Literary and book festivals in Ireland 2018

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

*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!

Related posts

Literary and book festivals in Ireland 2020
Literary and book festivals in Ireland 2019
Literary and book festivals in Ireland 2017
Literary and book festivals in Ireland 2016
Writing courses and literary festivals in Ireland (summer 2015)

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