Happy Days- The Dalkey Book Fest is Back!

The Dalkey Book Festival is making a comeback this June, offering a vibrant program of writers and thinkers in the historic seaside town of Dalkey. Attendees can look forward to discussions on literature, history, politics, journalism, comedy, and science.

Once described by Salman Rushdie as ‘The best little festival in the world’, the programme will feature writers from Afghanistan, the Netherlands, Germany, Russia, Turkey, France, Palestine, the UK, America, Canada, and Ireland, along with journalists from Southeast Asia to Jerusalem. Over the course of four days, there will be 77 events to enjoy.

The festival was started in 2010 by Sian Smyth and David McWilliams, and has become a highlight of Ireland’s cultural calendar in its 14-year history.

This year’s festival will also feature renowned journalist Christiane Amanpour, David Baddiel, Henry Winkler (the Fonz!), David Brooks, Katja Hoyer, James O’Brien, Neil Jordan, Stephen Rea, Booker Prize winner Paul Lynch, Colm Tóibín, and Claire Keegan. For the full program, please visit the festival’s website.

Amidst the ongoing conflict in Gaza, the Dalkey Book Festival aims to highlight Palestinian voices in its 2024 edition. Featured speakers include Isabella Hammad, Karim Kattan, and Nathan Thrall, author of A Day in the Life of Abed Salama. Jeremy Bowen, BBC correspondent in the Middle East, will join live from Jerusalem.