Kildare Readers Festival

Kildare Readers Festival Kildare Readers Festival

October 2025 The programmes include authors in conversation, panel discussions, book launches and writing workshops.

Kildare Readers’ Festival, running since 2010, is an annual celebration of writers and the art of writing which showcases and supports both established and emerging authors across all genres with entertaining, exciting, and accessible events. Kildare Readers’ Festival in association with the Irish Writers’ Centre takes place every October with most events taking place in the Riverbank Arts Centre

in Newbridge along with some of our Kildare libraries. While the Kildare Readers’ Festival programme is aimed at an adult audience, Kildare Library Service also runs Children’s Book Festival throughout October.

Throwing it back to #2016? Don't mind if we do! 💚📕⌛ 2016 was the seventh edition of the Kildare Readers Festival and fe...
20/01/2026

Throwing it back to #2016? Don't mind if we do! 💚📕

⌛ 2016 was the seventh edition of the Kildare Readers Festival and featured a great programme of events which took place across the county. We had a whole host of wonderful authors, interviewers, and speakers join us at the festival that year, including (but definitely not limited to!) Ré Ó Laighléis, Lisa McInerney, Joe Duffy, John Sheahan, Neil Donnelly, Joanna Walsh, Dave Butler, Rick O'Shea, and Dermot Bolger. Check out the cover page for that edition's brochure!

🎆 Did YOU attend ? What are your favourite KRF memories? Tell us below in the comments!

14/10/2025

🔊 Listen to Jess Traynor talk about her upcoming appearance at Kildare Readers Festival this evening!



Tickets still available for this brilliant free event in Maynooth Community Library - don't miss out, book yours now!



🟣 When: Tuesday 14.10.2025 | 7PM

🟡 Where: Maynooth Community Library

🟠 How to attend: Book online - see kildarereadersfestival.ie for more info.



In their latest collections, poets Jessica Traynor (New Arcana, Bloodaxe) and Kimberly Campanello (An Interesting Detail, Bloomsbury) excavate the distant and immediate past for histories and herstories, dreams and myths, bodies and beliefs, bringing them shimmering, pulsing, and very much alive into our shared present. How does a poem become a message to be read, like a tarot card, a document, a monument? What can it teach us for the years ahead?



For our final event this year, join us for a special evening of readings and conversation, hosted by poet and academic, Catherine Gander.



❇️ Visit kildarereadersfestival.ie to learn more about all our events and speakers!



14/10/2025

🔊 Listen to Catherine Gander talk about her upcoming appearance at Kildare Readers Festival this evening!

Tickets still available for this brilliant free event in Maynooth Community Library - don't miss out, book yours now!

🟣 When: Tuesday 14.10.2025 | 7PM

🟡 Where: Maynooth Community Library

🟠 How to attend: Book online - see kildarereadersfestival.ie for more info.

In their latest collections, poets Jessica Traynor (New Arcana, Bloodaxe) and Kimberly Campanello (An Interesting Detail, Bloomsbury) excavate the distant and immediate past for histories and herstories, dreams and myths, bodies and beliefs, bringing them shimmering, pulsing, and very much alive into our shared present. How does a poem become a message to be read, like a tarot card, a document, a monument? What can it teach us for the years ahead?

For our final event this year, join us for a special evening of readings and conversation, hosted by poet and academic, Catherine Gander.

❇️ Visit kildarereadersfestival.ie to learn more about all our events and speakers!



.campanello

📝 Our grand finale! Join us for the concluding event of Kildare Readers Festival 2025: "Poetry in the Past and Present T...
13/10/2025

📝 Our grand finale! Join us for the concluding event of Kildare Readers Festival 2025: "Poetry in the Past and Present Tense": Kimberly Campanello and Jessica Traynor in conversation with Catherine Gander! 📝

🟠 When: Tuesday 14.10.2025 | 7PM
🔴 Where: Maynooth Community Library
🟣 How to attend: Book online - see kildarereadersfestival.ie for more info.

In their latest collections, poets Jessica Traynor (New Arcana, Bloodaxe) and Kimberly Campanello (An Interesting Detail, Bloomsbury) excavate the distant and immediate past for histories and herstories, dreams and myths, bodies and beliefs, bringing them shimmering, pulsing, and very much alive into our shared present. How does a poem become a message to be read, like a tarot card, a document, a monument? What can it teach us for the years ahead?

For our final event this year, join us for a special evening of readings and conversation, hosted by poet and academic, Catherine Gander.

❇️ Visit kildarereadersfestival.ie to learn more about all our events and speakers!

This event is ISL-interpreted.



Kildare County Council Kildare Library Service Maynooth University Kildare Nationalist Kfm Radio Kildare Kildare Now Arts in Co Kildare

As promised, here are the Ten Books chosen by and We hope everyone enjoyed yesterday’s event; we could have sat and li...
12/10/2025

As promised, here are the Ten Books chosen by and

We hope everyone enjoyed yesterday’s event; we could have sat and listened to the panel discuss books all day. And I’d bet we’re not the only ones who feel that way.

📚Hazel’s Picks

The Iron Man by Ted Hughes

A modern classic about a mysterious metal giant who befriends a young boy and saves the world from destruction; a tale of peace, power, and imagination.

A Night to Remember by Walter Lord

A gripping, moment-by-moment account of the Titanic disaster, told with haunting detail and human compassion.

Touching the Void by Joe Simpson

A harrowing true story of survival and friendship against impossible odds on a Peruvian mountain.

Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell

A beautifully written novel inspired by the life and death of Shakespeare’s son, exploring love, loss, and creativity.

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans

A moving story of connection and conflict set against the backdrop of the Spanish Civil War, told through the letters of a young journalist.

📚Rick’s Picks

Tokyo Express (tr. Jesse Kirkwood) by Seicho Matsumoto

A classic Japanese crime novel that unravels a perfectly plotted mystery of love, deception, and murder on a speeding train.

The Alternatives by Caoilinn Hughes

A sharp, witty Irish novel about four sisters; and the choices that pull them together and apart.

The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin by David Nobbs

A darkly funny satire about an ordinary man’s midlife crisis and his outrageous plan to escape suburban life.

On the Calculation of Volume I (tr. Barbara J. Haveland) by Solvej B***e

An experimental, time-bending Danish novel exploring love, repetition, and the strange elasticity of days that never end.

Greyhound by Joanna Pocock

A lyrical, part-memoir journey across America, reflecting on environmental grief, belonging, and the search for a new way to live.

11/10/2025

🔊 Listen to Keith Donald talk about his upcoming appearance at Kildare Readers Festival tomorrow!

Tickets still available for this brilliant free event in Riverbank Arts Centre - don't miss out, book yours now!

🟣 When: Sunday 12.10.2025 | 11AM

🟡 Where: Riverbank Arts Centre

🟠 How to attend: Book online - see kildarereadersfestival.ie for more info.

Our Festival Sunday begins with author Dermot Bolger conducting his traditional public conversation with two guests whose recent books–a novel and a memoir–explore their pasts in very different ways.

Keith Donald’s memoir, Music and Mayhem charts the immersive and explosive life of one of Ireland’s most important musicians, and the golden decades of Irish music he was at the very centre of. His story begins in Unionist east Belfast, hurtling through vivid memories of a childhood as a musical prodigy.From university he joined the booming showband scene with The Greenbeats, touring the dancehalls and marquees of Ireland. The 70s saw Donald building a music career in Dublin and Europe, coping with addiction, a crumbling marriage, and forging a separate life as a qualified social worker. It was the 1980s however, when his greatest breakthrough came to pass with the formation of the Celtic rock supergroup Moving Hearts. His memoir is starkly honest about music, addiction and recovery.

Eoin McNamee comes at the past from a different angle. The Irish Times has described his acclaimed new novel, The Bureau, as falling “loosely into the modish category of auto-fiction, whereby experienced events from an author’s life are presented with the detachment of story… (where) the Border is not a place. It is a felt thing, a force field, a state of mind.” The conversation will explore how McNamee approached the writing of The Bureau, which has been described by David Peace as “his most personal and heart-breaking novel yet.”

❇️ Visit kildarereadersfestival.ie to learn more about all our events and speakers!

#

What a start to our Saturday programme. ‘Ten Books You Should Read’ with and was a fantastic morning of book recommend...
11/10/2025

What a start to our Saturday programme.
‘Ten Books You Should Read’ with and was a fantastic morning of book recommendations, fun and a butterfly encounter.

We have the list of books and will post it later for your new Kildare Readers Festival bookshelf.

As part of this mornings event we ran a competition where we were looking for attendees to comment with their favourite novel of the 21st century.
We are thrilled that our winner was here today and completely flabbergasted that she had won!

Congratulations to Claire Rudd, winner of all ten books as recommended by our expert panel.

Thank you to everyone who came this morning and we hope you’re joining us for the rest of the day.

11/10/2025

🔊 Listen to Shane Kenny talk about his upcoming appearance at Kildare Readers Festival this afternoon!

Tickets still available for this brilliant free event in Riverbank Arts Centre - don't miss out, book yours now!

🟡 When: Saturday 11.10.2025 | 1PM

🟠 Where: Riverbank Arts Centre

🔴 How to attend: Book online - see kildarereadersfestival.ie for more info.

🌈 Join us for a fly on the wall glimpse into the world of the Irish political landscape during the Rainbow Coalition of 1994 -1997. Shane Kenny, press secretary of The Rainbow Coalition, guides us through the conflicts and conversations which led to the groundbreaking Good Friday Agreement.

Be enlightened to the process which established the The McCracken Inquiry, a precursor to the Moriarty Tribunal examining the sources of former Taoiseach Charles Haughey’s wealth, and a divorce referendum which championed freedom of choice to a modern Ireland.

❇️ Visit kildarereadersfestival.ie to learn more about all our events and speakers!

10/10/2025

🔊 Listen to Roisín O'Donnell talk about her upcoming appearance at Kildare Readers Festival tomorrow!

Tickets still available for this brilliant free event in Riverbank Arts Centre - don't miss out, book yours today!

🟡 When: Saturday 11.10.2025 | 3.30PM
🟠 Where: Riverbank Arts Centre
🔴 How to attend: Book online - see kildarereadersfestival.ie for more info.

Join us for a conversation between Sam Blake and debut authors Roisín O’Donnell (Nesting) and Brendan McEvilly (Deep Burn). This event presents an exciting opportunity to hear from two rising stars in the literary world as they discuss their debut novels and share their experiences of bringing their stories to life.

Both O’Donnell and MacEvilly will offer a fresh perspective on what it’s like to be a new voice in literature, from the challenges of writing their debuts to the excitement of seeing their work in print.

❇️ Visit kildarereadersfestival.ie to learn more about all our events and speakers!



Riverbank Arts Centre Kildare Library Service Leinster Leader / Kildare Live Kfm Radio Kildare

10/10/2025

🔊 Listen to Roisín O'Donnell talk about her upcoming appearance at Kildare Readers Festival tomorrow!

Tickets still available for this brilliant free event in Riverbank Arts Centre - don't miss out, book yours today!

🟡 When: Saturday 11.10.2025 | 3.30PM

🟠 Where: Riverbank Arts Centre

🔴 How to attend: Book online - see kildarereadersfestival.ie for more info.

Join us for a conversation between Sam Blake and debut authors Roisín O’Donnell (Nesting) and Brendan McEvilly (Deep Burn). This event presents an exciting opportunity to hear from two rising stars in the literary world as they discuss their debut novels and share their experiences of bringing their stories to life.

Both O’Donnell and MacEvilly will offer a fresh perspective on what it’s like to be a new voice in literature, from the challenges of writing their debuts to the excitement of seeing their work in print.

❇️ Visit kildarereadersfestival.ie to learn more about all our events and speakers!



🎵 This Sunday, join us in Riverbank Arts Centre for Sunday Sessions: Music, Mayhem, & Memory, featuring Dermot Bolger in...
09/10/2025

🎵 This Sunday, join us in Riverbank Arts Centre for Sunday Sessions: Music, Mayhem, & Memory, featuring Dermot Bolger in conversation with Keith Donald and Eoin McNamee! 🎵

🟣 When: Sunday 12.10.2025 | 11AM
🟡 Where: Riverbank Arts Centre
🟠 How to attend: Book online - see kildarereadersfestival.ie for more info.

Our Festival Sunday begins with author Dermot Bolger conducting his traditional public conversation with two guests whose recent books–a novel and a memoir–explore their pasts in very different ways.

Keith Donald’s memoir, Music and Mayhem charts the immersive and explosive life of one of Ireland’s most important musicians, and the golden decades of Irish music he was at the very centre of. His story begins in Unionist east Belfast, hurtling through vivid memories of a childhood as a musical prodigy. It takes him to Trinity College Dublin in the early 60s, a hotbed of new ideas, playing in jazz clubs by night and studying classics by day, He soon feels the early onset alcohol addiction, fuelled by childhood PTSD. From university he joined the booming showband scene with The Greenbeats, touring the dancehalls and marquees of Ireland. The 70s saw Donald building a music career in Dublin and Europe, coping with addiction, a crumbling marriage, and forging a separate life as a qualified social worker. It was the 1980s however, when his greatest breakthrough came to pass with the formation of the Celtic rock supergroup Moving Hearts. With the Hearts, Donald was tour manager, star performer and inspiration, alongside bandmates including Christy Moore and Donal Lunny. Their fusion of jazz, rock and traditional music paved the way for a generation of Irish musicians. His memoir is starkly honest about music, addiction and recovery.

Eoin McNamee comes at the past from a different angle. The Irish Times has described his acclaimed new novel, The Bureau, as falling “loosely into the modish category of auto-fiction, whereby experienced events from an author’s life are presented with the detachment of story… (where) the Border is not a place. It is a felt thing, a force field, a state of mind.” The conversation will explore how McNamee approached the writing of The Bureau, which has been described by David Peace as “his most personal and heart-breaking novel yet, (that) stands shoulder to shoulder with his finest work.”

❇️ Visit kildarereadersfestival.ie to learn more about all our events and speakers!



Riverbank Arts Centre Kildare County Council Kildare Library Service Kfm Radio Kildare Kildare Nationalist Kildare Now

09/10/2025

🔊 Listen to Aingeala Flannery, the new Writer-In-Residence for Kildare Library & Arts Service and Maynooth University, talk about her upcoming appearance at Kildare Readers Festival this Sunday!

Tickets still available for this brilliant free event in Riverbank Arts Centre - don't miss out, book yours today!

⚫ When: Sunday 12.10.2025 | 1PM
🟤 Where: Riverbank Arts Centre
🟢 How to attend: Book online - see kildarereadersfestival.ie for more info.

Sunday concludes with acclaimed novelist, short story writer, playwright and Associate Professor in the English Department at Maynooth University, Belinda McKeon interviewing the newly appointed Writer in Residence for Maynooth University/Kildare Library and Arts Services Aingeala Flannery. This promises to be an inspiring talk, offering a glimpse into the creative life of a writer and the impact of literary residencies.

❇️ Visit kildarereadersfestival.ie to learn more about all our events and speakers!



Maynooth University Arts in Co Kildare Riverbank Arts Centre Kildare Library Service Kfm Radio Kildare

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Riverbank Arts Centre
Newbridge
W12D962

Telephone

+35345448327

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