Michael Collins

Writer, priest and former adviser to the Vatican Father Michael Collins looks at 75 of the world’s most celebrated, rare and important books and talks about their purpose and their creators.

Collins goes on a guided tour through 3,000 years, exploring how writing was invented and developed – from the Sumerian clay tablets to the hieroglyphs of ancient Egypt, from the formulation of the Greek and Roman alphabets to the invention of the codex, from papyrus to vellum manuscripts, from the invention of paper to the first printing press, from pamphlets to the iPad. Festival-goers will be treated to a magnificent tour, illustrated from his new publication, Books that Changed History, a fascinating tour of human inventiveness and the search to communicate ideas and visions from the patrimony of humanity.

Collins served in two parishes in the Republic of Ireland before travelling to the Vatican for postgraduate studies. He has taught at The American University, John Cabot University and Duquesne University. He currently serves at St Mary’s Church in Dublin. He writes regularly for The Catholic Times and the Irish Times and is author of a number of books including Francis: Bishop of Rome, Good Pope John and John Paul II: The Path to Sainthood. His lavishly illustrated book on the Vatican is regarded as a classic.

Books and Publishing