Dalkey Book Festival has released its 2026 programme.
From 18th to 21st June, the festival will host 90 events with 110 speakers across 12 locations, including a new location for 2026 – a beautiful sea front facing marquee on the grounds of Loreto Abbey.
Over the four days, some of the world’s best known literary faces will descend on Dalkey town including four Booker winners - Salman Rushdie, Anne Enright, John Banville and Roddy Doyle - as well as Hisham Matar, Willy Vlautin, Sebastian Faulks, and Lionel Shriver. They join literary names from all over the world, including Portugal, France, Croatia and India who will be joined by more than 30 from Ireland.
With the world in turmoil, Dalkey Book Festival has gone truly global, hosting writers and thinkers from 21 countries, including the Middle East, the US, China, Russia and Iran, countries that are at the epicentre of world politics.
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In an Irish debut, Nadya Tolokonnikova, founding member of Pussy Riot, who at 22 was jailed in a Russian penal colony, speaks truth to power, what it’s like to make art in dictatorship and in exile, the nature of totalitarianism, the danger of silence and the power of hope.
Meanwhile, in the America 250 series, the festival looks at the politics, economics and culture of the nation, as the US celebrates the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution.
In Understanding Iran, The World After Gaza, China’s Next Move and Making Europe Great Again, leading thinkers such as Peter Frankopan, Robert Shrimsley, Lea Ypi, Avi Shlaim and Ece Temelkuran examine a changing world order and, with a focus on tech and AI, inventor of the World Wide Web, Tim Berners-Lee, will be joined by Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia.
Writing workshops and events for children are also on the programme with bestselling author-illustrator (and Oscar winner) Charlie Mackesy for fans of all ages.
As well as literature, world affairs and tech, there’s history, music, art, comedy, dance, poetry - literally something for everyone.
Information on the festival can be found at dalkeybookfestival.org
