In 2026, for the third year running, Literature Ireland will present a series of in-person events at the Leipziger Buchmesse, the second largest book fair in Germany. Christine Dwyer Hickey, Rónán Hession, Tadhg Mac Dhonnagáin and Oisín McKenna will appear across four separate events, all of which will be open to participants of the Buchmesse, free of charge and unticketed.
Unfolding Narratives: Christine Dwyer Hickey, Rónán Hession, and Oisín McKenna
4:00pm - 5:00pm, Thursday 19 March, Leipzig Messe, Hall 4, Café Europa Stage
Stories often involve secrets - secrets from the past, innermost secrets, secrets that are dangerous to tell. In this conversation, three Irish novelists, Christine Dwyer Hickey, Rónán Hession, and Oisín McKenna, will discuss their approach to characterization and plot. How and when are secrets revealed in their books? How do these unfolding narratives capture the reader's imagination?
Moderated by Magda Birkmann
London Calling: Christine Dwyer Hickey and Oisín McKenna
7:00pm - 8:00pm, Thursday 19 March, naTo
London has long been a source of inspiration for writers, particularly those who arrive as visitors or immigrants. In this talk, Irish writers Christine Dwyer Hickey and Oisín McKenna will discuss their latest novels, Alle unsere Leben (Our London Lives) and Hitzetage (Evenings and Weekends), looking at the challenges of capturing the essence of London from a uniquely Irish viewpoint. Christine and Oisín will discuss how the city impacts key moments in their characters’ lives, how depictions of London have changed over time, and how their characters’ biographies are mapped onto the city streets.
Moderated by translator Hans-Christian Oeser.
Making Books Travel: Rónán Hession and Tadhg Mac Dhonnagáin
8.00pm - 9.00pm, Friday 20 March, naTo
Why do some books travel better than others? What are the obstacles in bringing a work from one culture to another? Rónán Hession is the author of the widely translated Leonard and Hungry Paul (Woywod & Meurer Verlag, 2023; DuMont, 2025) and is a regular reviewer of translated fiction for the Irish Times. Tadhg Mac Dhonnagáin is the author of the newly translated Madame Lazare (Alfred Kröner Verlag, 2026) and the publisher of numerous works of European literature in the Irish language. Rónán and Tadhg will discuss some of the challenges associated with writing for readers in different places, looking at the risks, the rewards, and the role of translated fiction in contemporary literature today.
Moderated by Magda Birkmann.
Leonard und Paul by Rónán Hession
2:30pm - 3:30pm, Saturday 21 March, Leipzig Messe, Café Europa
First published in 2019, Leonard und Paul (Leonard and Hungry Paul) captured readers' hearts during the following difficult years. The book has gone on to be translated into a dozen languages, and has been recently adapted by the BBC as a TV series (with Julia Roberts as the narrator!). Selling tens of thousands of copies in English and in German, the book is a publishing phenomenon. Rónán will be interviewed in English by his German language translator, Andrea O’Brien, with short readings from the book in English and German.
Moderated by Andrea O'Brien.
All events will be conducted primarily through English.
If you are attending the fair, please feel free to stop by the Literature Ireland stand, Halle 4 / E408.
Posted to on 23 Feb 2026.