The Secret Bookshelf in Carrickfergus.

The Secret Bookshelf is an independent bookstore like no other, nestled as it is in Carrickfergus on the northern banks of Belfast Lough. One of the oldest towns in Ireland, its castle was built in the late twelfth century. A perfect setting for a bookshop, a perfect setting for the Mermelves to meet the children of Carrickfergus. Jo Zebedee and her husband Chris are the welcoming owners. Jo is a published Science Fiction and Fantasy writer, so to give a reading from The Mermelf-A Fable for Our Times in the children's corner of the bookshop felt like coming home. And how few bookshops will allow their authors to give workshops to aspiring writers in their community? The children that attended wrote pyramid poems, octopoems, cinquains, and their first sonnets. I was so impressed, and the warm comfy armchairs and distant seagull squawks made me feel as if I was on holiday. I bought one of Jo's books before I left. 'The Wildest Hunt' is set in Donegal's Glenveagh Castle, and its twist on the traditional trope of the benign fey riveted.  Writers supporting writers is always a win-win for their readers. Highly recommend.

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