Lingo Spoken Word Festival returns this October with a truly spectacular programme and star-studded line-up.

Listen. Can you hear it rumbling in the basement bars, the coffee shops, the festival stages, warehouses and theatre spaces in Dublin? There is a momentum here in Ireland in spoken word poetry. It is more alive and vital than ever, and it is growing every day.

So say the organisers of the 2015 edition of the Lingo Spoken Word festival, an event that aims to celebrate live literature. And we firmly believe that Dublin is the new capital of live literature. This fact is borne out on a daily basis around the city with a huge resurgence in interest in spoken word, open mic and slam poetry events. Take the likes of Slam Sunday, The Monday Echo, Milk and Cookie Stories, Flying South, Fresh Poetry Slam, FiftyTwoWords … the list goes on and on.

And then there’s Lingo, Ireland’s only spoken word festival. Following on from a hugely successful inaugural event last year, the organisers have really pulled out all the stops for the 2015 edition, with a programme featuring the best of what Irish spoken word has to offer, alongside some of the finest spoken word artists from the United States, United Kingdom, and beyond.

Topping the bill is American rapper, singer, songwriter, musician, poet, writer, and actor, the one and only Saul Williams. He will be performing on the final night of the festival, Sunday, 18th October, his first time back in Dublin for a decade. Joining him on stage at the Button Factory will be Mark Grist and 2013 All-Ireland Poetry Slam Champion, John Cummins.

Other names of note appearing on the weekend programme include Hollie McNish, Elaine Feeney, and the eclectic Tongue Fu who will open the festival. Each artist has been chosen for the uniqueness they display in their writing and performing. There are also a selection of charity events, family shows and youth programmes on offer.

Kudos to the Lingo team – Linda Devlin, Erin Fornoff, Kalle Ryan, Colm Keegan, Stephen James Smith, and Phil Lynch – for all its hard work in ensuring a fantastic 2015 festival — we can hardly wait for October to come around!

Lingo A Spoken Word Festival runs from Friday 16th to Sunday, 18th October in a variety of venues around Dublin’s Temple Bar, including Smock Alley Theatre, The Liquor Rooms, The Meeting House, The Workman’s Club, Button Factory, and Fringe Lab.

Tickets for the festival are available online from Eventbrite (and the Smock Alley website for events being held there), ranging in price from €8 upwards. Weekend passes costing €64.50 + fees are also available to purchase. Keep an eye on the programme for the numerous free events also being held.

As the guys say, spoken word requires no equipment — just a voice. Can you hear the rumble? Come and listen.