Dún Laoghaire LexIcon Library, 23-25 September 2026
Literature Ireland, the national agency for the promotion of Irish literature abroad, is hosting a three-day conference celebrating the work of Ireland’s European literary translators. Part of Cultúr 26, the official cultural programme of Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union, Our Words, Your Language will bring together over 60 translators and publishers from across the European Union to celebrate Europe’s long-running track record of engaging with the very best of contemporary Irish literature.
“Over the past 30 years, Literature Ireland has supported the translation of over 3,000 works of Irish literature into 61 different languages. Our hope is that this conference will serve not just as a celebration of Irish writing, but as a launchpad for many future collaborations, ensuring that world-class Irish writing continues to be published, read and enjoyed right across Europe,” said Sinéad Mac Aodha, Director of Literature Ireland.
The three-day event will take place in the Dún Laoghaire LexIcon Library and a variety of city-centre locations, and will feature a dynamic mixture of readings, panel discussions, and “in conversation” events. Speakers include Booker Prize winning authors John Banville and Anne Enright, novelist Kevin Barry, academic Michael Cronin and current Ireland Professor of Poetry, Vona Groarke. A selection of voices from the latest wave of Irish writing, such as Niamh Campbell, Roisin Kiberd, Mark O’Connell and Ferdia Lennon, will also feature, as will representatives from the vibrant Irish publishing and literary-journal sectors.
Participating translators include Estonian translator of John Banville and Doireann Ní Ghríofa, Krista Kaer, and her daughter, Kaisa, translator of Louise Kennedy’s award-winning Trespasses; Maltese translator of Vona Groarke, Clare Azzopardi; and French translator of Wendy Erskine and Djamel White, Marie Hermet. Greek translator Panagiotis Kechagias, whose publishing press, Gennitria Editions, publishes Kevin Barry and Ferdia Lennon, will also participate. Niamh Campbell will meet both her Italian publisher, Simone Caltabellota, and Italian translator, Ilaria Oddenino.
Topics addressed over the course of the conference will include the difficulties of translating Hiberno-Irish dialogue, the importance of Irish-language publishing, and the place and popularity of Irish literature in the EU. Good-practice principles regarding linguistic and editorial diversity will also be discussed, as will the various challenges, both technological and political, that literary translators currently face in their field.
This initiative is part of Cultúr 2026, the official cultural programme of Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The conference is supported by Culture Ireland and the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport.