Margaret Atwood, one of the world’s greatest writers, returns to Dún Laoghaire for this very special reading from her latest collection of poetry, hosted by one of Ireland’s most revered and admired public figures, Catriona Crowe.

While many are familiar with Atwood’s fiction—including her groundbreaking and bestselling novels The Handmaid’s Tale, The Testaments, Oryx and Crake, among others—she has, from the beginning of her career, been one of the world’s most significant contemporary poets. And she is one of the very few writers equally accomplished in fiction and poetry.

Her 2022 collection Dearly is a stunning achievement.  We are delighted to welcome Margaret Atwood, in person, to present a special reading from and conversation about Dearly at the inaugural dlr Poetry Weekender.

Dearly, Atwood’s first collection of poetry in over a decade, addresses themes such as love, loss, the passage of time, the nature of nature and… zombies. Her new poetry is introspective and personal in tone, but wide-ranging in topic. In poem after poem, she casts her unique imagination and unyielding, observant eye over the landscape of a life carefully and intuitively lived.