Louisiana native and New Mexico-based photographer, writer and activist Elizabeth Billups will sign and speak about her book “Ireland: One Island, No Borders” at Turnrow Book Co. on Thursday evening.
The book signing will begin at 5:30 p.m.
The book features photographs from around Ireland by Billups and writing from both her and Gerry Adams, president of Ireland’s Sinn Fein party.
Although Billups grew up in Louisiana, she frequently went to Greenwood as a child to visit her family. Her cousin, Charlot Ray, still lives in Greenwood.
Billups has been taking pictures of Ireland since 1996, and she estimates that she now has over 10,000.
Billups first met Adams at Belfast’s Felons Club, but she had long been familiar with him through his political career.
“I had been to Ireland several times and seen him in press conferences,” says Billups, who was drawn to his open-mindedness. “He was trying to include both Protestants and Catholics in everything he was planning.”
Billups introduced herself, and the two became friends. The relationship eventually led to the production of “Ireland.”
Adams was too busy to do the legwork, so he would direct Billups on her travels, often to remote or obscure sites well off the beaten path. “He told me where he wanted me to go and what to take pictures of,” she said.
The book contains the resulting photographs as well as Billups’ perspectives on Ireland as an outsider and Adams’ own views on Irish history.
Billups said the mainstream portrayal of modern Irish history differs substantially from how the Irish themselves see it. She said Adams essentially understands the history of Irish Catholics in Northern Ireland as a civil rights movement.
“They didn’t have ‘one person, one vote’ until the 1970s,” said Billups.
Billups said Belfast has become her favorite city in Ireland and strongly recommends the Titanic museum. “You could probably spend a week there,” she said. “It’s just amazing.”
• Contact Nick Rogers at 581-7235 or nrogers@gwcommonwealth.com.
