The growth of spoken-word festivals

With more open-air concerts in the coming weeks at the RDS, Croke Park, Nowlan Park and Trinity College Dublin from Bon Jovi, Fleetwood Mac, Westlife, Bob Dylan, New Order and others it remains to be seen how many heritage rock/pop acts one small country can sustain – or endure – in a single summer. On the face of it, many of these spoken-word events just look like extensions of the traditional book trade
On Thursday, you could have seen historian Simon Schama in conversation at the National Concert Hall, while on Monday, the Olympia Theatre in Dublin will host a discussion between journalists Bob Woodward and Fintan O’Toole about (what else?) On the face of it, many of these spoken-word events just look like extensions of the traditional book trade, which these days works its authors to the bone at festivals, seminars, public interviews and signings.

Source: www.irishtimes.com