Dublin, One City, Many Stories is a new six-part video series which celebrates 15 years of Dublin as a UNESCO City of Literature.
Dublin, One City, Many Stories is a six-part video series celebrating 15 years of Dublin as a UNESCO City of Literature and honouring the Irish Writers Centre’s role as a vibrant all-island resource.
The series captures a city teeming with stories—past, present and still to come. From iconic literary voices to emerging storytellers with roots from across the globe, it’s a journey through a Dublin that inspires, challenges and continues to reinvent itself.
Mags O’Loughlin, CEO of the Irish Writers Centre said that the series is a love letter to Dublin but that ‘it’s also a rousing call to every writer, reader, dreamer and scribbler who’s ever felt the pull of the pen. We’ve created something beautiful and brave here, a true chorus of voices – some long established, some just finding their rhythm – all united by this city that seems to demand to be written about. To be involved in an initiative like this, which celebrates the full spectrum of Irish and international writing talent, is an absolute joy.’
Viewers can expect appearances by the likes of Victoria Kennefick, Kevin Curran, Ciara Ní É, Suad Aldarra, Nuala O’Connor, and more
The first episode launches in July, featuring Joseph O’Connor revisiting Dun Laoghaire’s Lexicon and the James Joyce Tower in Sandymount—the places that first stirred his passion for storytelling.
‘The hometown of a writer becomes part of the DNA, and I’m blessed that Dun Laoghaire is the place where I grew up,’ said O’Connor. ‘A coast-town has stories and glories, tides and ghosts, comings and goings, a bit of grit beneath the fingernails. From the pier and the Martello tower, if the walls could talk they’d tell secrets. I’m honoured to be interviewed for this series.’
Over the coming months, audiences will meet a stellar line up of 20 writers including Marian Keyes, John Banville, Neil Jordan, Emmet Kirwan, and many more as they share their reflections on writing, place, and identity. The episodes explore legacy and influence, diversity and belonging, ambition and resistance – with each writer offering a unique take on the literary lifeblood of Dublin.
Anne-Marie Kelly, Director of Dublin UNESCO City of Literature said that the project encapsulates everything they hoped to spotlight during their 15th anniversary: a city of layered stories, shaped by legacy but alive with new perspectives.
‘Dublin is a place where literature breathes—in every street name, in every whispered poem at a bus stop, in every library nook. We are proud to stand with the Irish Writers Centre in showcasing a city of writers and a writing community of global reach and remarkable resonance.’
The episodes will roll out monthly from July and feature a dynamic mix of interviews, roundtables, performances and location shoots. Viewers can expect appearances by the likes of Victoria Kennefick, Kevin Curran, Ciara Ní É, Suad Aldarra, Nuala O’Connor, and more.
The series will be available to watch on the Irish Writers Centre and Dublin UNESCO City of Literature websites from July.
