Dublin is a city that clearly loves its writers.  And Dubliners have every right to be proud to have birthed one of Ireland’s greatest modernist writers.  A few months ago, I organised to meet up with a good friend of mine in Ireland.  She was doing a European tour and her last destination was Dublin.  I always need a book when I’m travelling to read on the plane or train so I bought a copy of Dubliners to read on my trip to Dublin.  How appropriate to be reading Dubliners in Dublin!  It turned out to be the perfect travelling companion as it portrays the city from a true Dubliners point of view, rather than from the perspective of the tourist.  James Joyce immortalised the character and charm of the city of Dublin and truly captures the spirit of the people in this collection of short stories.  Lonely Planet, eat your heart out!

Just as Joyce wrote in Ulysses that it would be a puzzle to cross Dublin without passing a pub, so it would be to cross the city without finding some mention of or tribute to Joyce.  From busts in the park, statues erected in the streets, quotations inscribed on the pavement or plaques in pubs, the entire city of Dublin honours the life and works of James Joyce.  Even the Gravity Bar of the Guinness storehouse has Ulysses quotes etched onto the windows that offer a 360° view of the city. 

Although much of Ireland’s literary recognition comes from writers of the nineteenth and early twentieth century, contemporary Irish writers still enjoy a thriving, growing community in Dublin.  The Irish Writers’ Centre on Parnell Square in Dublin is a treasury of publishing resources and opportunities for new and established writers.  It is a beautiful building, located right next door to the Dublin Writers Museum which creates a little literary hub in the city.  While the centre was sadly closed when I went to visit, I managed to pick up some helpful information in the foyer about publications and writing resources in Dublin.

One of the brochures I collected was about the Dublin Review, which publishes a collection of fiction, essays and criticisms in book form every quarter.  The Review is one of the most prestigious publications in Ireland and publication is this journal is a highly sought after honour in the academic world.  See www.thedublinreview.com.

Although The Stinging Fly aims to publish the very best new Irish writing, they are also open to submission from international writers.  The publication is always looking for fresh, new writers and specialise in short stories.  More information can be found at www.stingingfly.org

If it’s local talent that you are looking for, the best publication to check out would most probably be Verbal magazine.  The webzine has a section specifically for new writers which showcase the work of a new writer every month.  Verbal can be found at www.verbalartscentre.co.uk/verbalmagazine

For both new and established writers, a twice yearly journal called Southword features fantastic work by Munster based visual artists.  The website for Southword is www.munsterlit.ie