Limerick award winning authors take part in UL Creative Writing Festival

AN IMPRESSIVE line-up has been revealed for the UL Creative Writing Festival with award winning author Marian Keyes among the special guests.

Limerick born authors Keyes, Paul Lynch and Sarah Gilmartin, are among those featuring in next month's event.

These writers are among a star-studded lineup of award winning authors and poets from around the world.

The festival runs from April 9 to 12, and will include everything from readings and conversations from writers and poets, to spoken word and slam poetry.

Many events will take place over the course of the four day festival, including a group reading from Donal Ryan, Joseph O’Connor, Sarah Moore, Emily Cullen and Eoin Devereux.

In a very rare live appearance, international literary phenomenon Marian Keyes will be in conversation with Joseph O’Connor 

American writer Kerry Neville, followed by a highlight of the festival, Booker Prizewinner Paul Lynch and Sarah Gilmartin, will be reading from their work.

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The festival will also include Afric McGlinchey, whose poetry collections also appear in Italian translation, Cauvery Madhavan, an Indian born writer living in Ireland, and Suad Aldarra, an Syrian-Irish writer and data scientist, who will all offer a celebration of our literary island of many nations. 

Additionally, poets Annemarie Ni Churreain, Nandi Jola and Ciaran O’Rourke will be presented by Emily Cullen.

UL Creative Writing MA graduates Sharon Guard, Neil Tully, Grainne O’Brien, Noelle Lynskey, and June O’Sullivan read from their debut published works, with Q&A on UL’s Creative Writing MA and getting published.

From Electric Picnic to Kneecap, Spoken Word and slam poetry has moved into the spotlight, showcasing this exciting form, is Cormac Mac Gearailt, (UNESCO City of Literature Slamovision champion 2024), Sheila Ryder (winner of the Cúirt International festival), Lauren McNamara (two-time Munster slam champion), and Kev Kennedy (winner of 2024 Fingal Poetry Slam). 

Former Poetry Editor of The New Yorker, Pulitzer prizewinning poet, Paul Muldoon will be reading, followed by international bestselling author, Liz Nugent, in conversation with Prof Sarah Moore.

Day one, April 9, admission is free, however booking is required, day two, April 10, tickets are priced at €16, and day three and four are offered only as a combination ticket, priced at €35.

Further information about the line-up of events, booking and fees, are available at  uch.ie.