A photo of a woman in red and white conferring robes with a black conferring cap, standing in a bright hallway with art in the background
Author Marian Keyes pictured at her honorary conferring in UL, in 2019
Friday, 28 February 2025

Acclaimed novelist Marian Keyes is to headline a stellar line-up at this year’s University of Limerick Creative Writing Festival, it has been announced.

Booklovers are in for a treat this April, with the international bestselling author and honorary doctorate recipient to return to UL for the event. 

Running from 9-12 April, the festival – presented by UL Creative Writing – will feature the cream of Ireland’s literary talent including international bestseller Liz Nugent, UL’s own award-winning Donal Ryan, Pulitzer Prize winner Paul Muldoon, and Limerick’s Booker Prize laureate Paul Lynch.

In what is certain to be a highlight of the festival, bookselling phenomenon Marian Keyes will join Professor Joseph O’Connor, Frank McCourt Chair in Creative Writing at UL, in conversation at University Concert Hall on Thursday, 10 April. 

“As Festival founder and director, I’m absolutely delighted to bring this stellar array of literary excellence to UL and to local readers,” said Professor O’Connor.

Billed to offer “world-class quality with warm local welcome”, the UL Creative Writing Festival will also feature live poetry and spoken word presentations from renowned literary talent including UL’s own Emily Cullen, Eoin Devereux, Sarah Moore and Kerry Neville, as well as expert panels from the Irish Writers Centre.

The festival will also showcase some exciting new literary talent at a special Alumni Reading event on its closing day.

“A very special pleasure will be the Saturday afternoon event at which five of our own UL MA Creative Writing graduates will read from their debut books, to be published this year,” said Professor O’Connor.

“We'll have something for all booklovers at the UL Creative Writing Festival 2025 - and the lowest ticket prices of any literary festival in Ireland.”

Professor O'Connor was speaking following the release of his new novel, 'The Ghosts of Rome', which was published earlier this month. It entered the bestsellers list at number one and has been receiving rave reviews internationally, including in the New York Times.

Tickets for the UL Creative Writing Festival are now available online or at the University Concert Hall box office.

Tickets for the Marian Keyes event, taking place on 10 April in University Concert Hall, can be purchased here.

Venues will include the University Concert Hall and the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance at University of Limerick.