 | Another great year of Irish literary and book festivals stretches out before us in 2018. So whether you're a native or a tourist, start planning your festival tour now! If you would like your festival included, please get in touch: info[at]marymccauleyproofreading[dot]com |
February
Doolin Writers’ Weekend 2–4 February, Doolin, Co Clare @HotelDoolin
Cork International Poetry Festival 13–17 February, Cork @MunLitCentre
Limerick Literary Festival 22–25 February, Limerick @kobweekend
March
Ennis Book Club Festival 2–4 March, Ennis, Co Clare @ebcf
Belfast Children's Festival, 9–14 March, Belfast @Young_at_Art
Kanturk Arts Festival 15–19 March, Kanturk, Co Cork @KanturkArts
Mountains to Sea dlr Book Festival 21–25 March, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin
@mountainstosea
Franco-Irish Literary Festival 23–25 March, Dublin
Facebook/francoirishliteraryfestival
April
Éigse Michael Hartnett Festival 12–14 April, Newcastle West, Co Limerick @EigseMHartnett
Castlegregory Book Festival 20–23 April, Castlegregory, Co Kerry
Cork World Book Fest 23–28 April, Cork @WorldBookFest
Hillsborough Festival of Literature & Ideas 27–29 April, Hillsborough, Co Down @The_JHS
Cúirt International Festival of Literature 23–29 April, Galway @CuirtFestival
May
UL/Frank McCourt Creative Writing Festival 3–6 May, Limerick City
Strokestown International Poetry Festival 3–7 May, Strokestown,
Co Roscommon @Strokestownpoem
Towers and Tales Lismore Story Festival 5 May, Lismore, Co Waterford
@TowersandTales
International Literature Festival Dublin 19–27 May, Dublin @ILFDublin
Listowel Writers’ Week 30 May–3 June, Listowel, Co Kerry @Writersweek
(Note: the Ballymaloe Lit Fest is taking a year off and will not run in 2018. You can read more about it here.)
June
Listowel Writers’ Week 30 May – 3 June, Listowel, Co Kerry @Writersweek
Goldsmith International Literary Festival 1–3 June, various locations in Co Longford @Goldsmithfest
Belfast Book Festival 6–16 June, Belfast @BelfastBookFest
Festival of Writing and Ideas 8–10 June, Borris, Co Carlow @Writingandideas
Howth Literary Arts Festival 8–10 June, Howth, Co Dublin @howthlitfest
Bloomsday Festival 11–16 June, Dublin @bloomsdayfest
Immrama – Lismore Festival of Travel Writing 13–17 June, Lismore, Co Waterford @lismoreimmrama
Dalkey Book Festival 14–17 June, Dalkey, Co Dublin @dalkeybookfest
Hinterland Festival of Literature and Arts 21–24 June, Kells, Co Meath @HinterlandKells
Dublin Writers' Conference 22–24 June, Dublin Facebook/booksgosocial
July
Allihies Inspires Festival 6–8 July, Allihies village, Beara, Co Cork
Facebook/Allihies-Inspires
West Cork Literary Festival 13–20 July, Bantry, Co Cork @wcorklitfest
John Hewitt International Summer School 23–28 July, Armagh @The_JHS
August
Wexworlds Sci-Fi and Fantasy Fiction Festival 18–19 August, Wexford @wexworlds
Graiguenamanagh Town of Books Festival 24–26 August, Graiguenamanagh,
Co Kilkenny Facebook/IrelandsBooktown
TitanCon, science fiction and fantasy literature festival, 24–26 August, Belfast @TitanConBelfast
September
The Write Time Festival, 1–30 September, Dublin @fingallibraries
Cork International Short Story Festival 12–15 September, Cork @MunLitCentre
Padraic Colum Gathering, 20–22 September, Longford @CreativeLongfd
Aspects Festival 21–30 September, Bangor, Co Down @aspectsfestival
Children's Books Ireland International Conference 22–23 September, Dublin @KidsBooksIrel
Bray Literary Festival 28–30 September, Bray, Co Wicklow @braylitfest
Write By The Sea Festival 28–30 September, Kilmore Quay, Co Wexford @write_KQ
October
Children's Book Festival, 1–31 October, Wexford @wexlibraries
Dromineer Literary Festival 4–7 October, Dromineer, Nenagh,
Co Tipperary @DromineerLit
Words by Water, Kinsale Literary Festival, 4–7 October, Kinsale, Co Cork
@WordsByWater
Iron Mountain Literature Festival 5–7 October, Carrick on Shannon, Co Leitrim
Red Line Book Festival 8–14 October, Dublin @RLBFest
Dalkey Creates Festival 11–14 October, Dalkey, Co Dublin @DalkeyCreates
Kildare Readers Festival 12–14 October, throughout Co Kildare
Facebook/KildareReadersFestival
Octocon, the National Irish Science Fiction Convention, 12–14 October, Dublin @Octocon
Omagh Literary Festival: Honouring Benedict Kiely, 12–14 October, Omagh, Co Tyrone @kiely_weekend
Imram Irish Language Literature Festival 15–20 October, Dublin @Feile_IMRAM
Waterford Writers’ Weekend (part of the Imagine Arts Festival) 19–21 October, Waterford @Wwritersweekend @Imagine_Fest
Something Wicked Crime Fiction Festival 26–28 October, Malahide, Co Dublin
@somethingwicket
November
John O'Connor Writing School Literary Arts Festival 1–4 November, Armagh
@johnoconnorws
Murder One International Crime Writing Festival 2–4 November, Dublin @MurderOneFest
Wexford Literary Festival 2–4 November, Enniscorthy, Co Wexford @WexfordLitFest
Dublin Book Festival 15–18 November, Dublin @DublinBookFest
Allingham Festival 8–11 November, Ballyshannon, Co Donegal @AllinghamArts
Festival of Reading and Writing for Young Adults 9–10 November, Waterford
@TheLitYWF
Rolling Sun Book Festival 15–18 November, Westport, Co Mayo
Facebook/RollingSunBookFestival
Doolin Writers’ Weekend 2–4 February, Doolin, Co Clare @HotelDoolin
Cork International Poetry Festival 13–17 February, Cork @MunLitCentre
Limerick Literary Festival 22–25 February, Limerick @kobweekend
March
Ennis Book Club Festival 2–4 March, Ennis, Co Clare @ebcf
Belfast Children's Festival, 9–14 March, Belfast @Young_at_Art
Kanturk Arts Festival 15–19 March, Kanturk, Co Cork @KanturkArts
Mountains to Sea dlr Book Festival 21–25 March, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin
@mountainstosea
Franco-Irish Literary Festival 23–25 March, Dublin
Facebook/francoirishliteraryfestival
April
Éigse Michael Hartnett Festival 12–14 April, Newcastle West, Co Limerick @EigseMHartnett
Castlegregory Book Festival 20–23 April, Castlegregory, Co Kerry
Cork World Book Fest 23–28 April, Cork @WorldBookFest
Hillsborough Festival of Literature & Ideas 27–29 April, Hillsborough, Co Down @The_JHS
Cúirt International Festival of Literature 23–29 April, Galway @CuirtFestival
May
UL/Frank McCourt Creative Writing Festival 3–6 May, Limerick City
Strokestown International Poetry Festival 3–7 May, Strokestown,
Co Roscommon @Strokestownpoem
Towers and Tales Lismore Story Festival 5 May, Lismore, Co Waterford
@TowersandTales
International Literature Festival Dublin 19–27 May, Dublin @ILFDublin
Listowel Writers’ Week 30 May–3 June, Listowel, Co Kerry @Writersweek
(Note: the Ballymaloe Lit Fest is taking a year off and will not run in 2018. You can read more about it here.)
June
Listowel Writers’ Week 30 May – 3 June, Listowel, Co Kerry @Writersweek
Goldsmith International Literary Festival 1–3 June, various locations in Co Longford @Goldsmithfest
Belfast Book Festival 6–16 June, Belfast @BelfastBookFest
Festival of Writing and Ideas 8–10 June, Borris, Co Carlow @Writingandideas
Howth Literary Arts Festival 8–10 June, Howth, Co Dublin @howthlitfest
Bloomsday Festival 11–16 June, Dublin @bloomsdayfest
Immrama – Lismore Festival of Travel Writing 13–17 June, Lismore, Co Waterford @lismoreimmrama
Dalkey Book Festival 14–17 June, Dalkey, Co Dublin @dalkeybookfest
Hinterland Festival of Literature and Arts 21–24 June, Kells, Co Meath @HinterlandKells
Dublin Writers' Conference 22–24 June, Dublin Facebook/booksgosocial
July
Allihies Inspires Festival 6–8 July, Allihies village, Beara, Co Cork
Facebook/Allihies-Inspires
West Cork Literary Festival 13–20 July, Bantry, Co Cork @wcorklitfest
John Hewitt International Summer School 23–28 July, Armagh @The_JHS
August
Wexworlds Sci-Fi and Fantasy Fiction Festival 18–19 August, Wexford @wexworlds
Graiguenamanagh Town of Books Festival 24–26 August, Graiguenamanagh,
Co Kilkenny Facebook/IrelandsBooktown
TitanCon, science fiction and fantasy literature festival, 24–26 August, Belfast @TitanConBelfast
September
The Write Time Festival, 1–30 September, Dublin @fingallibraries
Cork International Short Story Festival 12–15 September, Cork @MunLitCentre
Padraic Colum Gathering, 20–22 September, Longford @CreativeLongfd
Aspects Festival 21–30 September, Bangor, Co Down @aspectsfestival
Children's Books Ireland International Conference 22–23 September, Dublin @KidsBooksIrel
Bray Literary Festival 28–30 September, Bray, Co Wicklow @braylitfest
Write By The Sea Festival 28–30 September, Kilmore Quay, Co Wexford @write_KQ
October
Children's Book Festival, 1–31 October, Wexford @wexlibraries
Dromineer Literary Festival 4–7 October, Dromineer, Nenagh,
Co Tipperary @DromineerLit
Words by Water, Kinsale Literary Festival, 4–7 October, Kinsale, Co Cork
@WordsByWater
Iron Mountain Literature Festival 5–7 October, Carrick on Shannon, Co Leitrim
Red Line Book Festival 8–14 October, Dublin @RLBFest
Dalkey Creates Festival 11–14 October, Dalkey, Co Dublin @DalkeyCreates
Kildare Readers Festival 12–14 October, throughout Co Kildare
Facebook/KildareReadersFestival
Octocon, the National Irish Science Fiction Convention, 12–14 October, Dublin @Octocon
Omagh Literary Festival: Honouring Benedict Kiely, 12–14 October, Omagh, Co Tyrone @kiely_weekend
Imram Irish Language Literature Festival 15–20 October, Dublin @Feile_IMRAM
Waterford Writers’ Weekend (part of the Imagine Arts Festival) 19–21 October, Waterford @Wwritersweekend @Imagine_Fest
Something Wicked Crime Fiction Festival 26–28 October, Malahide, Co Dublin
@somethingwicket
November
John O'Connor Writing School Literary Arts Festival 1–4 November, Armagh
@johnoconnorws
Murder One International Crime Writing Festival 2–4 November, Dublin @MurderOneFest
Wexford Literary Festival 2–4 November, Enniscorthy, Co Wexford @WexfordLitFest
Dublin Book Festival 15–18 November, Dublin @DublinBookFest
Allingham Festival 8–11 November, Ballyshannon, Co Donegal @AllinghamArts
Festival of Reading and Writing for Young Adults 9–10 November, Waterford
@TheLitYWF
Rolling Sun Book Festival 15–18 November, Westport, Co Mayo
Facebook/RollingSunBookFestival
*2017 dates. The dates for 2018 have not been announced yet. I’ll update this listing when they become available.
If you would like me to include your 2018 book or literary festival in the above list, please send me the details at info[at]marymccauleyproofreading[dot]com. Thanks!
If you would like me to include your 2018 book or literary festival in the above list, please send me the details at info[at]marymccauleyproofreading[dot]com. Thanks!
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