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British Library celebrates Irish literature with blockbuster festival

British Library celebrates Irish literature with blockbuster festival

The Irish Writers’ Weekend returns to the British Library from 22-24 November
Featuring over 30 of Ireland’s most exciting writers, including Graham Norton, Eimear McBride, Claire Kilroy and Kevin Barry
The weekend will close with a special event dedicated to celebrated writer Edna O’Brien.

This November the Irish Writers’ Weekend returns to the British Library. Now in its third year, the festival is even bigger and more ambitious in scope, reflecting the rich literary heritage and growing diversity of Irish writing and its global influence.

Two packed days of events will feature a number of Ireland’s most accomplished, popular and creative novelists, joined by poets, comedians, musicians, and others.

On Friday (22 Nov) the opening panel event will feature author and broadcaster Graham Norton with Louise Kennedy - writer of Trespasses, one of Ireland’s most acclaimed recent novels, and Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Paul Muldoon.

The next day Paul returns to the festival to host Muldoon’s Picnic, the London debut of his much-loved cabaret of words and music accompanied by members of the ‘founding fathers of celtic rock’, the legendary Horslips. The festival closes on Sunday evening with special event A Tribute to Edna O’Brien, as writers, actors and friends, including Bob Geldof and Denise Gough, gather to remember the great author, who died in July.

The Irish Writers’ Weekend also features events on memoir writing with Neil Jordan and Fintan O’Toole; on capturing the experience of the Irish diaspora with Kevin Barry, Christine Dwyer Hickey and Clair Wills; on comedy writing with Dara Ó Briain and guests; and how family dynamics shape writers’ work with Claire Kilroy, Caoilinn Hughes and Séamas O’Reilly. There will also be a special session hosted by leading Dublin-based literary magazine The Stinging Fly including Eimear McBride and Lisa McInerney.

Jon Fawcett, Head of Events at the British Library, said: ‘We’re delighted to be hosting the Irish Writers’ Weekend for the second time, and inviting celebrated Irish writers and creatives to join us for an inspiring festival packed with talks, readings and performances. Irish literature has long had a profound influence on Anglophone fiction and attendees will get to explore the future of Irish writing and publishing as it continues to grow.’

Other contributors to the Irish Writers’ Weekend include: Lucy Caldwell, Jan Carson, Nora Corcoran, Martina Evans, Christine Dwyer Hickey, Sinéad Gleeson, Rónán Hession, Chloe Michelle Howarth, Nandi Jola, Cauvery Madhavan, Jess Mc Kinney, Loah, Michael Magee, Una Mannion, Mike McCormack, Conor Montague, Keith Ridgway, Donal Ryan, Aimée Walsh and Colin Walsh.

The Irish Writers’ Weekend is supported by Culture Ireland and the Embassy of Ireland in London, and by The Doyle Collection hotels.

A variety of ticket options are available including Day and Weekend Passes, and separate tickets for the three evening events. The Irish Writers’ Weekend will also be livestreamed worldwide, so online tickets are available.

Tickets can be booked here: https://thebritishlibrary.seetickets.com/tour/irish-writers-festival.

Colin Walsh © Rein De Wilde – Writer Colin Walsh standing in a field with trees in the background, in a black jumper with arms crossed, looking directly at the camera

Colin Walsh © Rein De Wilde (JPG, 0.8mb)

Graham Norton © Sophia Spring – Writer and broadcaster Graham Norton, wearing a light blue shirt and jeans, with hands clasped together, sitting in a grey armchair, looking directly at the camera

Graham Norton © Sophia Spring (JPG, 1.0mb)

Lisa McInerney © Bríd O'Donovan, 2021 – Writer Lisa McInerney standing in front of dark green doors with brass handles, wearing silver glasses, a knitted black jumper with white trim, black leather biker jacket and a gold moon necklace, with hands clasped looking to the left of the camera

Lisa McInerney © Bríd O'Donovan, 2021 (JPG, 2.1mb)

Loah © Tiberio Ventura - Singer-songwriter and actor Sallay Garnett aka Loah , standing in a yellow room, wearing a black shirt, gold hoop earrings, looking to the right of the camera

Loah © Tiberio Ventura (JPEG, 2.2mb)

Lucy Caldwell © Tom Routh – Writer Lucy Caldwell standing on a balcony with trees and buildings in the background, wearing a yellow top, pearl earrings and gold chain necklace, looking up at the camera

Lucy Caldwell © Tom Routh (JPG, 1.2mb)

Neil Jordan © Pat Redmond – Writer Neil Jordan standing in a grey wooden doorway, wearing a navy coat and paisley green, gold and red cravat, looking directly at the camera

Neil Jordan © Pat Redmond (JPG, 5.7mb)

Seamas O'Reilly © Ciara Burke – Writer Seamas O'Reilly sitting in a white kitchen, with a clock, kettle and bottle of wine visible in the background, wearing a green top, looking to the left of the camera

Una Mannion © Róisín Loughrey – Writer Una Mannion sitting in front of a glass window, wearing a brown snakeskin top and gold hoop earrings, looking directly at the camera

The Irish Writers’ Weekend Ox graphic is adapted from a detail of the 12th century Armagh Gospels © British Library Board – a drawing of an orange ox on a bright green background with orange and brown graphics visible in the background.

The Irish Writers’ Weekend Ox graphic is adapted from a detail of the 12th century Armagh Gospels © British Library Board (JPG, 0.2mb)

Notes to editor

For further information or to request images, please contact press@bl.uk.

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