We are pleased to present a day of events to accompany the Fair and show off the breadth and depth of approaches to books and publishing that small (and very small) presses make possible. Join us! Events are ticketed—unlike the bookfair, which is open to the public without tickets—but they are free. We will maintain waitlists once events are fully booked.
ALL EVENTS TAKE PLACE ON SATURDAY IN THE PEARSE CENTRE unless otherwise noted.
Shaped Poetry workshop with Ruth Ennis (9-12 years)
Saturday 28th November, 11:00, Pearse Centre (Upstairs). Duration: 50 mins
Discover how you can bring your poetry to life! Shaped poetry is when the shape of a poem reflects the story of a poem; a poem about a magical box in the shape of a square, or a poem about a forest in the shape of an evergreen tree. Author Ruth Ennis will teach you all about shaped poetry and help you to write your very own shaped poem.
Up Went Nelson: Zine Workshop (all ages)
Saturday 28th November, 13:00, Pearse Centre (Upstairs). Duration: two hours
For the weekend of the Dublin Small Press Fair, independent publishing and the Head of Horatio Nelson, the only surviving remains of a destroyed colonial monument, will temporarily share a home in the Pearse Street Library.
Join artist Cóilín O’Connell for an introduction to zinemaking workshop. In the workshop, participants will remix archival textual and image material; songs, images, newspaper clippings in order to create their own booklet exploring Nelson and DIY publishing as a creative outlet.
No prior knowledge of Nelson or zine making is required! Zines are a tactile, vernacular and accessible publishing medium. The workshop explores zine making as a medium for storytelling,, self expression and cultural /political criticism through collage, drawing and writing. Participants will get a practical introduction to analogue zine making by each producing a zine ‘dummy’. A zine dummy is the hand made and laid out master copy of a publication intended either as a stand alone scrap book or to be duplicated by photocopying by participants after the workshop.
Creating Unapologetically
Saturday 28th November, 14:00, Pearse Centre (Theatre). Duration: 50 mins
A discussion among writers from marginalized backgrounds about their creative writing process, the barriers they face, and their hopes for the future of the Irish literary landscape. Hosted by Unapologetic magazine. Featuring Freddie Kagino, Gustav Parker Hibbett, Chandrika Narayanan-Mohan, Alymat Aderayo Salam, and Ola Majekodunmi.
Leabharlann Beag showcase
Saturday 28th November, 15:00, Pearse Centre (Upstairs). Duration: 50 mins
A showcase of short readings by authors recently featured in Irish literary journals, curated by Leabharlann Beag (more information to come).
Publishing with Purpose: Making Books as a Nonprofit
Saturday 28th November, 16:00, Pearse Centre (Upstairs). Duration: 50 mins
What are the missions behind the nonprofit and charitable publishers operating in Ireland today? How do the company structures they’ve built fit and shape their work, and what does it even mean to be a nonprofit in a world where small presses aren’t making much money from publishing anyway?
Three nonprofit publishers sit down to discuss the above and more, throwing light on the drivers behind their work and the impact it’s having on the world around them.
Literature Off the Page: The TOLKA Podcast Live. Duration: 50 mins
Saturday 28th November, 16:00, Pearse Centre (Theatre)
For the first live recording of the TOLKA Podcast, editor Catherine Hearn is joined by writer and artist Brendan Mac Evilly to explore what happens when literature leaves the page. Taking his performance essay ‘A Personal History of Pyromania’ as a starting point, they discuss writing and producing essays for the stage, working with artists and directors, and the possibilities of creating literary events beyond the familiar formats. With a short reading from the work.
Translation and the Small Press
Saturday 28th November, 17:30, Pearse Centre (Theatre). Duration: 50 mins
What is involved in acquiring, editing, and promoting translated books? And what are the possibilities and challenges of publishing translated works as a small publisher? A panel discussion featuring Bridget Farrell (Bullaun Press), Daniel Li (Sinoist Books), and Rebekah Smith (Ugly Duckling Presse).
Manifesting on the Margins: A Celebration of Wild Honey Press
Saturday 28th November, 18:30, Pearse Centre (Theatre). Duration: 50 mins
Randolph Healy’s Wild Honey Press has been quietly flying the flag for independent, small press poetry for decades, publishing books and beautiful handmade pamphlets from International and Irish experimental poets from Rosemarie Waldrop and John Kinsella to Maurice Scully and Mairéad Byrne. This celebration of Wild Honey Press will feature work from Randolph Healy, Trevor Joyce reading from his newly released collection Possession, Cassandra Moss reading from her 2025 book Unstoppable Utopia, and Ellen Dillon and Nina Devine reading from their forthcoming pamphlets.
Tending the Roots: Poetry and Indigenous Languages
Saturday 28th November, 20:00, Pearse Centre (Theatre). Duration: 50 mins
This event celebrates the range and diversity of contemporary poetry written in and translated from indigenous languages. Featuring Oein DeBhairduin, who writes poetry in English and Cant rooted in the oral tradition of the Irish Traveller community; Johan Sandberg McGuinne, a South Saami and Scottish Gaelic poet from Sweden; and Morgan Leathem Ventura, whose English translation of Ñuu Savi poet Kalu Tatyisavi’s Tyi niin iyo/Porque el Silencio — Because of the Silence (originally written in the Indigenous Mixtec language Tu’un Saavi) — will be published by Skein Press next Spring. Moderated by Kelsey McFaul (University College Dublin).
We are grateful for the ongoing practical and financial support of Dublin UNESCO City of Literature, Dublin City Council, and the staff of Pearse Street Library. These, and the collaboration of presses, writers, and editors, make the Dublin Small Press Fair possible. Thank you.
