Hot Press alumnus and author Jackie Hayden has been invited to deliver a lecture to the RDS on Wednesday, March 13. The series also includes a lecture by Riverdance creator Bill Whelan on February 13.

Under the title, 'Dylan, Dylan and Me', Hayden will explore how he discovered the writings of the Welsh poet Dylan Thomas through Bob Dylan, culminating in him last year publishing A Map of Love, Around Wales With Dylan Thomas which was book of the month in Wales last July.

Hayden’s lecture will cover the impact the counter-culture of the sixties had on him and his initial negative attitudes to Irish culture, attitudes later redressed partly by his discovery that Bob Dylan had been influenced by The Clancy Brothers. He will read short pieces from his Dylan Thomas book and include short audio extracts that detail the sonic similarities he drew between the two Dylans as his interest in both artists widened.

Jackie Hayden, the Minerva Suite, RDS, Dublin, Wednesday, March 13. Admission is free, but booking is essential, and can be done online at [link]www.rds.ie/speakerseries[/link], by phone +353 (0)1 240 7254 or via e-mail [email protected]