Jonathon Swift recently joined a cast of characters synonymous with Belfast, to celebrate a new book on the City. The venue was the historic First Presbyterian Church on Rosemary Street.

The occasion was the press launch for The Little Book of Belfast (published by History Press), a compendium of fascinating, obscure, strange and entertaining facts about the city. From the atom-splitting Nobel Prize winner Ernest Walton being a Methody boy - to the last minute cancellation of a planned Roman invasion.

Written by Raymond O’Regan and Arthur Magee, the book covers Belfast’s trade and industry, crime and punishment, music, literature and sport, architectural heritage, and its famous (and occasionally infamous) men and women. It also includes little known facts about the city.

A reliable reference book and a quirky guide, the authors faced difficulties with the amount of incident and talent the city has produced. As Arthur Magee explains: “Belfast sometimes has a negative reputation but it’s a vibrant and culturally alive and we wanted to reflect this. The difficulty was the sheer amount of information. It’s almost impossible to write a little book about the city but we gave it a good go!”

The authors were joined by playwright Gary Mitchell and boxer Neil Sinclair. Speaking at the launch, Gary Mitchell whose latest play Demented ran at the Lyric Theatre until 29 May said: “I’ve always felt that what sets Belfast apart are the people. We’ve always produced characters and whilst the book includes fascinating insights into our hidden history, it’s also an opportunity to learn about some of the people that make Belfast the place it is.”

The book is costs £10 and is available from all major retailers and online.

Jonathon Swift joined a cast of charactors to celebrate a new book on the city. The book is a reliable reference book and a quirky guide, and the authors faced difficulties with the amount of incident and talent the city has produced.