The Dalkey Book Festival has announced its 2017 programme of events, with a very special guest making his first-ever visit to Ireland.
US Senator and 2016 Democratic presidential contender Bernie Sanders will discuss his new book Our Revolution: A Future To Believe In with economist David McWilliams, at Dublin's Bord Gáis Energy Theatre on Sunday June 4th.
Sanders has been the junior United States Senator from Vermont since 2007, and remains the longest serving independent in U.S. congressional history.
After launching a popular grass root challenge to Hilary Clinton as 2016 Democratic presidential contender, Sanders was ultimately bested by Clinton in the Democratic primary - not before making receiving the ultimate US pop culture accolade this side of an appearance of The Simpsons:
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"It is an extraordinary privilege for the Dalkey Book Festival to host Bernie Sanders," said Dalkey Book Festival director Sian Smyth, "we are truly delighted to bring him to Ireland for the first time. He is an iconic political figure of our time, a stunning orator and with such turmoil in the US and globally we are very much looking forward to hearing his thoughts and insights."
The Sanders event on June 4th precedes the Dalkey Book Festival proper, which runs from June 15-18, featuring an array of international guests, from musician and activist Billy Bragg and cult filmmaker turned novelist Bruce Robinson (the creator of Withnail And I) to Man Booker Prize winner Marlon James and Irish authors Colm Toibin, Sebastian Barry and Donal Ryan.
Tickets for An Evening with Bernie Sanders and other Dalkey Book Festival events go on sale this Friday 28 April at 9AM - view the programme in full here.
