INTERNATIONAL LITERATURE FESTIVAL DUBLIN

MERRION SQUARE 17 – 26 MAY 2024

The Schools Programme line-up has been announced for the International Literature Festival Dublin (ILFD), with 24 events taking place from the 17th - 26th May in the stunning surrounds of Merrion Square Park. Students from junior infants up to 6th class and their teachers are invited to come and explore a magical literary village in the heart of the city centre; this year’s festival site will include an interactive treasure trail for all ages, a range of tasty food and drink options, and an onsite bookstore for stocking up on your favourite titles. ILFD offers the biggest literary festival school programme in Ireland, with capacity for 5,000 pupils to enjoy storytelling, creative writing workshops, comic strip creation, performances and walks at an accessible ticket price.

For young learners (Junior Infants - 1st Class), whimsical worlds of fun and fantasy are brought to life in entertaining and educational events. Everyone’s favourite superhero spud returns to ILFD in The Supertato SuperShow with Paul Linnet to celebrate 10 years of supermarket shenanigans; also celebrating a 10-year anniversary, Jonny Duddle brings his supremely silly, supersized dinosaur to the stage with The Gigantic Gigantosaurus Show. Award-winning illustrator and writer Paddy Donnelly will inspire students to fall in love with nature in The Hunt for the Golden Hare while fan-favourite Shane Hegarty introduces his first ever picture book in The Good, The Bad, and the Boo-Woo. Illustrator Lydia Monks (Princess Mirror-Belle, What the Ladybird Heard), frequent collaborator of Julia Donaldson (The Gruffalo), will have pupils grinning from ear to ear with Tooth Fairies,Trees, and Tarantulas (Oh My!).

For students aged 7 - 10 (2nd - 4th Class), dragons take wing and words take flight with hands-on workshops, hilarious hijinks, and windows into Irish history. In Back to Bloomsday with Úna Woods, Joycean Dublin blooms on every page; meanwhile Kate Wakeling’s Creaking Croaking Cracking Poetry encourages writers to celebrate sounds as they put pen to paper and write their own original verse.

If your students love comics and graphic novels, be sure to come along and meet Leona Forde and Karen Harte, creators of the mischievous, disaster-prone Milly McCarthy series in The Misadventures of Milly McCarthy, or meet a brand new lovable leading lady in Nina Peanut, Insta-Superstar with Sarah Bowie. Burgeoning artists can also draw along with a king of cartoons at Neill Cameron’s Guide to Making Awesome Comics.

Creatures of legend take centre stage as Katie & Kevin Tsang, the masterminds behind the Dragon Realm books, introduce their brand new series in Dragon Force Defenders; meanwhile, celebrated picture book creator Mary Murphy unveils her first novel for early readers in Tiny People, Big Hearts and Monsters of Rookhaven author Pádraig Kenny shares his new Frankenstein-inspired book, How to be Human. In a very special, highly interactive event, Laureate na nÓg, Patricia Forde will lead students on an adventure through Merrion Square Park in search of the elusive Story Bird.

Finally, for students in 5th and 6th class, history, culture, and mythology abound in an exciting collection of events that will thrill, intrigue and inspire learners to dive into discussion and embrace curiosity. For those who love legends and lore, Julian Sedgwick and Chie Kutsuwada bring Japanese yōkai (monsters) out of the shadows in Tales From the Tokyo Ghost Cafe, while Ellen Ryan and Conor Merriman summon the spirits of ancient Eire in Meet the Mythical Gods of Ireland.

For the brave at heart, Catherine Doyle and Siobhan McDermott introduce their motley crew of pirates, parrots, and paper dragons in Smooth Sailing (Not!), while in Thick as Thieves, Helena Duggan and Ravena Guron share stories of harrowing heists and eco-exploits that are sure to leave students eager for an adventure of their own. In World War Weather, celebrated storyteller Sarah Webb shares the real life story of one Irish girl who changed history and inspired her new book The Weather Girls; and in A Ripple in Time with Julia Green and Emma Carroll, history holds the key to understanding the future in two spellbinding stories about time, memory, and the natural world.

And lastly, a rare opportunity to meet one of the most celebrated children’s writers today – Everyday Magic with David Almond will give students a chance to hear about David’s new book Island, and dive deep into beloved familiar stories like My Name is Mina, Bone Music, and Skellig, which recently celebrated its 25th anniversary.

On Wednesday 22nd of May, the winners of the 2024 KPMG Children’s Books Ireland Awards will be announced by book-loving broadcaster Rick O’Shea live from Merrion Square Park. The most prestigious awards for children’s books in Ireland, celebrating Irish writing and