Culture
31 Mar 26

Inaugural Dún Laoghaire Music Book and Fanzine Festival to take place in April

1970s fanzines. Photo credit: @stillunusual on Flickr

Over the course of two weekends, the festival will feature numerous panels on music writing, culture, and design.

Hope Collective and Irish Pop Archive are teaming up with IADT and Volume Records to present Ireland's first Music Book and Fanzine Festival.

The inaugural event will bring together musicians, authors, booking agents, managers, and designers to give attendees a well-rounded understanding of the industry, past and present. There will be a focus on punk fanzines, like those published by Hope Collective since 1984.

The festival will begin on Saturday, April 18, with an evening panel held at Dún Laoghaire's Volume Records.

Boff Whalley (Chumbawamba), John Robb (The Membranes, Goldblade), and DIY punk expert Kevin Dunn will discuss their recent books. Host Michael Mary Murphy will lead the conversation.

The festival will continue the following Saturday, April 25 from 10:30-5:30, featuring panels on zine-making, punk and post-punk authors, and album design.

Panelists will include Tara MacLean, Steve Averill (Trouble Pilgrims, Radiators from Space), Garry O'Neill, Peter Jones (Paranoid Visions), and Bitzy Fitzgerald (The Strougers), among others.

Tickets for the Saturday, April 18 panel are available here, and tickets for the Saturday, April 25 panels can be purchased here.

Read a full list of festival panelists below:

Steve Averill

Paul Charles

Joolz Denby

Kevin Dunn

Bitzy Fitzgerald

John Fleming

Cian Hynes

Rita Hynes

Peter Jones

Michael McCaughan