The Rush Festival of Writing has announced the full programme for its inaugural one‑day literary event, taking place in the north County Dublin seaside town on April 25th 2026.
Booker Prize-winning author John Banville will headline the festival in a public conversation with Kevin Curran, author of Youth. Banville, whose work includes The Sea, The Book of Evidence, the Benjamin Black crime novels, and Christine Falls - this year's One Dublin One Book selection - at Rush's Millbank Theatre.
Founded by Sean Smith and arts journalist (and RTÉ Culture contributor) Lauren Murphy, Irish crime fiction features prominently on the programme, with bestselling novelists Catherine Ryan Howard and Andrea Mara appearing in conversation, discussing their work; both authors have seen their work adapted for major TV series - Ryan Howard's 56 Days and Mara's All Her Fault.
Several free events will run alongside the evening programme; writer and Horslips musician Eamon Carr will speak with music journalist Pat Carty about his career in poetry, music, and journalism, including stories featured in his recent book Pure Gold: Memorable Conversations with Remarkable People.
Authors Sinéad Gleeson and Anna Carey will also lead a discussion aimed at aspiring writers, covering craft, career development, and their own books.
Family events include a workshop at Rush Library for children aged 5 and over with former Laureate na nÓg Niamh Sharkey, based on her picture book Penguin TV, while writer and illustrator Alan Nolan (creator of the popular Bram Stoker & Molly Maguire books) will host a "Design Your Own Superhero" session for ages 8–12.
"We are both big readers and fans of Irish literature," says festival co-founder Lauren Murphy, "and we've been talking about staging a literary festival in our adopted hometown for several years. With the incredible array of literary talent in Ireland, now seems like the perfect time to bite the bullet! We also love Rush and want to showcase it as a destination - it’s all-too-often overlooked as a cultural hub, even though it’s only thirty minutes from Dublin City."
Find out more about the Rush Festival of Writing here
