Literature

Enjoy the illumination of our UNESCO City of Literature

So much of the Dublin is linked with greats in fiction, drama, poetry and prose, including Jonathan Swift, Oscar Wilde, Julia Kavanagh, Bram Stoker, and many others. The city is the birthplace of James Joyce, as well as of Nobel Prize for Literature winners George Bernard Shaw, Samuel Beckett, Seamus Heaney and William Butler Yeats. This rich tradition is just one of the reasons why Dublin is considered one of the literary capitals of the world. Throughout the city, museums and libraries celebrate the written word and the city’s historic links with authors and poets of all stripes.

Since the Middle Ages, Dublin has been a centre for literature when monks transcribed the Bible into stunning manuscripts.

The best preserved example of these beautiful works, the 9th century Book of Kells, can be found at Trinity College.

Even today, Dublin continues to produce world-renowned writers in fiction, poetry, and drama. Iris Murdoch, Roddy Doyle, John Banville and Anne Enright, past winners of the Man Booker Prize, have all called Dublin home.

In 2010, Dublin was designated as the UNESCO City of Literature. Dublin’s literary industry also boasts awards and bursaries, as well as a tax regime that allows writers to pursue their work in Ireland without fear of financial hardship. Much of the city’s character and history is told in the pages of Ireland’s most well-known works. Our city’s love of literature is reflected in itself and in the writing of those who lament or celebrate the city, and play witness to its history.