Simultaneously places of privilege and outposts for rebellion, gardens hold a fascinating history and a future blooming with possibilities.

In 2020, acclaimed writer and critic Olivia Laing (To the River; The Lonely City; Everybody) embarked on a journey to restore a walled garden and fell down a rabbit hole along the way. Now, her new book The Garden Against Time takes a closer look at real and fictional gardens to discover their complicated past and attempt to decipher what role they may play in building a better future.

With climate change looming large in the collective conscience, this examination of private and public outdoor spaces is as timely as it is critical as humanity forges a path towards more sustainable living and planetary stewardship.

Olivia Laing is a widely acclaimed writer and critic. She’s the author of seven books, including The Lonely City, Everybody and Funny Weather. Her first novel, Crudo, was a Sunday Times top ten bestseller and won the 2019 James Tait Memorial Prize. Her work has been translated into twenty-two languages and in 2018 she was awarded a Windham-Campbell Prize for non-fiction.

This event will be chaired by Mia Gallagher, contributing editor with The Stinging Fly, novelist, playwright, and short story writer. Her most recent work is ‘Great Beasts of Myth’, a short story commission for RTÉ Radio.