Meet the Venues for #DBF2020

2020 has spelled change in every sense of the word, and that change has been felt acutely in the Arts sector; indeed, Dublin Book Festival has had to move entirely online this year. Amidst all of this change, however, one thing has held steady: the unwavering and constant support we get from venues across Dublin which accommodate the festival year after year. Despite the changed make-up of the festival, these venues allowed a small crew of us to film a selection of our programme’s talented authors, illustrators, and moderators in their beautiful grounds.

Our events take you across the city. The tranquility of the National Botanic Gardens of Ireland in Glasnevin, home to two of our events, is almost palpable in the recordings, while the stunning surrounds of the National Library of Ireland, where three of our events were filmed, imbue the events with a sense of literary history and significance. Indeed, this sense of Ireland’s history is also present in our events filmed in the National Museum of Ireland – Natural History, and Farmleigh House and Estate. All of this history comes together in our events hosted by the recently opened Museum of Literature Ireland, which celebrates Ireland’s rich literary heritage. We were also lucky enough to be hosted by Kevin Street Library, in their reading room like none other, the Hugh Lane Gallery, and Science Gallery Dublin on the grounds of Trinity College, Dublin.

Literature lives in the bones of Dublin City, and comes alive when discussed there, so we are incredibly grateful to the venues for accommodating us this year. Their generosity ensures that at least some of the magic of attending these venues in person is being brought to the homes of our patrons throughout Dublin Book Festival 2020. We look forward to returning to these venues in person in the years to come. Thank you to each of them.