World Refugee Day, June 20th

To mark World Refugee Day on June 20th, the UNHCR is partnering with libraries and bookshops across the country in encouraging people to read a book or watch a movie about refugees.

The 2017 campaign will run from 19 June to 3 July with libraries all over Ireland participating.

Using UNHCR’s specially selected book lists for children and adults, readers will have a wide selection of stories from around the world to choose from in the form of fact, fiction, autobiography and photography.

Popular titles include The Kite Runner, which documents the boyhood friendship of two friends in Afghanistan and Four Feet, Two Sandals, a picture book about two girls in a refugee camp.

World Refugee Day is an opportunity to salute the strength and courage of refugees; the solidarity of those countries, including Ireland, who assist refugees; and the contribution refugees make to countries around the world.

Libraries in County Clare will have a book display highlighting books that explore refugee related issues. Killaloe Library presents a showing of the film The Good Lie at 7.30 on Friday 23rd of June. The film tells the story of a group of Sudanese refugees as they struggle to acclimatise to their new life in Kansas City. Kilrush bookclub have chosen The Memory of Love by Aminatta Forna as their book for their June meeting. A novel set in Nigeria, Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adicihe, has been chosen as the Clare FM Radio Bookclub read for June.