Europe’s vast range of literary events includes some of the oldest and most venerated in the world. Use the search menu below to find events across the continent.
Since 1994, the James Joyce Centre has been organizing the Bloomsday festival. Bloomsday is named after Leopold Bloom, a protagonist in James Joyce’s novel Ulysses. The celebrations in June include performances, readings, re-enactments, visits to places referenced in the novel, and dressing up like the characters.
The Dalkey Book Festival is an annual literature festival held in Dalkey, County Dublin, Ireland, for four days in June. Although the festival started with a literary focus in 2010, it celebrates the arts in general, including theatre, film and comedy. It is also a festival of ideas, exploring the worlds of science, technology, current affairs, new politics and global trends.
The Writer’s Week is a Literary and Arts Festival, held in the town of Listowel in County Kerry from May to June. It promotes the writing of all genres and aims to create an environment where literature can be appreciated by a wide audience. Listowel Writers’ Week was founded in 1970 to foster new and exciting talent and to give aspiring writers the chance to make their way into the literary world, for example with creative writing workshops.
Cúirt international Festival of Literature in Galway is one of Europe’s oldest book festivals, and a leading voice for literature both internationally and across Ireland. It brings together readers and writers to share new perspectives and to create a space for conversation, debate and reflection. Providing an international platform for new writing and fostering Ireland’s nation of readers, this festival launches new programs every year in April.
Since 1998, the ILFD invites writers, readers and publishers to engage in readings, debates, screenings, guided walks, events, podcasts and broadcasts. Fiction as well as non-fiction authors, poets, playwrights and screenwriters are welcome to take part in events for all ages. The International Literature Festival Dublin is an initiative of the Dublin City Council, funded by The Arts Council, held in May.
