Armagh-born Stuart Neville, author of 11 novels including The Twelve, Those We Left Behind and House of Ashes, said libraries have played a vital role in his writing career.
“Libraries are very important to me and a big part of the reason I’m a writer,” he said.
He hopes events like Monday’s can inspire new writers.
“Most libraries have creative writing groups, and they often turn out for author events,” he said.
“You meet aspiring writers who ask for advice – whether I can give them any is another matter.”
While Neville’s recent novels are set in America, most of his earlier work takes place in and around Belfast – a setting that, he said, has proved popular with US readers.
“Here it’s a bit different – there’s sometimes resistance to local fiction, but I think that’s started to break down,” he added.