Upcoming Literary Events

Toddlers Rule! Tiny Stories Without Words

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Friday, May 15, 2026
10:00 AM

Byzantium , Dublin

Featuring:
Tamao Oka

“Imagination transforms the commonplace into the great and creates the new out of the old .” L. Frank Baum, author …

James Joyce's Dublin Walking Tour

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Friday, May 15, 2026
11:00 AM

Meeting Point: Mater Hospital Private (Eccles Street) , Dublin

Featuring:
Adam Ladd

“ I always write about Dublin, because if I can get to the heart of Dublin I can get to …

Queer Literary Dublin Tour

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Friday, May 15, 2026
3:00 PM

Meeting Point: Hippocampus statue, opposite ILFD Box Office in Merrion Square Park , Dublin

Featuring:
James Murray

“There is a peculiar intensity about some streets in Dublin that gets more layered the longer you live in the …

Writing Funny For Kids

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Friday, May 15, 2026
4:00 PM

The Workshop , Dublin

Featuring:
Philip Ardagh

“I can’t help writing funny. It’s true. Funny chose me rather than the other way around.” Philip Ardagh As Michael …

Standing on the Shoulders of Giants

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Friday, May 15, 2026
6:00 PM

Le Fanu , Dublin

Featuring:
Gerry Stembridge, Phillip MacMahon

“If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants .” Sir Isaac Newton Entrepreneurial playwright …

Cursed Lives

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Friday, May 15, 2026
6:00 PM

Speranza , Dublin

Featuring:
Oyinkan Braithwaite

“A taut, feverish novel that burns itself into you. Impossible to put down.” Abi Daré Family curses are like hearts. …

Spotlight Session

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Friday, May 15, 2026
7:00 PM

Byzantium , Dublin

Featuring:
Throwing Snow x Daragh Fleming

“ Together, they’re creating music that cuts to the core. ” Earth Agency This project marks an exciting evolution for …

The Keeper

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Friday, May 15, 2026
8:00 PM

Speranza , Dublin

Featuring:
Tana French

The crime writer who “inspires cultic devotion in readers” according to The New Yorker, and was called “incandescent” by Stephen …

Seisiún Mór Traidisiúnta

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Friday, May 15, 2026
8:00 PM

Speranza , Dublin

Featuring:
District x ILFD

“ Neo-trad has gone from niche to the next big thing, and this Seisiún Mór Traidisiúnta taps directly into that …

Rise and Shine

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Saturday, May 16, 2026
10:00 AM

Byzantium , Dublin

Featuring:
Morning Yoga with The Space Between

“Between stimulus and response is space and in that space lies our freedom .” The Space Between An hour-long morning …

Gnoming me, Gnoming you

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Saturday, May 16, 2026
10:30 AM

Le Fanu , Dublin

Featuring:
Loes Riphagen

“Everything exists, everything is true, and the earth is only a little dust under our feet.” W.B. Yeats Discover fascinating …

Cool for Cats!

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Saturday, May 16, 2026
10:30 AM

Synge , Dublin

Featuring:
with Alan Windram

“There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate’s loot on Treasure Island.” Walt Disney Sparky and George …

Make Your Mark

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Saturday, May 16, 2026
11:00 AM

Byzantium , Dublin

Featuring:
Drop-in drawing: National Drawing Day Hugh Lane Gallery at ILFD

“I sometimes think there is nothing so delightful as drawing.” Vincent van Gogh Whether you’re a curious doodler or seasoned …

Yeats, Joyce & Dublin

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Saturday, May 16, 2026
11:00 AM

Meeting Point: National Library of Ireland , Dublin

Featuring:
James Murray

Dear Yeats, […] Besides this I am writing a book Ulysses which however will not be finished for some years. …

Philip Ardagh’s Animal Crackers!

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Saturday, May 16, 2026
12:00 PM

Le Fanu , Dublin

“I can’t help writing funny. It’s true. Funny chose me rather than the other way around .” Philip Ardagh Get …

Disover a Stocking Full of Spies

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Saturday, May 16, 2026
12:00 PM

Speranza , Dublin

Featuring:
Robin Stevens

“I was diagnosed autistic and ADHD two years ago, and so researching Bletchley Park with a fresh and nuanced understanding …

Fictions of Art and Desire

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Saturday, May 16, 2026
12:00 PM

Synge , Dublin

Featuring:
Jean-Baptiste Andrea , Jill Dawson

“Through fiction which sets us down in another time period, we are offered a window to other lives, other sensibilities, …

Pablo and Splash…and You!

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Saturday, May 16, 2026
12:00 PM

Le Fanu , Dublin

Featuring:
Sheena Dempsey

“Clever storytelling with dollops of humour…The illustrations are full of humour and vibrant, eye-catching colour. ” Irish Independent The irresistibly …

Happy Birthday Gulliver's Travels!

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Saturday, May 16, 2026
2:00 PM

Speranza , Dublin

Featuring:
Philip Ardagh

“ Undoubtedly, philosophers are in the right when they tell us that nothing is great or little otherwise than by …

Stirring the Pot

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Saturday, May 16, 2026
2:00 PM

Byzantium , Dublin

Featuring:
Bojana Janković, Hannah Khalil, Roxana Manouchehri

“ This timely project will deliver a fuller understanding of the significance of global conflict in shaping Irish society. ” …

Oscar Wilde's Dublin Walking Tour

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Saturday, May 16, 2026
2:00 PM

Meeting Point: Hippocampus statue, opposite ILFD Box Office in Merrion Square Park , Dublin

Featuring:
Adam Ladd

“ We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars. ” Oscar Wilde Storytelling, …

Lost Boys: Undercover Adventures in the Manosphere

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Saturday, May 16, 2026
2:00 PM

Synge , Dublin

Featuring:
James Bloodworth

“ The one book that everyone should read this summer. ” Prospect Rarely has there seemed a more confusing time …

An Introduction to Writing Magical Realism Workshop

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Saturday, May 16, 2026
3:00 PM

Workshop Hub, Merrion Square Park. , Dublin

Featuring:
Jan Carson

In this interactive and informative two-hour workshop, you’ll learn a little about the history and tradition of magical realism and …

Intimate Collaborations

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Saturday, May 16, 2026
4:00 PM

Le Fanu , Dublin

Featuring:
Ana Kinsella , Sarvat Hasin

“But something being over is not the same as something never having happened.” Sally Rooney, Conversations with Friends Sarvat Hasin’s …

How the Internet Hijacked Health

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Saturday, May 16, 2026
4:00 PM

Synge , Dublin

Featuring:
Deborah Cohen

“ Your definitive guide to separating medical facts from online fiction. ” Adam Kay, author of This is Going to …

Exile and the Vanishing Self

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Saturday, May 16, 2026
6:00 PM

Speranza , Dublin

Featuring:
Maria Stepanova

“Essential… Written with deep insight, despair and an intrinsic sense of the alarming recurrence of the present’s failure to learn …

Stripping Off

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Saturday, May 16, 2026
6:00 PM

Synge , Dublin

Featuring:
Funmi Fetto

“Fetto infuses all nine stories with colorful Yoruba and Igbo cadences, and she makes each character distinct. These tales paint …

The Poetry's Dead Podcast Live

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Saturday, May 16, 2026
6:00 PM

Byzantium , Dublin

Ryan Duggins and Leon Dunne met on the Dublin poetry scene. Together, they host the popular show The Poetry’s Dead …

Three is the Magic Number

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Saturday, May 16, 2026
6:00 PM

Le Fanu , Dublin

Featuring:
Dave Rudden , Gareth Hanrahan

“ Fantasy is an exercise bicycle for the mind. ” Terry Pratchett Dave Rudden’s action-packed new debut adult fantasy Sister …

Close Encounters of the Fantastical Kind

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Saturday, May 16, 2026
8:00 PM

Le Fanu , Dublin

Featuring:
Catherine Doyle, Sarah Rees Brennan

“ A writer is a world trapped in a person. ” Victor Hugo How do you spin words into fantasy …

Tidy Towns, Messy Murders

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Saturday, May 16, 2026
8:00 PM

Speranza , Dublin

Featuring:
Ardal O’Hanlon

“Comedy crime is a tricky genre to get right, but Ardal O’Hanlon finds the perfect balance between light and dark.” …

The Stinging Fly Summer 2026 Issue Launch

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Saturday, May 16, 2026
8:00 PM

Synge , Dublin

“ I credit The Stinging Fly with the fact that I’m a writer today, something that would once have seemed …

Rise and Shine

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Sunday, May 17, 2026
10:00 AM

Byzantium , Dublin

Featuring:
Morning Yoga with The Space Between

“Between stimulus and response is space and in that space lies our freedom .” The Space Between An hour-long morning …

Fully Spooked!

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Sunday, May 17, 2026
11:00 AM

Synge , Dublin

Featuring:
Catherine Doyle

“Children are really clever, really intuitive and they love a good villain - as do I. ” Catherine Doyle The …

Unfolding Stories: A Technical Guide to Handmade Books

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Sunday, May 17, 2026
11:00 AM

Workshop Hub, Merrion Square Park. , Dublin

Featuring:
Roxana Manouchehri

The accordion-fold manuscript is a format that bridges the gap between a traditional book and a sculptural object. This fascinating …

Paw-fect Rhythm

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Sunday, May 17, 2026
11:00 AM

Speranza , Dublin

Featuring:
Rachel Seago, with Dougie Payne

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more you learn, the more places you’ll go.” …

Shrimply the Best!

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Sunday, May 17, 2026
1:00 PM

Synge , Dublin

Featuring:
Aoife Dooley

“ My least attractive trait is that I talk too much. My most attractive trait is that I talk too …

The Fight for what’s Right

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Sunday, May 17, 2026
1:00 PM

Byzantium , Dublin

Featuring:
Adiba Jaigirdar

“The books that I am writing would have been immensely helpful to my younger self, who was trying to navigate …

Meet Minotaur Boy!

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Sunday, May 17, 2026
1:30 PM

Le Fanu , Dublin

Featuring:
Shane Hegarty

This hilarious, fresh, unforgettable myth-with-a-twist tale blends everyday school life and the universal struggles of puberty and adolescence with fantastical …

The Poetry Stroll

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Sunday, May 17, 2026
2:00 PM

Meeting Point: Merrion Square Hippocampus Statue , Dublin

Featuring:
A Literary Walk Through James Joyce's Dublin

“ The music passed in an instant, as the first bars of sudden music always did, over the fantastic fabrics …

Film Screening: Possession (1981)

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Sunday, May 17, 2026
2:30 PM

Le Fanu , Dublin

Featuring:
Introduced by Hanna Johansson

“It remains one of the most grueling, powerful, and overwhelmingly intense cinematic experiences that you are likely to have in …

Pocket Poems in the Park:

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Sunday, May 17, 2026
3:00 PM

Workshop Hub, Merrion Square Park. , Dublin

Featuring:
a Haiku Poetry Walk, Workshop Maeve O’Sullivan

yellow jasmine - the blackbird on a post keeps her song to herself (Modern Haiku 52.3, Autumn 2021) The shortest …

A Fragile Utopia

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Sunday, May 17, 2026
3:00 PM

Speranza , Dublin

Featuring:
Jan Carson

“One of the most exciting and original Northern Irish writers of her generation .” Sunday Times In Few and Far …

Stolen Lives, Silenced Women

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Sunday, May 17, 2026
3:00 PM

Synge , Dublin

Featuring:
Louise Brangan , Lara Feigel

More than valuable historical accounts, both books are a vital reckoning with the present. Over decades, thousands of Irish women …

The Truth Will Out: Crime, Secrets and Suspense

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Sunday, May 17, 2026
3:00 PM

Le Fanu , Dublin

Featuring:
Liz Nugent, Sam Blake

“ Nothing turns out quite in the way that you thought it would when you are sketching out notes for …

It’s Just A Phrase You’re Going Through

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Sunday, May 17, 2026
5:00 PM

Speranza , Dublin

Featuring:
John Connell , James Geary

“ You will die but the words you speak or spoke will live forever. ” Auliq Ice John Connell’s The …

Braver New World

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Sunday, May 17, 2026
5:00 PM

Synge , Dublin

Featuring:
John Kampfner

“This is a dose of optimism amid the gloom; stunning examples of people and places where courage has led to …

Writing into Irish

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Sunday, May 17, 2026
5:00 PM

Byzantium , Dublin

Featuring:
Naoise Dolan in conversation with Emma Ní Chearúil

Drawing on their shared experiences of living and working multilingually, the conversation will range from Ireland to Italy and beyond. …

Seeing Double

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Sunday, May 17, 2026
5:00 PM

Le Fanu , Dublin

Featuring:
Henrietta McKervey , Hanna Johansson

“ The subject of imposture is always an interesting one, and impostors in one shape or another are likely to …

What Remains of a Family

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Sunday, May 17, 2026
7:00 PM

Synge , Dublin

Featuring:
Brenda Navarro

“ A moving, urgent and beautiful novel. A lightning strike to the heart .” Mónica Ojeda, author of Jawbone Six …

Toddlers Rule! Storytime Fun

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Monday, May 18, 2026
10:00 AM

Byzantium , Dublin

Featuring:
with Aideen McBride

“The Irish are the greatest storytellers since the Greeks .” Oscar Wilde Aideen was involved in story collection projects including …

The View From The Horizon

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Monday, May 18, 2026
6:00 PM

Le Fanu , Dublin

Featuring:
Balsam Karam

“I was talking about time. It’s so hard for me to believe in it. Some things go. Pass on. Some …

Russia’s Spiral Into Madness

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Monday, May 18, 2026
6:00 PM

Speranza , Dublin

Featuring:
Marc Bennetts

“ An unflinching journey in the dark night of the Russian mind under Putin .” Peter Pomerantsev From the “wild” …

The Librarians

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Monday, May 18, 2026
8:00 PM

Le Fanu , Dublin

Featuring:
Film Screening

“Gripping… as well-crafted as it is profoundly alarming.” New York Times When the US Supreme Court opened the door to …

Lula: Man & Myth

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Monday, May 18, 2026
8:00 PM

Synge , Dublin

Featuring:
Richard Lapper

“Lapper…combines the instincts of a reporter with the sensibility of an economic historian. ” Financial Times In October 2022, Lula …

Toddlers Rule! Sensory Storytime

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Tuesday, May 19, 2026
11:00 AM

Byzantium , Dublin

Featuring:
with Dublin City Council Libraries

Everyone at Sensory Storytime understands that children like to move around, speak or make noise during storytime. We want you …

Normal People Tour

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Tuesday, May 19, 2026
11:00 AM

Meeting Point: Hippocampus statue, opposite ILFD Box Office in Merrion Square Park , Dublin

Featuring:
Artful Walking Tours

“Dublin is extraordinarily beautiful to her in wet weather, the way gray stone darkens to black, and rain moves over …

Yoga Lunch Break

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Tuesday, May 19, 2026
1:00 PM

Byzantium , Dublin

Featuring:
The Space Between

“Between stimulus and response is space and in that space lies our freedom .” The Space Between A 45-minute lunchtime …

Reading the City: The Booksellers of Dublin

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Tuesday, May 19, 2026
2:00 PM

Meeting Point: Hodges Figgis, 56-58 Dawson Street, Dublin 2 , Dublin

Featuring:
Artful Walking Tours

“ Just a fabulous guide - the sort you hope you’ll get !” - Ben, Chicago From Hodges Figgis to …

The Forgotten Quest for a Just World

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Tuesday, May 19, 2026
6:00 PM

Speranza , Dublin

Featuring:
Thant Myint-U

“A wonderful subject, beautifully written, evoking a world startlingly like and unlike our own. ” Rory Stewart In the early …

Life On Loan

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Tuesday, May 19, 2026
6:00 PM

Synge , Dublin

Featuring:
Mary Costello

“ What I understand as the human impulse for the divine, I equate that with the human impulse for consciousness. …

In Her Light

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Tuesday, May 19, 2026
6:00 PM

Le Fanu , Dublin

Featuring:
Abdellah Taïa

“ Abdellah Taïa writes with great tenderness and sympathy about the intricacies and complexities of his characters’ private lives… He …

Poetry Ireland Review Issue 148 Launch

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Tuesday, May 19, 2026
6:00 PM

Byzantium , Dublin

Featuring:
Editor Sinéad Morrissey

“ There is poetry in everything .” Poetry Ireland Review Featuring new poetry from Susanna Galbraith, Leontia Flynn, Frank Ormsby, …

Political Girl

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Tuesday, May 19, 2026
8:00 PM

Speranza , Dublin

Featuring:
Maria Alyokhina

This compelling account of dissent, creativity, and the personal cost of political engagement asks what can you do when your …

Film Screening: Underland (2026)

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Tuesday, May 19, 2026
8:00 PM

Le Fanu , Dublin

“In that stillness and silence, deep down underground, we experience deep time.” Screen Anarchy Narrated by Sandra Hüller, Underland (2025) …

Toddlers Rule! Meet, Mind, Move, Play

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Wednesday, May 20, 2026
10:00 AM

Byzantium , Dublin

Featuring:
with Katherine O'Malley

“The best toy a child can have is a parent who gets down on the floor and plays with them.” …

The Noon Fix Artists' Books as Archives

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Wednesday, May 20, 2026
12:30 PM

Le Fanu , Dublin

Featuring:
The Wonders of the National Irish Visual Arts Library

“ Archive as if the future depends on it. ” Lisbet Tellefsen Artists use various forms of books as a …

Yoga Lunch Break

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Wednesday, May 20, 2026
1:00 PM

Byzantium , Dublin

Featuring:
The Space Between

“Between stimulus and response is space and in that space lies our freedom .” The Space Between A 45-minute lunchtime …

Queer Literary Dublin Tour

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Wednesday, May 20, 2026
5:00 PM

Meeting Point: Hippocampus statue, opposite ILFD Box Office in Merrion Square Park , Dublin

Featuring:
James Murray

“There is a peculiar intensity about some streets in Dublin that gets more layered the longer you live in the …

Finding Joy

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Wednesday, May 20, 2026
5:30 PM

Le Fanu , Dublin

Featuring:
Dearbhla Mescal

“ Sincere and full of light - these poems will offer comfort and calm .” Sarah Crossan Slow down and …

Love & Survival in a Fractured World

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Wednesday, May 20, 2026
6:00 PM

Speranza , Dublin

Featuring:
Sally Hayden

“As a journalist, my job is to elevate voices that may be overlooked while making efforts to hold powerful individuals, …

Love, Loss, Longing

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Wednesday, May 20, 2026
6:00 PM

Synge , Dublin

Featuring:
Emanuela Anechoum

“ A contemporary family saga, imbued with delicate irony and tremendous psychological and political acumen. Italian literature has been waiting …

Slamovision 2026

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Wednesday, May 20, 2026
7:30 PM

Le Fanu , Dublin

“ Dublin is a City of Literature where creativity, and especially writing and words in all forms - prose, poetry, …

There are Rivers in the Sky

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Wednesday, May 20, 2026
8:00 PM

Speranza , Dublin

Featuring:
Elif Shafak

“ When history takes a darker turn, it always starts with the omission of words .” Elif Shafak In Victorian …

Voices from the Margins

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Wednesday, May 20, 2026
8:00 PM

Synge , Dublin

Featuring:
Daniela Catrileo

“ Memory, identity, and diaspora are at the heart of this author’s work-a sharp critique of her country’s reality .” …

Toddlers Rule! Storytime Fun

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Thursday, May 21, 2026
10:00 AM

Byzantium , Dublin

Featuring:
with Liz Loughnane

“The world of reality has its limits; the world of imagination is boundless. ” Jean-Jacques Rousseau As Dublin City Storyteller …

2026 Dublin Literary Award

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Thursday, May 21, 2026
12:00 PM

In-Person , Dublin

The Award is one of the most significant literature prizes in the world, presented annually for a novel written in …

Yoga Lunch Break

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Thursday, May 21, 2026
1:00 PM

Byzantium , Dublin

Featuring:
The Space Between

“Between stimulus and response is space and in that space lies our freedom .” The Space Between A 45-minute lunchtime …

Reading the City: The Booksellers of Dublin

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Thursday, May 21, 2026
2:00 PM

Meeting Point: Hodges Figgis, 56-58 Dawson Street, Dublin 2 , Dublin

Featuring:
Artful Walking Tours

“ Just a fabulous guide - the sort you hope you’ll get !” - Ben, Chicago From Hodges Figgis to …

Iran: Women, Life, Freedom

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Thursday, May 21, 2026
6:00 PM

Speranza , Dublin

Featuring:
Chowra Makerimi, Sepideh Farsi

“ It’s really very important that other countries do speak up, because we need to support the international rule of …

The Global Thirst

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Thursday, May 21, 2026
6:00 PM

Le Fanu , Dublin

Featuring:
Virginia Mendoza

“An evocative, richly researched blend of family and human history.” Helen Gordon, author of Notes from Deep Time Virginia Mendoza …

Modern Families

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Thursday, May 21, 2026
6:00 PM

Synge , Dublin

Featuring:
Kathleen MacMahon

“She is a natural storyteller, knowing when to withhold or indulge. Her writing is understated and precise, full of cadence.” …

ReSound - Mantra & Sound Meditation

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Thursday, May 21, 2026
6:00 PM

By , Dublin

Featuring:
The Space Between

“Between stimulus and response is space and in that space lies our freedom .” The Space Between Restore your inner …

What's Not To Love

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Thursday, May 21, 2026
8:00 PM

Synge , Dublin

Featuring:
Patrick Gale

“ Gale gets right to the secret joys and hidden heartbreaks of ordinary, flawed family life. ” Sarah Waters From …

Spotlight Session: Barnburner

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Thursday, May 21, 2026
8:00 PM

Byzantium , Dublin

“ Walking in threes along the Grove, it’s not like we’ve been getting old, and when we leave we’ll sing …

Cleopatra Reclaimed

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Thursday, May 21, 2026
8:00 PM

Speranza , Dublin

Featuring:
Saara El-Arifi

“Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale her infinite variety. ” William Shakespeare, Antony and Cleopatra This epic and groundbreaking …

Film Screening: The Siren (2021)

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Thursday, May 21, 2026
8:00 PM

Le Fanu , Dublin

Featuring:
introduced by Director Sepideh Farsi

“ Farsi uses animation as a way to set the acutely painful civilian experience of the Iran-Iraq conflict at enough …

The 2026 Insiders' Guide to Publishing for Children & YA

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Friday, May 22, 2026
9:00 AM

Speranza , Dublin

Whether you are ready to submit, in the middle of your book, or just starting out, this is an unmissable …

The Noon Fix Sean O’Casey Through the Lens of Art

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Friday, May 22, 2026
12:30 PM

Le Fanu , Dublin

Featuring:
Hugh Lane Gallery at ILFD

“ The artist’s life is to be where life is, active life, found in neither ivory tower nor concrete shelter; …

Reading the City: The Booksellers of Dublin

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Friday, May 22, 2026
2:00 PM

Meeting Point: Hodges Figgis, 56-58 Dawson Street, Dublin 2 , Dublin

Featuring:
Artful Walking Tours

“ Just a fabulous guide - the sort you hope you’ll get !” - Ben, Chicago From Hodges Figgis to …

Balancing the Extraordinary: Writing Biography

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Friday, May 22, 2026
3:00 PM

The Workshop , Dublin

Featuring:
Patchen Barss

“ Only a writer as psychologically astute as Barss could show us an impossible man in full. ” The New …

AI: The Personal, The Professional & the Creative

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Friday, May 22, 2026
5:30 PM

Synge , Dublin

Featuring:
Patchen Barss, Steve McCarthy, Tara Logan Buckley

“Success in creating AI would be the biggest event in human history. Unfortunately, it might also be the last.” Stephen …

Electronic Soundbath

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Friday, May 22, 2026
6:00 PM

Byzantium , Dublin

Featuring:
The Space Between

“Between stimulus and response is space and in that space lies our freedom .” The Space Between Future sound meets …

Tales Of This City

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Friday, May 22, 2026
6:00 PM

Le Fanu , Dublin

Featuring:
Dave Tynan, Djamel White

“Cities, like dreams, are made of desires and fears…everything conceals something else.” Italo Calvino Dave Tynan’s We Used to Dance …

2026 Dublin Literary Award

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Friday, May 22, 2026
6:00 PM

Speranza , Dublin

Featuring:
Winner In Conversation

The Dublin Literary Award celebrates excellence in world literature. From a longlist of 69 titles nominated by 80 libraries from …

Film Screening: Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk (2025)

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Friday, May 22, 2026
7:00 PM

Synge , Dublin

Featuring:
with prediscussion with Sepideh Farsi

“From the first call, I felt that she was someone very special, and that something clicked between the two of …

Divided Selves

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Friday, May 22, 2026
8:00 PM

Speranza , Dublin

Featuring:
Helen Oyeyemi

“I’m sick to death of this particular self. I want another.” Virginia Woolf, Orlando Readers love this wild and wonderful …

The 2026 Insiders’ Guide to Publishing for Adults

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Saturday, May 23, 2026
9:00 AM

Speranza , Dublin

Whether you are ready to submit, still working on your book, or just starting out, this is where you’ll find …

Journaling for Wellbeing Workshop (Children)

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Saturday, May 23, 2026
10:00 AM

Workshop Hub, Merrion Square Park. , Dublin

Featuring:
Megan Wynne

“I can shake off everything as I write; my sorrows disappear, my courage is reborn .” Anne Frank Megan’s passion …

Rise and Shine

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Saturday, May 23, 2026
10:00 AM

Byzantium , Dublin

Featuring:
Morning Yoga with The Space Between

“Between stimulus and response is space and in that space lies our freedom .” The Space Between An hour-long morning …

Tiny Ghost Needs a Friend

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Saturday, May 23, 2026
10:30 AM

Le Fanu , Dublin

Featuring:
Tatyana Feeney

“Like Oliver Jeffers, Feeney manages to get across myriad expressions in the simple quirk of an eyebrow or tilt of …

Ancient Curses and Crime Adventures

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Saturday, May 23, 2026
10:30 AM

Synge , Dublin

Featuring:
Anders Sparring, Per Gustavsson

“ A captivating and fun mystery .” School Library Journal An ancient curse lands honest Theo Pincher on the wrong …

Turn Bedtime Into Sleepytime

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Saturday, May 23, 2026
11:30 AM

Byzantium , Dublin

Featuring:
Johnathan Sung

“A fun, bold and colourful debut.” Jim Field In this gently reassuring and visually-bold bedtime story, wolf-boy Moon Moon cannot …

Welcome to Camp Challenger

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Saturday, May 23, 2026
12:00 PM

Le Fanu , Dublin

Featuring:
Helen Rutter

“Inventive and thought-provoking.” The Guardian Camp Challenger is an exciting summer residential where you make new friends, build resilience, test …

Louder Voices Songwriting Workshop

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Saturday, May 23, 2026
12:00 PM

The Workshop , Dublin

Featuring:
Luke Clerkin

“ Something simple and true, that has a lot of possibilities, is a nice way to begin .” Paul Simon …

Head East of Edam for Mice & Mummies

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Saturday, May 23, 2026
12:00 PM

Synge , Dublin

Featuring:
Philip Reeve, Sarah McIntyre

“ Absolutely stunning, beautiful, brilliant children’s books. Instant classics .” Jamie Smart, creator of Bunny vs Monkey With outlandish outfits, …

Scoop Food Tour

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Saturday, May 23, 2026
1:00 PM

Meeting Point: Hippocampus statue, opposite ILFD Box Office in Merrion Square Park , Dublin

Featuring:
with Dee Laffan

“There is no love sincerer than the love of food. ” George Bernard Shaw Learn the story of Irish food …

Yeats, Joyce & Dublin

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Saturday, May 23, 2026
2:00 PM

Meeting Point: National Library of Ireland , Dublin

Featuring:
James Murray

Dear Yeats, […] Besides this I am writing a book Ulysses which however will not be finished for some years. …

Passing Time Peadar Ó Guilín & Philip Reeve

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Saturday, May 23, 2026
2:00 PM

Le Fanu , Dublin

Peadar Ó Guilín and Philip Reeve talk about how they construct imaginary places, come up with new ideas, and find …

My Big Fat Smelly Poo Diary

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Saturday, May 23, 2026
2:00 PM

Synge , Dublin

Featuring:
Jim Smith

“Lols and clever cartooning on every page .” Sheena Dempsey Budding cartoonists get expert tips on drawing cartoons at this …

Reading the City: The Booksellers of Dublin

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Saturday, May 23, 2026
2:00 PM

Meeting Point: Hodges Figgis, 56-58 Dawson Street, Dublin 2 , Dublin

Featuring:
Artful Walking Tours

“ Just a fabulous guide - the sort you hope you’ll get !” - Ben, Chicago From Hodges Figgis to …

Journaling for Wellbeing Workshop (Adults)

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Saturday, May 23, 2026
2:30 PM

Workshop Hub, Merrion Square Park. , Dublin

Featuring:
Megan Wynne

“I can shake off everything as I write; my sorrows disappear, my courage is reborn .” Anne Frank Megan Wynne …

Present in the Past

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Saturday, May 23, 2026
3:30 PM

Le Fanu , Dublin

Featuring:
Louise Nealon , Amanda Block

“ Why do we write? A chorus erupts. Because we cannot simply live. ” Patti Smith The Haunting of Hero’s …

Life Lessons From Game Theory

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Saturday, May 23, 2026
4:00 PM

Synge , Dublin

Featuring:
Michael Wooldridge

“ Michael explains the complex, strategic structures of our world with masterful beauty .” Milind Tambe, Harvard University Discover the …

Roads Less Travelled

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Saturday, May 23, 2026
4:00 PM

Byzantium , Dublin

Featuring:
Grainne O'Brien, Sue Divin

“You’re never alone with a book, are you? ” Jeanette Winterson Sue Divin’s Runaway Road is a riveting and moving …

Living the Dream

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Saturday, May 23, 2026
5:00 PM

Le Fanu , Dublin

Featuring:
Sarah Gilmartin , Pim Wangtechawat

They arrived in the city certain of who they would become-full of ambition, desire and possibility. But years later, the …

Said the Dead

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Saturday, May 23, 2026
6:00 PM

Speranza , Dublin

Featuring:
Doireann Ní Ghríofa

The award-winning author of A Ghost in the Throat discusses Said the Dead , her unforgettable polyphonic history of an …

Dublin Songwriting Circle

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Saturday, May 23, 2026
6:00 PM

Byzantium , Dublin

“A night with the Dublin Songwriting Circle showed me the city’s creative heart.” Irish Independent Founded by Dublin based songwriters …

Trust & Truth: Science in a Misinformation Age

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Saturday, May 23, 2026
6:00 PM

Synge , Dublin

Featuring:
Gill Arbuthnott, Olive Heffernan, Patchen Barss

“ Lies are often much more plausible, more appealing to reason than reality, since the liar has the great advantage …

Arts Bubbles

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Saturday, May 23, 2026
7:30 PM

Le Fanu , Dublin

Featuring:
Entelecheia - Becoming What We Are

“The roots of Arts Bubbles stretch across borders and cities, shaped by a life lived between cultures and ways of …

Refusing Silence

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Saturday, May 23, 2026
8:00 PM

Synge , Dublin

Featuring:
Roberto Saviano

“ To write, not to renounce my words, has meant not to lose myself. Not to surrender. Not to despair …

Making The Cut

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Saturday, May 23, 2026
8:00 PM

Speranza , Dublin

Featuring:
Richard Armitage

“A chilling, atmospheric thriller with characters you’ll never forget.” Harlan Coben The Cut, described by Mark Billingham as “a proper …

Spotlight Session : Laurie Shaw

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Saturday, May 23, 2026
8:00 PM

Byzantium , Dublin

“ Conjuring everyone from Pulp, Edgar Jones, Jonathan Richman, Ty Segall and Arctic Monkeys, this is a strong introduction to …

Rise and Shine

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Sunday, May 24, 2026
10:00 AM

Byzantium , Dublin

Featuring:
Morning Yoga with The Space Between

“Between stimulus and response is space and in that space lies our freedom .” The Space Between An hour-long morning …

Myths, Magic and Making Stories

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Sunday, May 24, 2026
10:30 AM

Workshop Hub , Dublin

Featuring:
Alex Dunne, Laura Keohane

“ The rich coloured light of the folktales illuminates the grey shadows of modern life which I am trying to …

Síne Quinn

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Sunday, May 24, 2026
11:00 AM

Le Fanu , Dublin

“ Magical, a book to treasure .” The Irish Examiner Some folk believe that when the Celts invaded Ireland in …

Queer Literary Dublin Tour

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Sunday, May 24, 2026
11:00 AM

Meeting Point: Hippocampus statue, opposite ILFD Box Office in Merrion Square Park , Dublin

Featuring:
James Murray

“There is a peculiar intensity about some streets in Dublin that gets more layered the longer you live in the …

All in the Mind: Your Brilliant Brain

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Sunday, May 24, 2026
11:00 AM

Synge , Dublin

Featuring:
Gill Arbuthnott

“The important thing is to never stop questioning.” Albert Einstein. This exciting and interactive event features fun experiments that will …

When Small Kids Have Big Feelings

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Sunday, May 24, 2026
11:30 AM

Byzantium , Dublin

Featuring:
Jimena Larraguivel

“ Anyone old enough to love is old enough to grieve .” Dr Alan Wolfelt Anxiety about death is a …

Happy Birthday Isadora Moon!

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Sunday, May 24, 2026
12:00 PM

Le Fanu , Dublin

“ Being a writer is lots of fun because you get to create your own worlds and decide exactly what …

Designing Characters: Illustration, Identity and Story

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Sunday, May 24, 2026
12:00 PM

Workshop Hub, Merrion Square Park. , Dublin

Featuring:
Johnathan Sung

“ Drawing a good picture is like telling a really good lie - the key is in the incidental detail …

Nina Peanut is Back!

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Sunday, May 24, 2026
1:00 PM

Synge , Dublin

Featuring:
Sarah Bowie

“I love books that genuinely draw kids into their world. Highly recommended !” Waterstones Nina is the new best friend …

Secrets Selkies and the Sea

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Sunday, May 24, 2026
1:00 PM

Byzantium , Dublin

Featuring:
Laura Keohane

“ They came from the sea, shrouded in cloaks and mystery. ” Laura Keohane, Secret of the Selkies If you’ve …

Scoop Food Tour

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Sunday, May 24, 2026
1:00 PM

Meeting Point: Hippocampus statue, opposite ILFD Box Office in Merrion Square Park , Dublin

Featuring:
with Dee Laffan

“There is no love sincerer than the love of food. ” George Bernard Shaw Learn the story of Irish food …

A Soul Full of Shadows

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Sunday, May 24, 2026
1:00 PM

Speranza , Dublin

Featuring:
Derek Landy

“A writer at the height of his powers … Whatever your age, read them and enjoy the ride.” Irish Independent …

Is This a Golden Age for Irish Short Stories?

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Sunday, May 24, 2026
1:00 PM

Le Fanu , Dublin

Featuring:
Eoin McNamee, Lucy Caldwell , Lucy Sweeney Byrne

“ There is in the short story at its most characteristic, something we don’t often find in the novel, an …

Creative Free-Writing

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Sunday, May 24, 2026
2:00 PM

Workshop Hub, Merrion Square Park. , Dublin

Featuring:
Pim Wangtechawat

“The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.” Sylvia Plath Whether you’re an experienced writer looking to loosen up your practice …

Yeats, Joyce & Dublin

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Sunday, May 24, 2026
2:00 PM

Meeting Point: National Library of Ireland , Dublin

Featuring:
James Murray

Dear Yeats, […] Besides this I am writing a book Ulysses which however will not be finished for some years. …

See You on the Other Side

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Sunday, May 24, 2026
3:00 PM

Speranza , Dublin

Featuring:
Jay McInerney

“Not only a brilliant stylist but a master of characterization, with a keen eye for the incongruities of urban life.” …

Small Magics & Mighty Giants

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Sunday, May 24, 2026
3:00 PM

Le Fanu , Dublin

Featuring:
Alex Dunne , Christopher Galvin

“Magic isn’t only found in old ancient forests or dusty old castles… it’s everywhere, all the time. ” Alex Dunne …

The Myth of Changing Minds

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Sunday, May 24, 2026
3:00 PM

Synge , Dublin

Featuring:
Sarah Stein Lubrano

“A very timely book indeed…Eye opening and necessary. ” Alain de Botton In a world where politics keeps getting more …

The Art of the Alebrije

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Sunday, May 24, 2026
3:00 PM

Byzantium , Dublin

Featuring:
Jimena Larraguivel

“The alebrijes of this world can take many forms. They are as mysterious as they are powerful… or maybe he’s …

Motherhood, War, Exile

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Sunday, May 24, 2026
5:00 PM

Synge , Dublin

Featuring:
Hala Alyan

“[A] gorgeous, lyrical memoir … shows the power of even a single narrative to resist the deliberate erasure of a …

Turning the Tables

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Sunday, May 24, 2026
5:00 PM

Le Fanu , Dublin

Featuring:
Martin Doyle

“ He extracts remarkable witness out of these remarkable Irish writers. Read one interview per night. It’ll keep you awake …

Bound by Absence

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Sunday, May 24, 2026
5:00 PM

Speranza , Dublin

Featuring:
Tayari Jones

“It’s among Tayari’s many gifts that she can touch us soul to soul with her words. ” Oprah Winfrey Two …

Film Screening: Lost for Words (2025)

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Sunday, May 24, 2026
7:00 PM

Le Fanu , Dublin

Inspired by Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris’s much-loved book The Lost Words , this lyrical and beautiful documentary takes the …

The News from Dublin

Part of International Literature Festival Dublin 2026

Sunday, May 24, 2026
7:00 PM

Speranza , Dublin

Featuring:
Colm Tóibín

The News from Dublin comes to Dublin… A master of understated emotions, the bestselling author of Brooklyn and Long Island …