Holly Hughes

Holly Hughes is a writer, poet, and performer from Clonakilty, West Cork. Her debut solo show, ‘I Want to Speak to Your Manager’, performed to sold-out audiences at Dublin Fringe Festival in 2025. She was selected for the 2026 Box of Tricks playwriting programme, run by the Abbey Theatre. The Irish Independent named her a rising star to watch this year. Holly represented Ireland at the 2025 Poetry Slam World Cup, winning third place. She was a runner-up in the 2024 All-Ireland Poetry Slam, a State Finalist in the 2023 Australian Poetry Slam and has been published in Westerly, Washing Windows V, and The Stony Thursday Book. She is completing a Masters in Creative Writing at the University of Limerick.

Holly’s attendance at this year’s festival is supported by the Irish Writers Centre