From world-renowned authors to emerging local voices, here are seven reasons to make the West Cork Literary Festival part of your summer.
1. Enjoy Bantry as backdrop
Enjoy yoga on the lawn, a swim in Bantry Bay, and the chance to bump into your favourite author as you stroll through Bantry’s Friday Market on Wolfe Tone Square. The harbour town of Bantry forms the breathtaking backdrop to eight days of literary activity each July. A dedicated strand of the West Cork festival takes the environment as its theme. And readings and events often engage with topics that speak to Bantry’s strengths and interests – walking, the bay, and the need to be active custodians of the world around us.
Around the readings and conversations that form the body of the programme, there are plentiful opportunities to make the most of what’s on offer in this harbour town on Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way, from boat trips to spectacular hikes on the Sheep’s Head Way.
2. Meet your literary heroes
Each July, the West Cork Literary Festival brings an extraordinary line-up of renowned writers to Bantry to talk with our appreciative audiences. The 2026 programme includes Booker-nominated novelist Sara Baume, crime writing legend Ian Rankin, broadcaster and author Miriam O’Callaghan, Jung Chang, illustrator and author Charlie Mackesy, and Louise O’Neill, among many others.
3. Discover emerging Irish writers
This renowned Cork literary festival has a fantastic track record of surfacing emerging Irish writers. It cultivates young talent by showcasing writers on University College Cork’s MA in Creative Writing, its Rainbow Book launch, and its Open Mic events. And you’ll often find local West Cork writers on the programme. This year, West Cork poet Afric McGlinchey reads from her latest book, À la Belle Étoile: The Odyssey of Jeanne Baré, at Bantry Bookshop.
4. Improve your writing
Take the opportunity to hone your writing skills in one of the focused multi-day writing workshops that take place around Bantry town and even on Whiddy Island, just ten minutes off the West Cork coast.
From novel- and travel writing to poetry, there are opportunities to work with practising writers on new material or on works in progress. And there is plenty time around your workshop commitments to attend other events at the literary festival, or just be inspired by the wonderful environment around you here on the West Cork coastline.
5. Find professional development opportunities
The West Cork Literary Festival provides exceptional opportunities for writers to better understand the workings of the publishing industry. Speak directly to publishers and engage with industry support. And chat with experienced and aspiring writers about the current scene for publishing in Ireland. The professional development events at WCLF will help you find out more about the best ways to develop your own project for print.
6. Spark children’s creativity
The Children and Young Adults festival programme embedded in the West Cork Literary Festival gives families great things to do in West Cork in July each year. The events often feature well-known writers for children and illustrators, as well as fun hands-on activities.
The events for children are designed not just to keep them occupied, but to encourage their creativity and their interest in reading and writing for life. The festival’s free kids events, supported by Cork County Council, are often hosted in Bantry Library.
So why not borrow some books when the event is over, or call in to Bantry Bookshop on the way home to stock up on fresh fuel for young imaginations?
7. Encounter amazing ideas at our non-fiction events
The non-fiction strand at the festival covers a wide range of genres, from memoir and history to social commentary. Annmarie O’Connor discusses Twitch: My Life with Parkinson’s, a memoir about her diagnosis at 33. At Bantry House, Adrian Tinniswood talks about The Houses of Guinness, exploring the lives and fortunes of the brewing dynasty at Bantry House, which has its own Guinness family connections.
Tareq Baconi, Palestinian writer and scholar, discusses his memoir Fire in Every Direction with Maeve Higgins. And broadcaster Miriam O’Callaghan, a leading figure in Irish current affairs for over 40 years, discusses her own memoir.
The West Cork Literary Festival takes place from 10 to 17 July 2026 in Bantry, County Cork. Tickets and the full programme are available at westcorkmusic.ie/whats-on/literary-festival-programme. Book early to avoid disappointment.
