Readers, writers and curious minds are invited to gather once more in Merrion Square this May as the International Literature Festival Dublin (ILFD) returns (15–24 May) with a festival of ideas and discoveries, featuring over 200 events across fiction, nonfiction, poetry, film, music and performance for audiences of all ages.
Here are some of the ILFD team's own picks, offering you a glimpse of this year’s exciting programme:
Hear from one of Russia’s greatest living writers, Maria Stepanova in Exile and the Vanishing Self (Sat 16 May). discussing her latest book The Disappearing Act – a witty, unsettling and profound reflection on belonging and estrangement.
What does it mean to move into Irish as a writer whose work has been shaped in English? Book to hear Naoise Dolan in conversation with Emma Ferrari (Sun 17 May) who explore the creative and cultural possibilities of writing across languages.
Join award-winning novelist Elif Shafak on Wednesday 20th May who will be discuss her life, work, and most recent novel There are Rivers in the Sky, spanning continents, centuries, cultures and communities.
Beloved for his warm, perceptive storytelling, Patrick Gale joins the festival on Thursday 21 May for ILFD’s What's Not To Love talk, to discuss his new novel Love Lane, an irresistible story of five individuals linked by the past yet separated by the present.
Debut authors Dave Tynan & Djamel White (Fri 22 May), discuss writing a dark and edgy Dublin, toxic masculinity, and why you have to blast through language in order to make it your own at the festival’s Tales of This City event.
Interested in learning how to write for the stage as Gaeilge? Book in with writer and actor Seán Mac Dhonnagáin (Tuesday 19 May) who will help you bring characters, dialogue, and stories to life on stage at this theatre writing workshop in Irish.
There is plenty for music lovers too! On Friday 15 May the hugely popular Seisiún Mór Traidisiúnta, presented in partnership with District, returns to ILFD! Experience an energetic evening of contemporary Trad with two of Ireland’s most exciting acts – Landless and The Wran.
For something a bit different, book for When Words Sing: A Journey Through European Literature in Opera (Sunday 17 May). ILFD collaborates with Irish National Opera where acclaimed mezzo-soprano Sarah Richmond and soprano Ioana Constantin-Pipelea perform operatic excerpts inspired by some of Europe’s most significant literary works including Pushkin, Goethe, Shakespeare, Dante, and Victor Hugo.
There’s a busy and inspiring programme of over 40 events for children. Music lovers can join Travis bassist Dougie Payne for an all-singing picture book fun as he introduces Poochie Pete and His Very Big Feet (Sunday 17 May). There’s scatological nonsense and a big poo draw-along with comic book creator, Jim Smith and his Big Fat Smelly Poo Diary (Saturday 23 May) or for those of a more cerebral nature, biologist Gill Arbuthnott (24 May) will be taking a look inside our brilliant brains through a series of fun group experiments. Best-selling authors such as Robin Stevens (16 May), Derek Landy (24 May) and Harriet Muncaster (24 May) also take to the stage as part of a wealth of performances, workshops and panel discussions for babies to teens.
International Literature Festival Dublin 2026 runs From May 15th-24th - find out more here
