To mark 20 years of the One Dublin One Book initiative Dublin City Council announces a special anthology
Dublin, Written In Our Hearts capturing Dublin in the first quarter of this century through contributions from 22 poets & writers as the One Dublin One Book choice for April 2025
For the last two decades, the ‘One Dublin, One Book’ initiative by Dublin City Council has encouraged everyone in Dublin to read the same book during April. The campaign which is led by Dublin City libraries encourages reading for pleasure and invites readers to participate in various events organised across the city associated with the selected book.
This year, the 20th anniversary of the One Dublin One Book initiative, Dublin City Council have announced that a new anthology of fiction, poetry, essays and memoir pieces collated in celebration of the city, as the One Dublin One Book choice for 2025. The book is edited by Declan Meade and published by The Stinging Fly Press and was commissioned by Dublin City Council / Dublin UNESCO city of literature for the anniversary year.
Dublin, written in our hearts features work from:
Kevin Barry, Estelle Birdy, Niamh Campbell, Kevin Curran, Roddy Doyle, Anne Enright, FELISPEAKS, Sarah Gilmartin, Róisín Kiberd, Caitríona Lally, Deirdre Madden, Belinda McKeon, Paula Meehan, Thomas Morris, Niamh Mulvey, Nuala O’Connor, Sean O’Reilly, Keith Ridgway, Peter Sirr, Stephen James Smith, Rere Ukponu and Karl Whitney.
The main character front and centre of the collection is Dublin. Readers are witness to the daily interactions which take place, from the lonely misfit in Caitríona Lally’s Eggshells to the loud antics of a Welsh stag party in Thomas Morris’ All the Boys to the eerie reflections of Róisín Kiberd in Night Gym. There is much in this anthology that may seem familiar, chance meetings in taxis and pubs, working in a busy restaurant, even planning for a wedding but it’s when we peel the layers back from story to story, the city reveals itself more vividly.
Announcing the choice, Dublin City Librarian, Mairead Owens, said:
“This year’s book, Dublin, written in our hearts is a special anthology to mark 20 years of the One Dublin One Book initiative. The collection reflects the spirit of Dublin and its inhabitants in the first quarter of the 21st century from new and award-winning writers and I know it will have broad appeal.”
Declan Meade, Stinging Fly publisher is excited about editing the anthology for One Dublin One Book programme, remarking:
“I moved to Dublin in 1995 so I’ll be 30 years living in the city this summer. Putting together this anthology has been a great opportunity to discover and revisit some of the wonderful writing that’s been produced about the city as it’s been changing and growing throughout the time I’ve been here. It’s also been lovely to reflect on how much the city in all its many guises means to me.”
Book available from 11th March.
Details of the One Dublin One Book programme will be announced on 4th March.
The One Dublin One Book initiative is also funded by The Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media.
The Publisher
The Stinging Fly Press was launched in May 2005 and continues to operate alongside The Stinging Fly magazine to seek out, nurture, publish and promote the very best new writers and new writing. Over the past twenty years, the imprint has published landmark, award-winning debut story collections by Colin Barrett, Kevin Barry, Claire-Louise Bennett, Mary Costello, Wendy Erskine, Michael J Farrell, Nicole Flattery, Danielle McLaughlin, Mary O’Donoghue and Cathy Sweeney. It has re-issued the work of Maeve Brennan, while also publishing masterful new work by Sean O’Reilly and Philip Ó Ceallaigh. The Stinging Fly is funded by the Arts Council and receives additional support from the TS Eliot Foundation.