Dublin City of Literature

16/06/2026

Happy Bloomsday! 📖

Bloomsday celebrates 16 June 1904, the day immortalised in Ulysses by James Joyce. It takes its name from Leopold Bloom, the novel’s central character, and is celebrated each year in Dublin and around the world through readings, performances, and cultural events.

We are sharing the closing words of the novel, from by Molly Bloom's interior monologue:

“yes I said yes I will Yes”

These final words bring Ulysses to a close with an unrestrained affirmation of joy.

There are plenty of ways to celebrate today with events are taking place across the city.

Find out more: https://www.bloomsdayfestival.ie/

15/06/2026

There are just three weeks to go until the submissions deadline for a special Irish Writers Centre anthology. It will feature work by 35 writers, including short stories, poetry and essays. For information on eligibility, and how to enter, check out our site. 📚

https://irishwriterscentre.ie/now-accepting-submissions-a-new-irish-writers-centre-anthology/

We are grateful to Dublin UNESCO City of Literature for providing funding to support this publication.

13/06/2026

in 1865 W. B. Yeats was born. To mark the occasion, we're highlighting a selection of translated editions from Dublin City Library and Archive

Shown here are Yeats's works in French, Spanish, Italian, Japanese and German, reflecting his remarkable international reach. From poetry and drama to mythology and mysticism, Yeats's work continues to resonate across languages and cultures.

To celebrate his international readership, we wish him a happy birthday in five languages:

Happy birthday, W.B. Yeats (13 June 1865–1939).

Joyeux anniversaire – French

Feliz cumpleaños – Spanish

Buon compleanno – Italian

お誕生日おめでとう – Japanese

Alles Gute zum Geburtstag – German

To learn more about the life and work of Yeats, visit our website: https://www.dublincityofliterature.ie/literary-city/featured-authors/william-butler-yeats

12/06/2026

In the run up to We're revisiting some videos from our archive that feature James Joyce and the literary world around him:

⭐ Knocking Nelson Off His Pillar - The 3rd Annual Dublin UNESCO City of Literature Lecture 2021: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wn6WVRflny0&t=1160s

⭐ Reading Between the Lines: The Love Letters of Nora Barnacle and James Joyce: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_ZAAm3fy_g&t=746s

⭐ Dublin Hidden Literary Neighbourhoods: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOlHrzd4jnk&t=2043s

11/06/2026

John Banville sharing some hard-earned wisdom on the craft of writing during a event featuring Martina Devlin, John MacKenna and Emily Hourican.

Watch the full video and other event recordings on our YouTube channel :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhG3c88Mnw8

09/06/2026

We're taking notes from John MacKenna ✍️

Watch the full video from this event, along with more videos on our YouTube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhG3c88Mnw8

08/06/2026

Some excellent writing advice from Martina Devlin during a event featuring John Banville, John MacKenna and Emily Hourican.

Watch the full video: Writing History. John Banville, Martina Devlin, John MacKenna & Emily Hourican. ODOB 2026 - YouTube https://share.google/Lw3xKayFVXRjIuAbP

04/06/2026

Thinking of a good walk and Ulysses!

We are participating in Ulysses in 80, reading the novel in 10-15 pages over 80 days. Today, in Proteus, Stephen walks Sandymount Strand, thinking deeply, and encounters a dog on the shore.

04/06/2026

The Caselberg Trust International Poetry Competition 2026 is open for entries!

First Prize is $600 (plus one-week stay at the Caselberg house at Broad Bay, Dunedin).

Entries close 5pm Tuesday 30 June.

Entries for the Caselberg Trust International Poetry Competition 2026 are now open!

Now in its 16th year, the competition attracts entries from across Aotearoa New Zealand and from all over the world. This year we are delighted to announce that Ōtepoti Dunedin City of Literature has joined with our long term sponsor the University Book Shop (Otago) to co-sponsor the competition.

City of Literature Director Nicky Page says “Ōtepoti City of Literature is proud to join original sponsor University Book Shop (Otago) to support this remarkable International Poetry Prize, pivotal to the ecosystem in Aotearoa and beyond – congratulations Caselberg Trust!”

We’re also delighted to announce that this year’s judge will be Dunedin writer Emma Neale. Emma’s latest book 'Maybe Baby' (Bateman Books) has just hit the bookstores this month. A former editor of Landfall, Emma works as a freelance editor for publishers in Aotearoa and Australia. She has had 14 books published. In 2020 she received the Lauris Edmond Memorial Award for a Distinguished Contribution to New Zealand Poetry. Her seventh poetry collection 'Liar, Liar, Lick, Spit' (Dunedin: Otago University Press, 2024) won the Mary and Peter Biggs Prize for Poetry at the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards in 2025. In 2025 she also received the Janet Frame Prize.

The winning poem and judge’s report will appear in Landfall Tauraka 252, and poets keen to enter can find entry details on our website: https://www.caselbergtrust.org/prizes

Caselberg Trust Chairperson Dr Janet Downs says “A big thank you once again to our sponsors – UBS and the Ōtepoti City of Literature, to our judge Emma Neale, Landfall Tauraka, and to all the wonderful poets that entrust us with their poems. We couldn’t do it without you.”

Entries are judged blind. First Prize is $600 (plus one-week stay at the Caselberg house at Broad Bay, Dunedin). Second Prize is $300 and up to 5 Highly Commended awards (no monetary prizes).

The first- and second-placed poems and highly commended entries will appear on the Caselberg Trust website (copyright remaining with the authors) after the publication of Landfall Tauraka 252 in November 2026.

Entries close 5pm Tuesday 30 June.

Thank you to our partners City of Literature Dunedin, New Zealand, University Book Shop Otago, Landfall Tauraka Journal.

Image: Anna Comrie-Thompson