RACE, FEMINISM, climate change, the alt-right, the Covid pandemic - some of the key and most urgent issues of our time, will be discussed and debated at this month’s Cúirt festival.
Blindboy Boatclub, Louise O’Neill, Sarah Davis-Goff, and Emma Dabiri will be among those taking part in the Essential Conversations strand of the Cúirt International Festival of Literature, which is being held online from April 21 to 25.
The series begins with Doomsday Books (Thursday April 22, 4pm ), which will examine climate change; the rise and threat from the alt-right; and the Covid-19 pandemic. What kind of ‘end times’ does this represent, and why are writers and readers so fascinated with such terrifying subjects? The panel will feature Sue Rainsford, Paul Kingsnorth, Mark O’Connell, and Sarah Davis-Goff.
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Black Lives Matter has highlighted how the scourge of racism still plagues us, and Ireland, despite being a country that was subject to the violence and inequities of colonialism, is not immune from racist attitudes either. Such issues will be discussed in What White People Can Do Next (Thursday 22, 7pm ) by Emma Dabiri, author of Don’t Touch My Hair, and the Rubberbandits’ Blindboy Boatclub.
Contributors to Disability Visibility, an anthology of essays, memoirs, and oral histories on disability rights, will hold a discussion on disability (Saturday 24, 3.30pm ). Taking part are the anthology’s editor, Alice Wong, along with Eugene Grant, Alice Sheppard, and Jody O’Neill. Open captions and ISL interpretation will be available for this event.
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The State of Her: the Future for Irish Feminism (Sunday 25, 7pm ) will examine the long road that is still to be travelled in terms of full equality for women in Ireland. Taking part in the discussion will be Melatu Uche Okorie, Louise O’Neill, and Caelainn Hogan.
To book tickets and for more details go to cuirt.ie As part of Cúirt's ongoing commitment to make literature events accessible to everyone, audiences are invited to pay-what-you-can.
