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On Saturday, 8 November, Professor Joseph O'Connor reviewed Patti Smith's 'Bread of Angels: A Memoir' for the Irish Times.

On Sunday, 9 November, he wrote an appreciation of President Higgins in the Sunday Independent, focusing on the now former President's passionate interest in culture, education and the arts. In Joe's piece, he quotes a beautiful paragraph from a letter written by Michael D to those participating in the UL Creative Writing Festival last April.

"May I extend my warmest greetings to all those gathering for this festival. Writing is one of the most profound expressions and one of the most valuable tools for the expression of our shared humanity. Allowing us to explore the depths of human experience, to give voice to the silenced, to illuminate the complexities of our world, it draws on both inherited culture and imagination. At the heart of all creative traditions is the book. Books are made to be handled with anticipation, read with wonder and pleasure. The more that they are read, the better life can be."