We record with deep sadness the death last Sunday, 22 January, of our author Valerie Pakenham, whose magnificent edition of Maria Edgeworth’s Letters from Ireland Lilliput published in 2018.   Valerie was a scrupulous and spirited scholar, immersed in the history of her adopted Westmeath, where she presided over Tullynally Castle Gardens, her unruly family and cherished husband Thomas (himself an unsurpassed chronicler of empire and arboriculture).   She is hugely missed by us all and her funeral service will be held at St Michael’s Church of Ireland in Castlepollard at 11am on Monday the 29th. Antony Farrell 

Lilliput Press, one of Ireland’s smallest but most prestigious publishing houses, is proud to present a compilation of some of our many literary event highlights throughout 2022 for Culture Night. A special video will go live here on this page at 6PM on 23 September 2022 – make sure to tune in for exciting insights into the world of books from some very talented authors and guest speakers!

Lilliput is greatly saddened to learn of the death of Michael O’Brien – Michael was a Titan of Irish publishing whose sudden loss is deeply felt. Warm, ebullient and charismatic, his cyclonic energy transformed our world, seeding the arid landscape of the late 1970s and 80s and beyond with his roster of authors and publications. When I returned from London seeking work he readily opened his door in Rathgar to projects and editorial devisings, fearless, encouraging, cajoling and collegiate. His was the heart of Dublin letters, and its legacy beats on through his son and successor Ivan. Our sympathies to he and Svetlana and family for the loss of a true paterfamilias.  Antony Farrell 

The Lilliput Press, one of Ireland’s leading independent publishing houses, seeks a part-time bookseller for the period June–December 2022. This role is in-person only and is an opportunity to experience the front line of Irish bookselling and publishing in a creative and friendly work environment. This role will be a part-time, 6-month contract on the pay rate of €25,000 per annum pro rata (the equivalent of €13.00 per hour). The hours are from 10am to 2pm, Monday to Friday. Additional hours may be required from time to time to help with evening book events. Key responsibilities will include: Overseeing and moving bookshop inventory, tracking out-of-stock or out-of-print titles, stocking shelves, restocking distributors and ensuring that…

Join Lilliput Press for the launch of The Written World: Essays and Reviews, the highly-anticipated first non-fiction title from acclaimed novelist, critic and essayist, Kevin Power. Thursday, 19 May, 6PM at Books Upstairs. Carlo Gébler will be the guest speaker on the evening. We look forward to welcoming you all! Book your free ticket here. Criticism is absolutely an art – and it is never more so than when practised by an actual artist. During his ten years at the Sunday Business Post, novelist Kevin Power – who has reviewed over 350 books – fell in love with the writing of criticism, and with the reading of it too; particularly by talented novelists who review books on…

Join Lilliput Press for the launch of Edith, the highly-anticipated new novel from bestselling author and award-winning journalist, Martina Devlin. Thursday, 12 May, 2022, 6PM, at The James Joyce Centre (Dublin). With support from Books Upstairs. Actor Lise-Ann McLaughlin, star of The Irish R.M., will be the guest speaker on the evening. We look forward to welcoming you all! Book your free ticket here. Edith is a captivating novel based on the life of Edith Somerville (1858–1949) of ‘Somerville and Ross’ fame. It is the early 1920s and Ireland is on the cusp of radical change. Amid the turbulence of the revolutionary period, The Irish R.M. writer Edith Somerville struggles to find a place for herself. As fellow members of…

The Lilliput Press is greatly saddened to hear of the death of Kevin Casey, author of The Sinners’ Bell and A State of Mind. Publisher Antony Farrell says of the author, ‘He was an élégant gentle man whose nuanced fiction spoke to the buried passions of Irish provincial life: a much missed figure following on from the death of his wife Eavan Boland.’ Our thoughts are with Kevin’s family at this difficult time.