One of our favourite books this year is Wild Geese, the beautifully studied debut novel by Irish writer Soula Emmanuel. Published by Footnote Press in 2023 and by the Feminist Press in the US and Canada, Wild Geese introduces us to Phoebe Forde, a 30 year old Irish emigrant to Copenhagen who’s still settling into a new life and a new name. Almost three years into her gender transition, an unexpected visit from Grace, her first love, brings memories of Dublin and a life she thought she’d left behind. Over the course of a single weekend, their old romance kindles something sweet and radically unfamiliar, helping Phoebe navigate the jagged edges of migration, nostalgia and hope.
Funny, smart and full of tender observations around place, memory and belonging, Wild Geese marks the arrival of an exciting new queer talent in Ireland.
We’re delighted to welcome Soula to the festival, in partnership with Paperxclips and Small Trans Library.
Soula will be in conversation with Limerick-born Belfast-based poet William Keohane.
Small Trans Library is a combined lending library of over 600 trans and queer-authored books, with branches in Dublin, Belfast and Glasgow. They operate a mutual aid fund for trans people, and facilitate a host of community events, including book clubs, workshops and dance parties.
EVENT INFORMATION:
Age suitability: 15+
Duration: 60 mins
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