Arts Week with Judy Murphy

Booker Prize winners, Paul Lynch and John Banville are among the writers taking part in this year’s Cúirt International Festival of Literature, which runs from Tuesday to Sunday, April 23-28. Familiar and new faces at the 39th annual event will include Jackie Kay, Lemn Sissay, Leontia Flynn, Sinéad Gleeson, Bryan Washington, Paul Murray, Annie MacManus and Rafeef Ziadah.

The strong Galway representation features Rita Ann Higgins, Mary Costello, Caoilinn Hughes, Mike McCormack, Nuala O’Connor, Elaine Feeney Oein DeBhairduin, Edel Coffey and Colin Walsh.

At the launch in the city’s Hardiman Hotel this week, Cúirt Director Manuela Moser said that the festival, which “celebrates stories and ideas”, contained more than 50 events.

These include readings and launches that span the genres of poetry, fiction, memoir and non-fiction, as well as masterclasses, workshops and exhibitions. Children haven’t been forgotten, with family friendly-shows and readings.

The winner of the 2023 Booker Prize, Paul Lynch, will be at Cúirt to discuss his novel Prophet Song, while John Banville, who won in 2005 for The Sea, will be in conversation with the author of Solar Bones and This Plague of Souls, Mike McCormack.

Novelist and poet Elaine Feeney, who was longlisted for the 2023 Booker for How to Build a Boat, will launch her new poetry collection and novelist Nuala O’Connor will launch her anticipated new book, Seaborne. Colin Walsh will discuss his literary thriller, Kala, while Mary Costello will read from her acclaimed new short story collection, Barcelona

German writer Clemens Meyer, whose searing debut novel, While We Were Dreaming, was also Booker longlisted, will be in conversation with poet and translator Lorna Shaughnessy.

Canadian writer Patrick DeWitt, whose 2011 novel, The Sisters Brothers, was Booker shortlisted, will discuss his work at the festival, including his most recent novel, 2023’s The Librarianist.

Pictured: Award-winning writer and broadcaster, Lemn Sissay will read from ‘Let the Light Pour In’.