The Dublin International Literature Festival, founded in 1988, celebrates writers and readers from all over the world each May with curated events, readings, and screening highlighting the very best in global fiction, poetry, drama, and screenwriting.
This year’s programme, running from May 20-30, features a series of events showcasing LGBTQ+ authors and themes from all genres. Some of the LGBTQ+ events that festival attendees can expect include:
Most Likely To … Be Remembered: Holly Bourne & Adiba Jaigirdar | Sat 22 May 2:00 pm
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Adiba Jaigirdar’s Hani and Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating is a funny, heart-warming rom-com about first love and identity. When Hani comes out to her friends as bisexual, they immediately doubt her. In Holly Bourne’s tenth YA novel The Yearbook, Paige is used to dealing with fake stories. But Paige has had enough lies: she’s going to reveal the truth, whatever the cost.
Book here.
Small Stuff, Big Stuff: Wibke Brueggemann & Ciara Smyth | Sun 23 May 2:00PM
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YA authors Wibke Brueggeman and Ciara Smyth discuss their work, LGBTQ+ themes of coming of age, finding love, and forging friendships for life! Described as YA meets Fleabag and Netflix’s Sex Education, Love Is for Losers is Wibke Brueggemann’s hilarious debut. Ciara Smyth’s new book Not My Problem is a wry, multi-layered, and unflinchingly honest queer coming-of-age story.
Book here.
Holding The Mirage: André Aciman | Sun 23 May 6:00pm
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André Aciman (Call Me By Your Name) will be discussing his new book, Homo Irrealis. From meditations on subway poetry and an empty Italian street to Freud, Sebald, Proust and others via portraits of cities including Alexandria and St. Petersburg, Homo Irrealis is a deep reflection of the imagination’s power to shape our memories under time’s seemingly intractable hold.
Book here.
Heartbreak & Hope: Douglas Stuart | Mon 24 May 8:00 pm
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Douglas Stuart, winner of the 2020 Booker Prize, is part of this year’s ILFDublin programme. Described by the Observer as “a first novel of rare and lasting beauty”, and by the Chair of the Booker judges as “daring, frightening and life-changing”, Shuggie Bain, about the gay son of an alcoholic mother, took ten years to write and was rejected by 32 publishers before finally being released during last year’s lockdown.
Book here.
In addition to a programme full of engaging literary events, the festival will also present the world-famous International Dublin Literary Award, Granted each year to a work written or translated into English, the award boasts one of the richest literary prizes in the world, offering €100,000 to the winning author.
The short-list for this year’s Dublin Literary Award features On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous – the premiere novel from gay Vietnamese-American author, Ocean Vuong.
The winner of the award will be announced on Thursday, May 20 at 1 PM to kick off the International Literature Festival.
Learn more about the International Literature Festival and the Dublin Literary Award here.
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