Dublin Book Festival - UPLOAD - Open Mic for DCU Students & Guests

An open mic celebrating the pulse of student and university community writing in the digital age, featuring flash fiction, spoken word, gaming-inspired narratives, dystopian writing and explorations of online identity. Hosted by Colin Barrett, Arts Council Writer in Residence 2026.

Colin Barrett grew up in County Mayo, Ireland, and is a short story writer and novelist

His stories have been published in the Stinging Fly, Granta, Harper’s and The New Yorker. His first book, the short story collection Young Skins, won the Guardian First Book Award, the Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award and the Rooney Prize for Irish Literature. Barrett’s second short story collection, Homesickness, made the New York Times 100 Notable Books of the Year and was a Book of the Year in Oprah Daily and the Irish Times. His debut novel Wild Houses was longlisted for the Booker Prize 2024.

This event is part of Literature and the Digital Age, a day-long series of free events at DCU St Patrick’s campus (11am - 8.40pm) exploring how technology is changing how we write, read, and tell stories. Curated by Marcella Bannon (DCU Cultural Arts) and Colin Barrett (Arts Council Writer in Residence), the programme includes an open mic and poetry session, afternoon panel discussion and an evening launch event for CTRL: Essays on Video Games. Explore the full day’s lineup at www.dublinbookfestival.com.