Cúirt International Festival of Literature returns to Galway from Tuesday 23 - Sunday 28 April for its annual celebration of literature and creativity. Now in its 39th year, Cúirt is one of Europe's oldest book festivals, and a leading voice for literature both internationally and across Ireland.

With a rich history of promoting the written word, the festival provides a platform for established and emerging authors and fosters a love for literature with audiences. This year's festival promises an exciting line-up of events, featuring renowned authors, engaging panel discussions, book launches, writing workshops, and interactive sessions for readers of all ages.

Many events are already sold out, don’t delay on booking those tickets! Here are some not-to-be-missed events…

For lovers of Fiction:

A live edition of The Stinging Fly Podcast with Nicole Flattery and Caoilinn Hughes to celebrate Hughes’ new novel The Alternatives. Edel Coffey in conversation with Ali Watkins to discuss her number 1 bestselling new captivating thriller In Her Place. Bryan Washington, internationally acclaimed novelist and short-story writer, will discuss latest book Family Meal with Michael Magee. Una Mannion and Paul Murray (winner of the An Post Irish Book of the Year and the Nero Book Award for Fiction) will discuss their ambitious novels The Bee Sting and Tell Me What I Am with Sinead Gleeson.

Hear from brilliant debut novelists: Colin Walsh, Ferdia Lennon, Noel O’Regan, K Patrick, Nicola Dinan, Katherine O’Donnell and Sinead Gleeson.

Non-fiction:

Clair Wills and Molly Hennigan will discuss their new books Missing Persons, or My Grandmother’s Secret and The Celestial Realm and themes of generational trauma, mother and baby homes and the Irish state’s treatment of women. Máiría Cahill and Martin Doyle will talk to Glenn Patterson about Rough Beast and Dirty Linen with themes of paramilitary corruption and violence, world of IRA secrecy, and Belfast during the Troubles. Leon Diop and Briana Fitzsimons will celebrate their landmark book Black & Irish that advocates for the Black community in Ireland and educates everyone to adopt an anti-racist mindset.
Katriona O’Sullivan (winner of the Biography of the Year at the Irish Book Awards 2023) and Kieran Yates, will join Sarah Clancy to discuss how we approach the current hosing crisis with compassion, practicality, and resources. Jackie Uí Chionna will reveal the secret life of Galway-native Emily Anderson, one of the top three women codebreakers in the world. Mark O’Connell and Susannah Dickey will delve into the cultural obsession the true crime genre through their books about notorious cases of murder.

Poetry:

There’ll be poetry readings from Irish poets including Nick Laird, Miriam Gamble, Leontia Flynn, Scott McKendry and Emily Cooper, and international poets including Lemn Sissay, Rafeef Ziadah, Brenda Shaughnessy, Erika Meitner, Joey Connolly, Abigail Parry and K Patrick. The grande finale of the festival will be a poetry reading from Rita Ann Higgins, Elaine Feeney, Susannah Dickey and Jackie Kay.

Further highlights:

A storytelling event with Oein DeBhairduin and Richard O’Leary. Oein DeBhairduin is a writer, activist, and educator with a passion for preserving the beauty of Traveller tales, sayings, retellings and historic exchanges. Richard O’Leary is the homoseanchaí, featured in the ‘The Druthaib’s Ball’ by Turner Prize winners Array Collective. He brings ‘Teenage Rebel in the GPO 1983’ to Cúirt, an incredible story, like an Irish fairy tale, but true. Told in Irish with some English.

Omnivore: Food, Art and Writing – a panel discussion with Louise Kennedy and guests to discuss making, sharing, writing about, and eating food.

The Slug and the Snail – a bilingual children’s event in English and Irish, based on Oein DeBhairduin’s lyrical children’s book based in the storytelling tradition of the Irish Traveller community, about identity, self-acceptance and different ways of seeing the world.
Dinnseanchas – newly commissioned work in Irish Mícheál O Ruairc and Bríd Ní Mhorain.

Frames of Reference – Cúirt delves into the publishing industry with four panels centered around translation, editing, poetry, and literary magazines, with Fitzcarraldo Press, The Stinging Fly, The Pig’s Back, and writers Polly Barton, Clemens Meyer, Nithy Kasa and much more!

Open Mic Night - Come and share your work with an enthusiastic audience at Cúirt’s Open Mic Night. Test out a new idea, or share something that’s been waiting to see the light of day.

Róise Ní Bhaoill’s collection of short stories Imran and other stories, winner of the An Post Foras na Gaeilge Irish Language Fiction Book of the Year Award of 2023, takes the reader on many journeys. Irish language event.
Lucy Caldwell, Glenn Patterson and Colin Barrett discuss their latest work.

Alice Kinsella will present a new lecture, commissioned by the Irish Writers Centre, exploring her relationship with prose and poetry
Cinema Book Club – a special edition of the Cúirt and Pálás Cinema Book Club with The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, introduced by Glenn Patterson.

Two online events with Maggie Armstrong and Mary O’Donoghue to talk about their collections of short stories.

Cúirt International Festival of Literature would like to acknowledge the support of its principal funders the Arts Council, Galway City Council, Galway County Council and ACNI.

The festival takes place in Galway from Tuesday 23 - Sunday 28 April, 2024. Remaining tickets are on sale now on http://www.cuirt.ie or through the Town Hall Theatre on 091 569 777.