Author Jen Bray receives warm Waterford welcome
Author Jen Bray received a warm welcome in Dunmore East.
Bestselling author Jen Bray received a warm welcome from the community in Dunmore East recently, who gathered in the Fisherman’s Hall to hear her speak about her debut crime novel 'The Lies Between Us', which is set in the village.
Ms Bray was joined in the night by Dr. Jenny O’Connor from the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at South East Technological University (SETU), who introduced and interviewed her.
The audience was treated to information on the characters, three sisters, at the centre of the novel, as well as the murder investigation and long-buried secrets as things begin to unravel at their idyllic coastal cottage in Dunmore East.
Ms Bray captivated the audience giving them all the behind-the-scenes information on how the book came about, how she fell in love with Dunmore East and retreats to the village to write several times a year.
She also dropped a few hints on the next book! There were lots of questions from the charmed audience, many of whom queued to have their books signed.
Directly before the event, the author met with the Dunmore East Book Club in the library to discuss the finer details of the book.
Dr. Jenny O’Connor said: “As a resident of Dunmore East, it was a real treat to welcome an author and journalist like Jen Bray to the village. I was delighted to be asked to facilitate the author interview part of the evening and then invite the audience into the conversation.
"There is clearly an appetite for these kinds of events in Dunmore East so hopefully we can meet that demand again in the future," she said.
Ms Bray spoke of her delight at being in Dunmore East, saying: “Not only is 'The Lies Between Us' set in Dunmore East, but it was also written and edited there too. So, to be able to return for this event with Waterford Libraries and SETU was a dream come true."
"The atmosphere in the room was incredible, and it was a real pleasure to meet the Dunmore East Book Club in person," she said.
"I am really grateful to Sinead, Maura, Jenny and everyone at Waterford Libraries for organising a truly memorable evening in Dunmore East," she added.
Event organiser, Librarian Sinead O’Higgins said: “Waterford Libraries are thrilled with the response from our local communities who came out in their droves to hear Jen and enjoy this very special event. We had a capacity crowd and the audience laughed, listened and were fully engaged as they sat back and enjoyed Jen and Jenny in conversation."
She also acknowledged the author being generous with her time chatting with readers, signing books and meeting the local book club.
"This really was an evening we will all remember," she said.
