On September 21st, the Dublin Review released its Autumn 2026 issue. The Review, which is to this day edited by its founder, Brendan Barrington, has over the years firmly established itself as one of Ireland’s leading literary magazines, having in the past featured works from authors like John Banville, Geoff Dyer, Seamus Heaney, and Sally Rooney.
Here is what you can expect to find in the upcoming issue:
“Montsouris” by Cora Enterline
Is a life lost loving worth it if you don’t end up with the one you love? Enterline, who is currently working on a collection of essays and short stories, writes about memory, nostalgia, and love, hammering the point home by walking the reader through Paris chic.
“Meantime” by Matt Jones
A short story that slips seamlessly through the lives of its characters, offering glimpses of their lives as they try, and fail, to connect with one another. The narrator spends the entirety of it waiting for something to happen — even as life tumbles by in a series of tantalising snippets: dead cats, mysterious lovers and children with fingers cut off by escalators.
“She is not a hammer” by Clare Fisher
An exploration of a journey of motherhood and the need to give up for the desire for mastery, written in the half-memoir half-theoretical essay style one might recognise from “Trans the Memoir” (Juliet Jacques) or “Argonauts” (Maggie Nelson). For those eager for more of Fisher’s works, her most recent book is “The Moon is Trending”.
“Waveforms” by Brian Dillon
Dillon’s short story tracks a couple in a marriage strained due to the woman’s mental illness. She receives electro-convulsive therapy as a result. The writing is eclectic and sporadic, mirroring the inner turmoil of the marriage. Dillon’s most recent book is a memoir, titled “Ambivalence”.
“Placeholder” by Cal O’Reilly
A different stab at queer memoir writing, dipping into identity, names, and their connection to language in a coming of age personal essay in which the writer comes to terms with their transness while exploring their connection to Ireland and the Irish language. O’Reilly’s first poetry pamphlet, “Boyish” is to be expected later this autumn.
“In the Shit” by Rory Gleeson
Honest, brutal, and charming, Gleeson takes us through the realities of failure beyond overused quotes and Ted Talk narcissism. An essay which covers the failure of the artist and the reputation of rejection, the novelist candidly concludes, “Do not fail. You can’t afford it.” If one strives for success, then one should avoid failure, despite what your favourite Instagram quote page tells you.
“The Upper Trapezius” by Stephen Lynch
A short story between father and son, between the hospital and home. An ordinarily humorous accident becomes a loaded family encounter. Lynch’s writing is tense yet well-observed, a fast paced piece that echoes for more — but maybe that’s the point.
“A Land of Destiny” by Molly McCloskey
As an expat debates returning home to America, she retraces her first few weeks in Ireland through pubs, hostels, and ferry rides on the West Coast. McCloskey romanticises the essence of a nomadic youth, unattached, wild, and hopeful, and how those memories feel after twenty years.
The issue is available in stores as well as online. For those interested in writing themselves, the Dublin Review submissions remain open.
