- Dublin City Council launched the Teen Citywide Read 2026
- The programme runs from October to December
- The selected titles are by Sam Blake and Leon Diop
- Students gathered at Coolock Library for the launch
- Participating schools receive sets of the selected titles
Dublin City Council has launched the Teen Citywide Read 2026, organised by Dublin City Libraries and Dublin UNESCO City of Literature. The campaign encourages Transition Year students across the city to read for pleasure, connect with their local library and engage with contemporary Irish writing. The programme runs from October to December and features two books by Irish authors.
The selected titles are Something Terrible Happened Last Night by Sam Blake, published by Gill Books, and Mixed Up: An Irish Boy’s Journey to Belonging by Leon Diop, published by Little Island. Students from across Dublin gathered at Coolock Library for the launch where they met the featured authors. Participating schools will be provided with sets of the selected titles for their school libraries.
Students will be encouraged to visit their local library branch, take a guided tour, join the library and borrow books. Author workshops will take place, with Sam Blake and Leon Diop visiting libraries across Dublin. The campaign is run in partnership with Little Island Books and Gill Books and is funded by Dublin City Council and the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport.
Lord Mayor of Dublin Daryl Barron shared “It is a pleasure to support Teen Citywide Read 2026, which encourages young people to discover the fun of reading and what their local library has to offer. I hope everyone taking part enjoys this year’s selected titles and the opportunity to meet authors Sam Blake and Leon Diop.”
