Limerick Literary Festival launched its 42nd celebration of literature in Limerick last week. This year’s festival was held at the Belltable, O’Connell St, Limerick and ran from February 27, until March 1, showcasing the very best in the country’s literary scene.
The festival itself originally began in 1984 and was set up to mark the 10th anniversary of the death of the esteemed writer Kate O’Brien. The Limerick native began her working life as a journalist for the Guardian while living in England, and it was at this time that she also began to use her talent for writing in other ways.
In 1926, she wrote her first work, ‘Distinguished Villa’, as a playwright. After this, she also began developing her skills as a novelist with her first book, ‘Without My Cloak’, being published in 1931 and going on to win both the Hawthornden and the James Tait Black awards.
Founded in celebration of Kate O’Brien’s work, the festival has continued to champion the work of female writers through the Kate O’Brien Award. Established in 2015, the award is presented to a breakout female author each year in acknowledgement of their debut work, whether that be a book of short stories or a novel.
Gethan Dick was announced as the winner of the Kate O’Brien award 2026 for her novel ‘Water in the Desert, Fire in the Night’. Set in a post-apocalyptic world, ‘Water in the Desert, Fire in the Night’ centres around the journey of a group of companions who travel from London to a refuge in the Alps after their world has been changed forever. On the journey, the group face the dire fallout of a world in turmoil and must work together in order to survive.