A Shoreham houseboat will rock to the sound of stamping feet, whistles and fiddles on a Saturday night in October when fans of one of Ireland’s most famous writers – Brendan Behan – gather to mark the 50th anniversary of his death.

Shoreham may seem a far cry from Dublin, until you realise the event is being organised by Brendan’s niece Janet, who has moved back from London to the Beach and whose childhood was marked by annual get-togethers with the great writer.

“Brendan had a huge impact on my life,” Janet recalls. “He was always in the papers and I grew up thinking it would be an awful thing not to be famous!”

Yet as a small child Janet spent much of her visits to Brendan’s home in Dublin sitting under his dining room table playing with a kitten. “I only really remember the underside of that table,” she says.

Janet is an actress and writer – when she isn’t driving the community bus for West Sussex County Council – and she comes from a long line of actors and writers. Her grandmother’s brother founded the famous Abbey Theatre and her father wrote plays.

Her connection with Shoreham began as a young woman when she lived on one of the houseboats with her parents. But as she grew up Brendan – her father’s brother – was always her inspiration. Her play Brendan at the Chelsea has been performed at the Riverside Studios in Hammersmith, before going to Dublin and New York. She has put together her own tribute to Brendan as part of Shoreham Wordfest.

“We will try to tell the Brendan Behan story through his own words,” she says. “We are planning to find the most entertaining bits from his plays and songs, and to link them with extracts from my own play.” The evening will culminate in a celebration with the Pig and Whistle Band, led by Janet’s cousin, also called Brendan. “It will be a great night,” she says.

As part of the festival Janet will also be directing some of the plays which have been produced by members of her playwriting class, specially selected by a panel led by Simon Brett. This takes place on Friday, October 3 at 7.30pm at the Shoreham Centre.

Shorham Wordfest: A Toast to Brendan Behan Verda Houseboat, Shoreham, Saturday, October 11 8pm, £7. Call 01273 464440.