Upcoming Events for “Wired Our Own Way: An Anthology of Irish Autistic Voices”

Please note, all dates and times are subject to change. Please check closer to the date of the festival to confirm.

Write By The Sea Literary Festival, Kilmore Quay Wexford

Date: September 27th 2025

Time: 15:30

Red Line Literary Festival, Dublin

Date: 17th October

Time: 16:30

What to expect at the book launches of Wired Our Own Way:

Launch number 1: The Dublin book launch of Wired Our Own Way

Photo of shop front of Hodges Figgis bookshop

Location: Hodges Figgis bookshop, 56-58 Dawson Street, Dublin 2.

Date and Time: 27th March 2025, at 6pm

The venue:

  • The launch will take place on the second floor of the bookshop.
  • There is a lift and a stairs.
  • A section of the bookshop will be cleared for the launch area (i.e. bookshelves will be pushed out of the way).
  • The bookshop will remain open to the public during the launch, until the usual closing time. The launch is open to the public (i.e. not invitation only, not ticketed).
  • There will be some seating, but many people will stand.
  • There will be an area with a microphone and chairs for those speaking / reading.
  • There is a bathroom in the shop.

Refreshments:

  • There will be a table with refreshments, typically wine and water.

Running order of the event:

  • The first speaker will introduce the event and the book.
  • Niamh, the editor, will speak about the book and how it came about.
  • 2 or 3 contributors from the anthology will read from their essays. They will each read for approximately 5 minutes.
  • Non-speaking writers will have a communication partner with them for their reading.
  • There will be an opportunity for people in the audience to ask questions to Niamh or the other speakers.
  • After the speaking and readings, people tend to mill about and chat.
  • There will be an opportunity for people to get their book signed.
  • Book launches typically last 1 – 1.5 hours, but you can leave any time you need.

Sensory considerations:

  • There will be a quiet area set up at the back of the second floor, if anyone needs a quiet break. Alternatively, you can take a quiet break on one of the other floors.
  • The tills will remain open during the event, and therefore they may make noise.
  • Book launches can be crowded, with a lot of people standing around.
  • The microphone and speakers can be loud, but every effort will be made to ensure sound quality and volume is not excessive.

After the book launch social opportunity:

  • There will be a nearby bar reserved for people to go to after the event to socialise and have a drink if they wish. This can be a nice way to meet the writers and other people interested in the book or autism.

Launch number 2: The Cork Launch of Wired Our Own Way

Location: Dubray, 83-85 St Patricks Street, Cork.

Date and Time: 3rd April 2025, at 6:30pm

The venue:

  • A section of the bookshop will be cleared for the launch area (i.e. tables of books will be pushed out of the way).
  • The bookshop will remain open to the public during the launch until the usual closing time of the shop.
  • The launch is free and open to the public (i.e not invitation only and not ticketed).
  • There will be some seating, but many people will stand.
  • There will be an area with a microphone and chairs for those speaking / reading.
  • There will be a quieter area upstairs to take a break in. We ask that people attending respect that this is a quiet area.
  • The launch will take place downstairs in Dubray. If you wish to avail of the quieter area upstairs, there is a lift and a stairs to access it.
  • There are no public toilets in the bookshop. The nearest public toilets are in Paul Street Shopping Centre, by the checkouts for Tesco. It is approximately a 2 minute walk from Dubray to Paul Street Shopping centre. There is a small charge to use the toilets (20/ 50 cent coin?).
  • The nearby streets “Carey’s Lane” and “French Church Street” have a good selection of restaurants and cafés, for those who arrive early or want somewhere to eat after the event and who do not wish to take part in the after-event social. Most of these have customer toilets also.

Parking:

  • The closest parking is in Paul Street shopping centre car park (there is a charge).

Refreshments:

  • There will be a table with refreshments, typically wine and water.

Running order of the event:

  • The first speaker will introduce the event and the book.
  • Niamh, the editor, will speak about the book and how it came about.
  • 2 or 3 contributors from the anthology will read from their essays. They will each read for approximately 5 minutes.
  • There will be an opportunity for people in the audience to ask questions to Niamh or the other speakers.
  • After the speaking and readings, there will be an opportunity for people to get their book signed.
  • Book launches typically last 1 hour – 1.5 hours but you can leave any time you need.

Sensory considerations:

  • The tills will remain open during the event. These may make noise but are not directly next to the location where the launch occurs.
  • Book launches can be crowded, with a lot of people standing around.
  • There will be a quieter area upstairs if you need a break from the crowd.
  • The microphone and speakers can be loud, but every effort will be made to ensure sound quality and volume is not excessive.

After the book launch social opportunity:

  • There will be a nearby bar reserved for people to go to after the event to socialise and have a drink if they wish. This can be a nice way to meet the writers and other people interested in the book or autism.

Anthology Announcement: Personal Essays by Autistic Irish Adults

I’m currently editing an Anthology of personal essays written by Autistic Irish adults, which will be published by New Island Books. This will be the first of its kind in Ireland, and will be a wonderful way to compile the thoughts and experiences of a diverse range of Autistic people. I hope this book will not only be wonderful read, but will also spread autism awareness to the general public. I’m particularly keen to show how autism can be so different for different people.

I’m still looking for essays, so feel free to get in touch if you wish to express an interest in contributing to the book.The essay deadline is mid-May 2024.