About
Roe Valley Arts & Cultural Centre has partnered with the Steinbeck Festival team to host the 7th annual celebration of John Steinbeck's enduring legacy and his connection to Limavady. Running from 6–27 February, this vibrant festival offers a dynamic programme of music, theatre, talks, art, and storytelling, with something for everyone to enjoy.
Mark Carruthers and Sam McBride || For and Against a United Ireland
Friday 6th February | 8.00pm | Tickets £15
Northern Ireland’s finest interviewer, Mark Carruthers, brings his incomparable skills to bear in conversation with award-winning journalist and author Sam McBride about the provocative and timely book For and Against a United Ireland, co-written with Fintan O’Toole.
Dr Linda McKeown || The Winter of Our Discontent
Saturday 7 February | 12.00pm | Free Event
Dr Linda McKeown (QUB), a popular and regular Festival speaker, explores John Steinbeck’s 1961 novel The Winter of Our Discontent, placing it within its social and historical context. She will provide insights into its creation, shedding light on this significant yet often overlooked work in Steinbeck’s literary canon.
Exhibition Launch || This Land was Made for You and Me
Saturday 14th February | 11.30am | Free Event
The Steinbeck Festival’s annual Dust Bowl Photography Competition showcases twenty selected entries that imaginatively interpret this year’s theme, ‘This Land Was Made For You and Me’. Open for submissions in Autumn 2025, the exhibition highlights the creativity and perspective of participating photographers.
Secondary Schools Programme || Of Mice and Men
Wednesday 18th February | 9.30am | Free Event
Pupils will receive a talk on Pulitzer Prize-winning author John Steinbeck, highlighting his local connections and offering guidance on his novel. This will be followed by a screening of Of Mice and Men (1992, directed by Gary Sinise (PG-13, 155 mins) and an introduction to live music from the era, performed by Allan Nicholl.
Evening Event || Local Poets, Writers and Storytellers
Wednesday 18th February | 8.00pm | Free Event
Honoring the written and spoken word, show your support for our local poets, writers and storytellers, some performing for the first time on the big stage.
Little John Nee || I Took A Trip, The Trip Took Me
Friday 20th February | 8pm | £15
Little John Nee has been a singular presence in Irish theatre for over four decades. He defies genres and dances between worlds; blending clown, lyrical monologue, original song, and quiet anarchy into something unmistakably his own – rooted in tradition but wildly imaginative. Revisiting three of his acclaimed shows, he weaves tradition and imagination into a captivating night of songs and stories inspired by a dream he had when his mother came to him and said just one word – ‘Limavady’.
Exhibition Launch || Primary School Book Covers
Saturday 21st February | 10.30am | Free Event
This popular annual exhibition features book covers designed by local primary school pupils for a selected choice of John Steinbeck’s works. The competition introduces children to the Pulitzer Prize-winning author’s connection to the area, encourages creativity, and challenges them to visually interpret the book titles. The resulting exhibition is full of imagination and colour, guaranteed to make you smile!
Evening Event || Voices From a Far Field
Thursday 26th February | 8.00pm | Free Event
An Eclectic evening of music, stories, and poetry, featuring worksins in English, Irish and Ulster Scots. Participants from across the region, including Letterkenny, Stranorlar and Roe Valley, contributre a rich and diverse mic of voices.
Mark Carruthers, Marie Louise Muir and Colin Davidson || Twelve Paintings
Friday 27th February | 8.00pm | Tickets £15Colin Davidson and Mark Carruthers discuss the book, Twelve Paintings with Marie-Louise Kerr. The audience will also have the rare opportunity to encounter a selection of Colin Davidson’s most celebrated paintings. These iconic works, seldom shown together, offer a powerful insight into the depth and breadth of his practice.
