Listowel Writers’ Week Marks 55 Years of Storytelling
Listowel Writers' Week, Listowel, Co Kerry
Listowel Writers’ Week (27–31 May) turns 55 this year, and the heritage town of Listowel is gearing up for a celebration worthy of its status as Ireland’s longest‑running literary festival. It’s just one highlight in a packed calendar of literary events taking place across the island, offering visitors countless ways to dive into Ireland’s rich storytelling tradition.
The picturesque town will transform into a lively meeting place for readers, writers and curious visitors, bringing together an impressive mix of global literary voices and influential public figures. Award‑winning foreign correspondent and novelist Fergal Keane will share insights from reporting in conflict zones, while British trade union leader Mick Lynch adds a blend of politics, social commentary and storytelling to the programme.
Hungarian poet and literary historian Győző Ferencz and Scottish poet and critic Tom Hubbard join a strong line‑up of international guests, appearing alongside a host of Irish authors. Creative workshops led by masters of their craft offer visitors the chance to hone their own writing across a range of genres, while multiple competitions encourage emerging talent. One of the festival’s highlights, the prestigious Kerry Group Irish Novel of the Year Award, will be presented this year by Nicola Sturgeon, former First Minister of Scotland.
Kerry Writers Museum, Listowel, Co Kerry
Known as one of the friendliest and most sociable gatherings on Ireland’s literary calendar, Listowel Writers’ Week invites visitors not only to enjoy exceptional events but also to soak up the town’s charm — where conversations spill into cosy pubs and you might find yourself sharing a table with a poet or novelist between sessions.
While Listowel marks a major milestone later in May, Ireland’s literary year is already well underway. Earlier in the month, International Literature Festival Dublin (15–24 May) brings its own burst of creative energy to the capital.
The festival fills Dublin with ten days of readings, conversations and creative sparks. Celebrating both Irish and international writing, the programme features more than 200 events — from debates and screenings to guided walks, broadcasts and a lively line‑up of children’s activities — giving visitors a chance to experience the city’s creative spirit up close.
Set in the heart of a UNESCO City of Literature, this year’s edition welcomes best‑selling authors including Richard Armitage, Colm Tóibín, Tana French and Doireann Ní Ghríofa, with events centred around historic Merrion Square Park — a leafy Georgian oasis watched over by a colourful statue of Oscar Wilde.
Oscar Wilde Statue, Merrion Square, Dublin
The festival’s ‘Off the Page’ programme pairs award‑winning Writer‑in‑Residence Patrick McCabe with broadcaster Oliver Callan to explore the connection between place and creativity, while emerging writers can pitch their work to a leading literary agent at the popular ‘Date with an Agent’ event.
Ireland’s literary celebrations continue northwards into June with the Belfast Book Festival (4–11 June), which highlights Northern Ireland’s rich literary culture through conversations, workshops, residencies and awards featuring both local and international voices. Held in the Crescent Arts Centre, a characterful Victorian building, the festival is shaped by a strong ethos of collaboration and accessibility, welcoming readers and writers into its creative community.
With a literary heritage that includes figures such as Seamus Heaney, Ciaran Carson and Anna Burns, writers whose work has shaped how the region is read and understood, the festival draws on deep creative roots. And with this year’s programme still to be announced, there is every expectation that the forthcoming line up will continue that tradition of excellence.
Few places wear their literary heritage as proudly as Ireland. From Nobel laureates to beloved contemporary voices, the island’s storytelling tradition runs deep, and its many literary festivals invite visitors to experience that creative energy firsthand, in the very landscapes that inspired it.