Book Week 2026 - Messages of Support
Dame Mary Beard in Belfast – Book Week 2026
"You've seen the movie, now read the book! 2026 is the year to read Homer's Odyssey, one of the oldest and most exciting works of western literature. It all started here! There are loads of English translations, and it really doesn't matter too much which one you choose. The recent ones by Emily Wilson and Daniel Mendelsohn are both very good, but there are dozens more that you can enjoy. To be honest, the best translation of the Odyssey is whichever one you can find in your local library and take home to read! It's even better than the movie, I promise."
Dame Mary Beard
Ministerial Ambassadors
Gordon Lyons MLA, Liz Kimmins MLA, Naomi Long MLA, Andrew Muir MLA, and Paul Givan MLA.
Dame Mary Beard
In Belfast – Book Week 2026
Prime Minister
The Rt Hon Andy Burnham MP
Katy Radford
Director of the Office of Identity and Cultural Expression
