THE DUBLIN WRITERS Festival kicks off today showcasing some masters of international writing and bright emerging voices.

Founded in 1998, the festival is renowned as Ireland’s premier literary event and this year they are expecting a view thousand in attendance.

“Preparations are going very well this year – advance bookings are going great and many have sold out already,” a festival spokesperson told TheJournal.ie.

To date Richard Dawkins and Alain De Botton events have sold out with Jeanette Winterson, Mario Vargas Llosa and Josh Ritter selling fast.

“This is our fourteenth year, and each year we are getting bigger and bigger. This year we have been able to add a lot more events,” said a festival spokesperson.

Cult American singer-songwriter Josh Ritter will be chatting in Liberty Hall in Dublin today about his debut novel ’Bright’s Passage’ and the challenges of trading verse for prose.

At the National Library Dublin, Lorcan Collins co-founder of Dublin’s hugely popular 1916 walking tour and author of ’16 Lives: James Connolly’, will be joined by Richard Boyd Barrett TD and writer, curator and editor Catherine Morris. The discussion, which will take place tomorrow, will centre on James Connolly- his life and legacy.

One of Ireland’s best known bands, The Pogues, is also up for discussion. On 9 June, The Pogues’ founding member and accordion player James Fearnley, reads from and discusses his new memoir ‘Here Comes Everybody’ which tells the story of the bands success.

There will also be children’s readings, workshops and film screenings. For more information visit www.dublinwritersfestival.com