PRESS RELEASE: Irish Writers Centre announces lineup for Nollaig na mBan 2024 celebrations

Nollaig na mBan 2024: BODIES OF WORK

Saturday 6 January 2024 | 7.00pm–9.00pm

AT: The Irish Writers Centre (Parnell Square, Dublin 1)

Tickets are now on sale via the Irish Writers Centre website

The Irish Writers Centre (IWC) is set to celebrate Nollaig na mBan on Saturday 6 January 2024 from 7.00pm–9.00pm. Nollaig na mBan, also known as Women’s Christmas or Little Christmas, was a day off for the hard-working women of the home where the men took up the household chores (for the day!) The festivities will take place at IWC’s beautiful Georgian headquarters in Parnell Square, Dublin.

The IWC continues to mark this annual tradition by showcasing the extraordinary achievements of women writers in Ireland. This year’s theme is BODIES OF WORK, a celebration of our incredible Irish women writers working in different literary forms. With award-winning poet Jessica Traynor as the MC, the audience will be guided through a variety of different literary genres that Irish women writers have showcased throughout their careers including fiction, poetry, short stories, creative non-fiction and more.

Expect incredible readings of new pieces of work commissioned specially for Nollaig na mBan 2024. Participating writers include novelist Christine Dwyer Hickey, short story writer and novelist Jan Carson, and poet Nessa O’Mahony. Also featured is Irish PEN/PEN na hÉireann, an organisation that aims to defend the right of writers to freedom of expression, where we will remember and embrace our writer peers across the globe who struggle with censorship and imprisonment, some of whom have died for the freedom to write unshackled.

This year’s Nollaig na mBan will also celebrate Ireland’s thriving literary journal scene, by spotlighting literary journals created and curated by women writers through a series of soapbox performances. Channel, gorse and Howl will be featured and there will be readings from their editors.

Musical entertainment will be provided by the wonderful Ellie O’Neill. Ellie’s songwriting explores intimacy, love, loss, and queerness.

Valerie Bistany, Director of the Irish Writers Centre, said of the evening:

“Nollaig na mBan 2024 promises variety, intrigue and hard-hitting prose and poetry delivered by our extraordinarily talented women writers. We consider ourselves privileged to be able to offer what promises to be an incredible evening filled with beauty, truth, music and much food for thought. Don’t miss out.”

For more information and interview requests please contact: 

Jo Morton, Communications and Marketing Officer, Irish Writers Centre

t: (+353) 1 872 1302 | e: communications@irshwriterscentre.ie