The packed Laois Leaves Festival programme includes performances by spoken word artist Stephen James Smith and musician, Enda Reilly at the Dunamaise Arts Centre, on Fri 9th Nov, 8.00pm. A Workshop for adult writers in the Dunamaise Arts Centre from 10am-12.00pm on Saturday 10th Nov with London based writer, Helen Cullen. At 3pm a double book launch: Growing Pains and Growing Up, an anthology of essays and articles by John Whelan and the launch of Helen Cullen’s debut novel The Lost Letter of William Woolf takes place in the Gallery at the Dunamaise.
What better way to spend a Saturday evening that listening to a combination of wonderful conversation, music and readings by Helen Cullen, Brian Keenan, Dermot Bolger, and music by Seán Ryan and Kathleen Loughnane on 10th Nov in St. Peter’s Church of Ireland, Portlaoise at 8.00pm. Booking Box Office: 0578663355 or online at www.dunamaise.ie
Other highlights include an Irish event at the Laois Shopping centre, Gaeilge Tamagotchi a performance installation by Manchán Magan. Members of the public are invited to adopt an endangered Irish word and become a guardian of Gaeilge.
Barry Keegan, the creator of the graphic novel, The Bog Road has visited a number of schools 
and children’s writer Caroline Busher will also visit a number of schools on Friday.
New Reader in Residence with the Library Service, Simone Schuemmelfeder, will host a master class and workshop session on storytelling in Portlaoise Library on Thurs 8th Nov from 4.30-7.30pm for anyone wishing to improve their storytelling skills with children and other audiences. Simone will also host a children’s session with school children in Rathdowney Library on Fri 10th Nov at 12noon.
All are welcome but booking essential-at laoislibrary@laoiscoco.ie
An evening of remembrance for those who lost their lives in World War One on Sun11th Nov in Mountmellick Library at 7.30 pm with poetry, prose, newspaper articles and narratives about those who fought in the war.
The Dunamaise Arts Centre, Portlaoise has scheduled events for Leaves, including cinema;The Happy Prince, which chronicles the last days of Oscar Wilde and a play by Eoin Colfer entitled Holy Mary.
Follow us on Facebook at Leaves. For more information please contact the Arts Office, Laois County Council Portlaoise, Co Laois. Email artsoff@laoiscoco.ie Web www.laois.ie