REVEALED: Full line-up of events announced as Ennis Book Club Festival marks huge milestone

The Ennis Book Club Festival is thrilled to announce the beginning of its 20th anniversary celebrations, ahead of the main festival weekend taking place on March 6-8, 2026.

As one of Ireland’s most beloved literary festivals, it has spent two decades fostering a love of reading, building community and welcoming voices from near and far.

To mark this milestone, the festival is launching a series of early initiatives that invite participants, new arrivals to Ireland, artists and local book lovers to get involved and help shape the celebrations.

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Director of the Ennis Book Club Festival, Martina Durac said, “I am excited to be programming the 20th anniversary edition of EBCF and look forward to welcoming everyone to Ennis next March for what will be a weekend of celebration and creativity. Central to that are these initiatives, designed to bring more artists and readers into our orbit, a wonderful chance to see and hear their work represented when we all meet in 2026.”

Highlights include:

The ‘Beyond Borders’ book club returns, inviting people from abroad now living in Ireland to share literature from their countries of origin. Applications are now open to people living in the country to present books from their country, sharing personal stories and cultural insights through literature. Monthly discussions will run from autumn 2025 and culminate in a special live event during the festival weekend. Applications have been extended to November 14, 2025.

A global book club callout welcomes book clubs from Ireland and abroad to host live events during the festival. This ticketed event will showcase the joy of reading and the power of shared conversation across borders. Applications for this are open until November 30.

A call for artists seeks original artwork that reflects the festival’s themes of community, creativity and connection. To visually mark the 20th anniversary, a callout has been issued for original artwork that captures the spirit of this theme. The selected piece will be featured across all promotional materials and celebrated as part of the anniversary programme. Submissions are welcome until November 4.

The short story competition offers emerging writers a chance to be published and read at the festival, judged this year by acclaimed author Wendy Erskine. The deadline has been extended to December 10.

These initiatives reflect the Ennis Book Club Festival’s ongoing commitment to diversity, inclusion and creative collaboration. This is part of a wider programme designed to celebrate 20 years of literary joy in Ennis. For more information on these initiatives email info@ennisbookclubfestival.com