My Experience Volunteering at Irish Book Festivals as a Publishing Hopeful

Posted on July 28, 2025 in INTO, Ireland, Uncategorized

There are many things a publishing hopeful can do to get a peek into the publishing industry, but I have found that one of the most exciting ways is to volunteer at literature festivals. Throughout the last twelve months, I have had the wonderful opportunity of volunteering at three prominent Irish book festivals, gaining the opportunity to listen to authors speak, meet fellow book lovers, and even get some free books!  

The first festival I volunteered at was the Dublin Book Festival, an annual literature festival that takes place each November in Dublin Castle and the wider city of Dublin. My shifts brought me from The Abbey Theatre to the Green Room in Printworks. This stint was both my busiest and most memorable experience at literature festivals, the highlight of which was volunteering at the annual Publishing Trade Day event with Publishing Ireland where I had the opportunity to hear presentations from leaders in the Irish publishing industry. The festival is running again this November, and I hope to volunteer once again!  

The second festival that I volunteered at was International Literature Festival Dublin, based in Merrion Square Park and the surrounding area, where literature enthusiasts can join walking tours about their favourite Irish authors. It was while volunteering at one of these events that I learned about Stoker’s experiences in Trinity and the intricacies of Wilde’s statue in the park. This festival runs annually in May and spending my days in a park full of families, artists, and literature fanatics felt like the perfect start to the summer.  

Last but not least was the Dalkey Book Festival in June. Dalkey is beautiful town that I hadn’t spent much time in, so spending my weekend (albeit a very wet one) was fantastic. I was based primarily in the volunteer hub, and hearing from returning volunteers firsthand about their experiences volunteering at the festival every year was really lovely. It was at Dalkey Book Festival perhaps more than any that I really felt the power of the community coming together to celebrate Irish literature.  

These three festivals were each wildly different, each offering their own style within the festival space. For those outside of Dublin, literature festivals take place annually across Ireland, and if you were lucky enough to attend Belfast Book Festival and the West Cork Literary Festival this year, you might have seen a few members of the SYP Ireland committee there!  

Through volunteering at each of these Irish book festivals, I have gained insight into a part of the publishing industry that I was unfamiliar with, met interesting people and felt part of a community that values literature and the arts. You may find yourself volunteering at one of these or one of many other literature festivals, and whether you are there for one event or several, your participation can make a real impact. As for myself, I already have my calendar marked!

Written by Saorla Bonass