Literary festivals are yet another casualty of the year’s events, and it’s unlikely we’ll be gathering to hear writers and thinkers discuss books and beyond at least until the autumn (fingers crossed). And while it’s hard to recreate the real-life events – sitting in a sunny marquee by the sea hearing Anne Enright or Michael Ondaatje discuss their writing, say – it’s still possible to hear brilliant people talk about their life and work, without leaving home. As with online exercise classes, you have no excuse to miss online events, and you’ll feel glad you booked in. And on the plus side, the online format tends to mean unlimited tickets, so you won’t miss out if you’re slow to book.

Earlier this year, at an online Faber event, we listened to Eimear McBride discuss writing, and found it really illuminating, despite an appalling wifi connection, while Maggie O’Farrell, Raven Leilani and Zadie Smith appeared online at the always excellent Mountains to Sea Book Festival in March. Going online is demanding a new level of creativity, as writers devise innovative ways of presenting work to suit the medium, such as film poems – a blend of visual arts, spoken word and music – to bring the poetry to life. While dates and details are subject to change, here’s our pick of the ones to watch this summer.

Tune into the International Literary Festival Dublin later this month to hear conversations between John Banville and theoretical physicist Carlo Rovelli, and Vivian Gornick and Sinead Gleeson, as they discuss literature, feminism and everything in between. Keep an eye on www.ilfdublin.com for more details of the programme and to book.

Dalkey Book Festival takes place from June 18-20 with a virtual experience connecting you to writers, thinkers and artists; see the programme at www.dalkeybookfestival.org. This year sponsoring partner Zurich is supporting the Dalkey Literary Awards, to promote and support Irish writers with prizes in two categories: Novel of the Year and Emerging Writer, for writers born or resident in Ireland and published in Ireland or the UK in 2020.

The Festival of Writing and Ideas held at Borris House, Co Carlow, another picturesque event, was due to take place in June. The organisers still hope it can happen in real life this August, but keep an eye on the website and @writingandideas for updates. With previous participants including Bob Geldof, Julian Barnes and Fiona Shaw, this is definitely one to watch; www.festivalofwritingandideas.com.

The West Cork Literary Festival is set to run from July 9-16 – whether virtual or in person is still to be confirmed; writers due to feature include Lucy Caldwell, Jan Carson and Billy O’Callaghan. See www.westcorkmusic.ie for updates and events.

And by the time Dublin Book Festival comes around in November, we’re hopeful that we’ll be able to be there in real life…