Workshops, readings, discussions, launches, conversations on craft, careers in writing, international authors, events as Gaeilge, poetry trails, in person and online events will lead audiences to Galway City for the Cúirt International Literature Festival, which runs from 4th to 10th April 2022.

Offering a vivid snapshot of the best of contemporary literature, the Cuirt programme features Irish authors Claire Keegan, Louise Kennedy, Colin Barrett, Sara Baume, Edel Coffey, Danny Denton, Megan Nolan, Wendy Erskine, Seán Hewitt, Aisling duo Emer McLysaght & Sarah Breen and Sara Baume, alongside international talents like Olivia Laing, Lucy Foley, Raymond Antrobus, Will McPhail, Ruman Alam, Roger Robinson, Anna Della Subin and Françoise Vergès and Jay Bernard.

Emer McLysaght & Sarah Breen

This year's theme is 'At The Intersections’, looking at life and writing as we intersect between the last two years and continuing world events. Topics under discussion include Writing and Survival with Natasha Brown and Rebecca Watson, A.K. Blakemore and Jan Carson on The Power of the Mob, Stephanie Phillips on Why Solange Matters, poets Gail McConnell and Raymond Antrobus on parenthood and The Transgender Issue with Shon Faye.

Events as Gaeilge include An Chartlann Bheo: Animating the Archive of Tomás Ó Máille and readings with Réaltán Ní Leannáin agus Tadhg Mac Dhonnagáin, as well as the first event for the new anthology of Irish language poetry Cnámh agus Smíor, featuring readings from Alan Titley, Ola Majekodunmi and Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill.

Claudia Rankin
(Pic: John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation)

Elsewhere, a series of events deal with the more practical side of being a writer, as the popular Conversations on Craft online event series pairs international writing talents Olivia Laing and Claudia Rankine with Irish writers Brian and Chiamaka Enyi-Amadi. An afternoon of professional development events for writers will exercise the formal muscles of writers at every stage of their development.

"We are hopeful to be entering a time when people can come together more easily, to celebrate and enjoy the power of words in person," says Festival Director Sasha de Buyl. "A huge part of what makes a book festival special is the connections we make; the snatched conversations as you head into a reading, the debrief in the bar about the best event of the day, the unexpected meeting of a favourite writer.

We hope that Cúirt in 2022 can bring some of this much needed joy and conversation back to Galway. It's an excellent reason to (finally) leave the house."

To make the event accessible to as wide an audience as possible, Cúirt are introducing a 'Pay What You Can' model for all in-person events - find out more about this year's programme here.