Temple Bar Gallery + Studios announces the Curator’s Programme for Dublin Art Book Fair 2026

For the Curator's Programme, O'Donnell produces a vibrant programme of events and presents a table of nominated titles chosen with his invited readers in response to the theme, Colophon. The colophon is the part of a book – usually at the very start or the very end – where the conditions of publication are clarified. Nathan O’Donnell explores these relationships, structures, and processes, examining the collective and collaborative dimensions of publishing, and acknowledging the many forms of labour and creativity that surround and enrich the practice of writing. The programme will focus on alternative and experimental approaches to publishing, celebrating the often-overlooked creative processes and relationships that make publications possible.

DABF begins with the Curator’s Opening Talk where O'Donnell introduces his theme and selected book titles. A Lettertexts Workshop takes place at The National Print Museum where participants contribute writing to a collective experimental publication with Clare Bell, Megan Gerard O’Connell and Mary Plunkett. Alongside Susan Tomosalli, O'Donnell host a panel discussion on unshelving creative projects with writer Erica Van Horn and artist Suzanne Walsh. The final talk in O'Donnell's programme, Understructures, explores experimental approaches to authorship, the politics of acknowledgement and citation, plagiarism, and documentary poetics with artist and writer JR Carpenter and poet Ellen Dillon.

Invited readers include writer, artist, and film-maker Adrian Duncan, who is co-editor (with Niamh Dunphy and Nathan O’Donnell) of PVA Books; writer and co-editor of Coracle Press, Erica Van Horn; writer and editor of gorse journal, Susan Tomaselli; designer and book artist Clare Bell, with whom O’Donnell has an ongoing collaborative practice, making use of participatory and collective processes to produce publications and projects; artist Julia Dubsky, who works through writing as well as painting; Sarah Pierce, an artist whose work has encompassed publishing of different kinds, acclaimed poet Nithy Kasa who was previously invited to speak during DABF22; book-seller and founder of Cailleach Books, Rita Hynes; and artist Christopher Steenson, whose work spans sound and installation as well as the production of scripts, books, and scores.

In conjunction with the Curator’s Programme, DABF produces the wider programme including artist workshops, book launches, tours, and talks in celebration of the artist book, independent publishing and artist-run culture. The complete DABF26 Event Programme will be announced and all event bookings open Tuesday 20 October 2026.

Nathan O’Donnell is a writer, curator, and co-editor of PVA (Journal + Books). His work has been published widely in literary and contemporary art contexts and he has received artist's commissions for performances, publications, and public art projects, by Dublin City Arts Office, the Arts Council, IMMA, Ormston House, and South Dublin County Council. He has an ongoing collaborative practice with Clare Bell, making use of participatory and collective processes to produce publications and projects; recent collaborative publications include State, in Relation, coedited with Sonya Gildea (2025) and Book of Invasions (Ormston House, 2021). He was writer-in-residence, Maynooth University 2021– 22; and Samuel Beckett Creative Fellow, Trinity College Dublin, 2023.

Dublin Art Book Fair (3–13 December 2026) is a centre for contemporary artist books offering a wide selection of artist publications and titles from creative, small and independent publishers, both Irish or international, to browse or buy. In conjunction with the Fair, DABF presents an programme of book launches, publishers talks, and workshops, offering ways to engage and gain insight into contemporary independent and arts publishing.

Dublin Art Book Fair 2025 is generously sponsored by our longstanding partner Henry J Lyons and supported by Dublin UNESCO City of Literature.