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IT’S THAT TIME of year again – when the best Irish books of the last 12 months are rightfully given their awards.
This year’s An Post Irish Book Awards ceremony took place at a backed Clayton Hotel on the Burlington Road, and saw Sally Rooney, Lynn Ruane, Emilie Pine, Emer McLysaght and Sarah Breen and Liz Nugent among the winning authors.
Now in its 13th year, the awards ceremony was attended by Ireland’s top writers, publishers, booksellers and media personalities.
Renowned Irish poet Thomas Kinsella was announced as the recipient of the Bob Hughes Lifetime Achievement Award, while a special award was presented to the family of author Emma Hannigan, who passed away earlier this year.
Below is the full list of winners for the An Post Irish Book Awards 2018:
TheJournal.ie Best Irish Published Book of the Year Winner
Lighthouses of Ireland by Roger O’Reilly (Collins Press)
National Book Tokens Children’s Book of the Year (Junior)
The President’s Cat by Peter Donnelly (Gill Books)
National Book Tokens Children’s Book of the Year (Senior)
Blazing a Trail by Sarah Webb and Lauren O’Neill (The O’Brien Press)
Dept 51@ Eason Teen / Young Adult Book of the Year
The Weight of a Thousand Feathers by Brian Conaghan (Bloomsbury)
Eason Book Club Novel of the Year
Normal People by Sally Rooney (Faber & Faber)
Specsavers Popular Fiction Book of the Year
The Importance of Being Aisling by Emer McLysaght and Sarah Breen (Gill Books)
Irish Independent Crime Fiction Book of the Year
Skin Deep by Liz Nugent (Penguin Ireland)
Sunday Independent Newcomer of the Year
Notes to Self by Emilie Pine (Tramp Press)
Onside Non-Fiction Book of the Year
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People Like Me by Lynn Ruane (Gill Books)
Ireland AM Popular Non-Fiction Book of the Year
The Cow Book by John Connell (Granta Books)
EUROSPAR Cookbook of the Year
Currabinny Cookbook by James Kavanagh and William Murray (Penguin Ireland)
Bord Gáis Energy Sports Book of the Year
Game Changer by Cora Staunton with Mary White (PRH Transworld Ireland)
RTÉ Radio 1’s The Ryan Tubridy Show Listeners’ Choice Award
Skin Deep by Liz Nugent (Penguin Ireland)
Listowel Writers’ Week Irish Poem of the Year
Birthday by Brian Kirk
Writing,ie Short Story of the Year
How to Build a Space Rocket by Roisin O’Donnell (From The Broken Spiral ed by RM Clarke)
The Love Leabhar Gaeilge Irish Language Book of the Year
Tuatha De Denann by Diarmuid Johnson (Leabhar Breac)
Maria Dickenson, Chairperson of the An Post Irish Book Awards, said: “This is a really outstanding line-up of winners. It demonstrates the absolute breadth of quality writing we have in Ireland, right across the genre spectrum. It is also great to see so many female writers winning accolades this year.
Many of them, including Emilie Pine, Sarah Webb, Lynne Ruane, Cora Staunton and Sally Rooney, are all writing about what it means to be a modern woman in contemporary Ireland and it is striking that these authors used the art of writing to tell their stories in such a truthful and honest way.
David McRedmond, CEO at An Post, saluted “all those who encourage new and established writers to persevere in their craft and creativity, enriching our lives and our understanding of each other”.
TV presenter and author Graham Norton pictured at the An Post Irish Book Awards. Patrick Bolger
Patrick Bolger
This year, over 100,000 votes were cast by book lovers to select the winners in each category, a 96% increase on the number of votes cast last year. From tomorrow (28 November 2018), the public can vote for their overall An Post Book of the Year by going to the official website.
The winner will be announced in January and anyone who votes is in with the chance of winning €100 in National Book Tokens. Previous winners include John Crowley, Donál Ó Drisceoil, Mike Murphy and John Borgonovo for Atlas of the Irish Revolution, Mike Mc Cormack for Solar Bones, Louise O’ Neill for Asking for It, and Belinda McKeon for Solace.
This year’s ceremony was presented by Keelin Shanley, while each winning author was interviewed by RTÉ’s Evelyn O’Rourke after they received their award. Full highlights of the An Post Irish Book Awards will be broadcast on RTÉ One at 10.15pm this Thursday, 29 November.
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I reckon reruns of love/hate will be cleaning up at the iftas for the next few years as well. There being nothing else of substance on irish TV. Even love/hate was kind of sh/t
And the love/hate perpetual award goes to…….. red rock… Only kidding its love/hate again for the 50th year running. Next up we have the best aspiring “model/singer/big brother/rugby wag” award
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