Budleigh Salterton Literary Festival has selected The Queen of Dirt Island, the latest novel by the award-winning writer Donal Ryan, as this year’s Festival Read.

Readers can buy discounted copies of the novel ahead of an event with the author on Thursday 21st September at 6pm. 

Set in Ryan’s homeland of Ireland, The Queen of Dirt Island is described as ‘an evocative, searing, jubilant novel about four generations of women and the love and stories that bind them’. Copies are on sale from Pebble of Budleigh and The Rowan Tree, both of which are located in the High Street, for a discounted price of £7 (RRP £9.99).

“Donal Ryan is a hugely respected author,” says the Festival’s Artistic Director Annie Ashworth, “and was long-listed for the Booker Prize for his No 1 bestselling novel Strange Flowers, so it is a real privilege to have him with us. The Queen of Dirt Island is an excellent read.”

Sue Briggs, chair of Budleigh Salterton Literary Festival, said: “The Festival Read is always a brilliant community event, with us all reading the same novel and then sharing our experience of it with the author when he attends the festival.

“We are very fortunate to have local sponsors who support this event – so our thanks and gratitude to them for their support.”

This year’s festival takes place from 20th and 24th September, with the programme due to be announced during the week of 10th July.

Tickets to the Festival Read are on sale now and cost £10 including a glass of wine or soft drink, or £40 for 5 people including a drink – ideal for book group members to come together.  To book go to www.budlitfest.org.uk