The "horrible intractability" of the refugee crisis in Europe has prompted a Dublin-based teacher to organise a marathon reading event to raise funds for children and adults at the Calais camp.
Prominent actors, writers, poets and journalists will take part in the Odyssey charity reading on Thursday to help fund a school staffed mainly by volunteers, which is helping refugees to learn English and French.
Fiona McHardy, a teacher at Mount Temple Comprehensive School, had been due to teach at the L’École Laïque du Chemin des Dunes (the secular school of the path of the dunes) in Calais this summer, but circumstances forced her to change her plans.
“So I’m organising this instead. I wanted to do something interesting, that didn’t generate waste and that would create awareness of the situation.”
“We’re currently witnessing a heart-breaking refugee crisis, which has seen people of all ages displaced, at risk, without a home and without security,” Ms McHardy said.
The 50 readers at the event from 11am-8pm in Dubray Books on Grafton Street will include Paul Howard (aka Ross-O'Carroll Kelly), Peter McVerry, Liz Nugent, Mark Pollock, Vanessa Ronan, Fine Gael TD Noel Rock and Laureate na nÓg PJ Lynch.
Fair City scriptwriter Kevin McGee, Louise Kennedy, Rosita Sweetman, Lauren Foley, playwright Gavin Kostick and young adult author Brian Conaghan will also be among those to read passages from their favourite works.
Members of the Crocosmia writing collective in the State’s direct-provision system for asylum seekers are also due to take part.
“Each reader will read a 10-minute extract on the subject of travel: ancient odysseys, fantasies, seafaring epics, solo adventures, tales of displacement, of close escapes, of language barriers and cultural encounters, of strange and wonderful beasts and new beginnings in foreign lands,” Ms McHardy said.
The event is being held in association with the Irish Refugee Council. Collectors will be present on the day and donations can also be made at ifundraise.ie/elcd until August 31st.