Literary Belfast

Literary Belfast logo Belfast's literature is our finest export. In the 1960s, Nobel Laureate Seamus Heaney, Whitbread Prize winner Michael Longley, Derek Mahon and Pulitzer Prize winner Paul Muldoon became known across the world as some of the finest poets writing in the English language.

Subsequent generations have produced other talents too, giving us authors like Marie Jones, Glenn Patterson, David Park and Owen McCafferty.

To celebrate Belfast's rich literary heritage, we have launched a series of tourism initiatives, including:

Literary Belfast iPhone appLiterary Belfast iPhone app

There are few better ways to get to know Belfast than through the eyes and words of its writers.

Literary Belfast takes you on a journey through the city and the many shades of our history, from the splendour of Belfast City Hall and the notable lives commemorated in Writer's Square, to back alleys and quiet suburban streets where our finest writers lived, walked and worked.

Your video guides for the iPhone app are Seamus Heaney, Michael Longley, Paul Muldoon, Marie Jones, Patricia Craig, Glenn Patterson, Martin Lynch, David Park, Frank Ormsby, Sinead Morrissey, Leontia Flynn, Owen McCafferty, Bernard MacLaverty and Ciaran Carson.

Walk with them as they take you to their favourite locations in Belfast, share their stories and read from their work.

Also included is a news and events section, keeping you up to date with readings and festivals, literary trails and tours and selected reading for you to enjoy.







Literary Belfast websiteLiterary Belfast website

Literature fans in Belfast have now got the latest news and events at their fingertips with the launch of the new LiteraryBelfast.org website.

The website provides events listings, as well as details of literary venues, writing workshops, festivals and an authors' hall of fame. You can find out about Belfast's literary heritage and writers past and present through comprehensive interactive exhibitions and exclusive audio and video material.

Sign up for regular, free ebulletins, post comments, enter competitions to win signed editions of the latest releases and join in through Facebook and Twitter.

Visit www.literarybelfast.org for more information.


Belfast Poets and Writers Exhibition and BBC Literary Archive

Get to know Belfast writers, past and present, in this exhibition at Belfast City Hall, developed in partnership with Queen's University and the BBC.

Find out more about authors like CS Lewis, Brian Moore, John Keats, EM Forster, Anthony Trollope and Kate O'Brien, as well as the latest generation of Belfast novelists like Glenn Patterson, Robert McLiam Wilson, Owen McCafferty and Daragh Carville.

The work of local poets and writers has been a defining feature of the BBC's output since its inception and, in the exhibition's listening kiosk, you can access the BBC's Literary Archive, a unique collection of programme recordings from both television and radio.

The archive captures the genius of local writers and their extraordinary stories of life in Belfast. Listen to readings from writers such as Louis MacNeice, John Hewitt, Stewart Parker, CS Lewis, Marie Jones, Glenn Patterson, Michael Longley and Seamus Heaney.

CS Lewis sculptureLiterary tours and trails

Belfast literary walking tours

Literature enthusiasts Hugh Odling-Smee and Robbie Meredith have guided thousands of interested walkers on this tour, taking you through the streets of Belfast. Starting at the Crown Bar and ending at the John Hewitt on Donegall Street, the tour lasts for just under 90 minutes.

Many writers are featured on the tour, including: To book tickets, call the Belfast Welcome Centre on 028 9024 6609 or call Hugh Odling-Smee on 07850 813368 or smeeho@gmail.com

The full walking trail is also featured in the Belfast Literary Guide, available from the Belfast Welcome Centre in Donegall Place.

CS Lewis tour

The Chronicles of Narnia have enchanted generations of readers since they were first published in the 1950s, yet many people are not aware of CS Lewis' Belfast roots. This tour follows in the footsteps of one of our most celebrated authors, visiting the main locations associated with Lewis and his family, so you can find out about the background to his life and work.

The coach tour is on Sunday afternoons from June to September. Group tours can also be arranged at other times.

For group bookings, email Sandy Smith at sandysm1th@hotmail.co.uk or call 028 9076 0320 or 07816 926186. You can also call the Belfast Welcome Centre on 028 9024 6609.

Nearly True Tales children's literary tour

Discover Belfast through the world of children's books on this 'nearly true' trip around the city. You might even become part of the story yourself!

Stories spring to life as your tour guides blend the worlds of fact and children's fiction with hilarious results. The tour is led by the renowned world expert on Giantology, Professor Marjory B. Lagrande, who has flown into Belfast especially for the occasion!

The tour begins at Belfast Central Library. Tickets cost £5 each and the 60-minute tour is suitable for children aged seven or more (they must be accompanied by an adult).

To book tickets, call the Belfast Welcome Centre on 028 9024 6609.

Books Literary festivals

Belfast hosts many festivals which include a range of literature events. Use the links below to find out more about each festival:

Funded by Northern Ireland Tourist Board and European UnionProject funding

The Literary Belfast project has been funded by Belfast City Council and part-financed by the European Regional Development Fund under the European Sustainable Competitiveness Programme for Northern Ireland and administered by the Northern Ireland Tourist Board.



Literary Belfast partner organisationsPartners

The Literary Belfast project is supported by our partners: