Mullingar Literary Festival will welcome a strong line-up of Irish fiction writers this July, with Patricia Gibney, Susanne O’Leary, Caragh Maxwell and Sheila Killian joining the 2026 programme for a series of free author events exploring crime, romance, contemporary fiction, memory, identity, history and the craft of storytelling.

The events form part of Mullingar Literary Festival 2026, which runs from Friday 3rd to Sunday 5th July, bringing a vibrant weekend of books, writing, poetry, workshops, children’s events, competitions, music and live literary discussion to the town.

Mullingar’s own Patricia Gibney will return to the festival following her wonderful appearance last year, where she was warmly welcomed by an eager and excited hometown audience. A bestselling Irish crime fiction author from Mullingar, Patricia is best known for her hugely popular Detective Lottie Parker series, set in the fictional Midlands town of Ragmullin. Her debut thriller, The Missing Ones, was published by Bookouture in 2017, introducing readers to the determined and complex detective who has since become a favourite with crime fiction fans.

Since then, the series has grown into an international success, with sixteen Lottie Parker novels published to date across ebook, print-on-demand and audio formats, alongside trade paperback editions from Sphere UK and Hachette Ireland. Patricia’s most recent published novel, The Family Secret, is the sixteenth book in the series, and her books have achieved multi-million-copy sales worldwide and been translated for multiple territories.

Patricia will appear In Conversation with Zoe Ryan on Friday 3rd July 2026 at 8.00pm in Caffrey’s, Mount Street, Mullingar. The event will explore her writing genre, creative process, and the craft behind building suspense, atmosphere, pacing and emotional depth in crime fiction.

Also appearing at the festival is bestselling author Susanne O’Leary, widely regarded by many readers as a queen of Irish romance. Susanne is the author of more than 30 novels, mainly romantic fiction set in Ireland, with her much-loved books, particularly those set in County Kerry, winning readers around the world through warmth, humour, charm and feel-good storytelling.

Susanne will appear In Conversation with Martina Maloney on Saturday 4th July 2026 at 3.00pm in Caffrey’s, Mount Street, Mullingar. Audiences can look forward to a warm and engaging discussion about her writing life, inspirations, the importance of place in her work, and the Kerry landscapes, villages and characters that have shaped so many of her novels.

On Friday 3rd July at 7.00pm, Caragh Maxwell will appear at Caffrey’s, Mount Street, Mullingar for an engaging conversation about her debut novel Sugartown and the creative journey behind it. Based in Sligo, Caragh writes with clarity, intimacy and emotional depth, exploring themes of memory, identity, womanhood, belonging and the ways personal history shapes who we become.

Caragh graduated from the Trinity College Dublin MPhil in Creative Writing in 2023, and her work has appeared in The Irish Times, The Cormorant and other publications. Her debut novel, Sugartown, marks an important arrival in contemporary Irish fiction and was shortlisted for the 2025 An Post Irish Book Awards.

On Sunday 5th July at 7.00pm, Sheila Killian will join Jimmy O’Connell for an in-conversation event at Caffrey’s, Mount Street, discussing her latest novel Something Bigger. Inspired by real family history, the novel explores courage, conviction and resistance in 1920s Alabama, offering audiences a powerful insight into how personal history can become the foundation for fiction.

Sheila Killian is an author, poet and creative writing teacher whose work spans fiction, poetry and creative non-fiction. Her writing has been recognised in competitions in Ireland and the UK, including the Seán O’Faoláin, Fish, Bedford and From the Well competitions, while her creative non-fiction has been broadcast on RTÉ and published in the national press.

A spokesperson for Mullingar Literary Festival said:

“This year’s fiction programme shows the incredible range of Irish writing today, from Patricia Gibney’s gripping crime thrillers and Susanne O’Leary’s much-loved Irish romance to Caragh Maxwell’s contemporary literary fiction and Sheila Killian’s historically inspired storytelling. These events offer readers, writers and book clubs a chance to hear directly from authors about the stories, characters, places and creative decisions behind their work.”

The events will be of particular interest to crime readers, romance readers, fans of contemporary Irish fiction, aspiring writers, book clubs and anyone who enjoys hearing successful authors discuss the craft of storytelling.

All four events are free to attend, with audiences encouraged to arrive early as places may be limited.