be held outdoors, for the most part, with indoor venues at the ready, in the event of inclement weather. “I have learned from hosting The Power of Words Festival, that anything and everything is possible. You don't need qualifications or any special skills; you only need an idea. People are always willing to help turn a good idea into reality. It's certainly worth trying." says founder Amanda.

The Power of Words Festival takes place the weekend of August 20 – 22 in Abbeyleix, Co Laois.  For further information and ticket bookings, visit powerofwords.ie.