Colm Tóibín to receive honorary degree from Italian university

Irish author and playwright Colm Tóibín will receive an honorary Master’s degree in Languages, Cultures and Literary Translation from the University of Macerata on Tuesday, 13 October 2026.

The ceremony will be led by the University's Rector, Professor John McCourt. The Dublin-born academic is a scholar of Irish literature and James Joyce. When he began his post in 2022, he became the first non-Italian rector of an Italian university. He is also Chair of the Board of Rectors of the European Reform University Alliance.

Ireland's Ambassador to Italy, Elizabeth McCullough will attend the ceremony. Italian writer and journalist Mario Fortunato will deliver the laudatio. After the conferral, Tóibín will take part in a conversation with McCourt.

The evening will end with a screening of John Crowley's 2015 film, Brooklyn, based on the author's 2009 novel of the same name.

Honorary degress are conferred sparingly by Italian universities, they must be formally approved by Italy's Minister of University and Research.

Frank McCourt shared a statement about the author's conferral.

"Colm Tóibín’s work is deeply rooted in Ireland, yet it has always crossed borders—between countries, languages, identities and literary traditions," he said.

"His writing enlarges our understanding of home without closing it off from elsewhere. It creates empathy, invites reflection and respects the complexity of human experience. Rather than offering easy answers, it leads us to ask better questions.

"As an Irish scholar leading an Italian university, I am especially proud that the University of Macerata is honouring a writer who has done so much to deepen the cultural conversation between Ireland and Europe."

The event will open the fourth Macerata Humanities Festival, founded by McCourt and ran by the University of Macerata from October 13 to 16.

Colm Tóibín published his new novella The Bridge, on September 3. His short story collection, The News From Dublin was released in March 2026. He is currently Mellon Professor in the Department of English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University.

His novella, The Testament of Mary, was adapted by the Irish Nationa Opera this year. Testament was composed by Tarik O'Regan with the libretto written by Tóibín.

The opera premiered at Galway International Arts Festival in July. It also ran at the Gaeity Theatre from October 8 to 10 as part of the Dublin Theatre Festival.