Island of Many Voices: Showcase Event

The Linen Hall and Dublin UNESCO City of Literature are delighted to host a showcase event to mark the culmination of their Island of Many Voices programme, an exciting new initiative aimed at bringing together both established and emerging writers from across the island of Ireland to share their experiences and develop their artistic practice.

Hosted by curator and writer-facilitator Fiona O’Rourke, this event will feature readings of new work by the twenty participating writers from the Island of Many Voices programme as well as a contribution from special guest author Wendy Erskine.

To welcome Dublin UNESCO City of Literature to The Linen Hall and to Belfast UNESCO City of Music, the event will include a performance by Belfast musician and singer/songwriter AOIBHA.

You can find out more about the Island of Many Voices initiative here:

Island of Many Voices – The Linen Hall, Belfast

Wendy Erskine is the author of two prize-winning short story collections, Sweet Home and Dance Move. She edited the anthology well I just kind of like it about art in the home. She is a frequent broadcaster and interviewer, and works as a secondary school teacher in Belfast. Her debut novel, The Benefactors, was longlisted for the Gordon Burn Prize, and shortlisted for best novel at the Irish Book Awards, and best audio novel at the British Audio Awards.  It was awarded Waterstones Best Irish Book of 2025

Fiona O’Rourke’s short stories, autofiction, and essays have been published in journals, anthologies, and broadcast on radio. She was nominated for a Pushcart Prize in 2023 and her debut novel was selected for the Irish Novel Fair. Since earning an MPhil in Creative Writing at Trinity College Dublin, she has facilitated creative writing courses in community, libraries, and festivals. She was the programmer and facilitator for Creative Responses to The Political Collection at The Linen Hall Belfast, and Northern Soul Roadshow for the Irish Writers Centre supported by the Arts Council Northern Ireland.

Hailing from County Down, AOIBHA is a singular voice within Ireland’s indie-folk landscape. A string of high-profile support slots and sold-out full-band shows have signalled her as an artist to watch, with her music weaving together intricate storytelling and evocative soundscapes.

Her work pulses with a gothic energy that echoes the textured folk traditions of artists like Joshua Burnside and Lemoncello. There is a quiet intensity in her songwriting – one that lingers in its restraint yet carries the weight of deep emotion and richly layered harmonies.