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THE LONGLIST FOR this year’s Dublin Literary Award have been announced – and four Irish novels are on the list.
There are 49 books in total on the longlist, which have been nominated by libraries around the world for the award, which is sponsored by Dublin City Council.
The €100,000 award – which is in its 26th year – is the world’s most valuable annual prize for a single work of fiction published in English. If the winning book has been translated, the author receives €75,000 and the translator receives €25,000.
Previous winners include Anna Burns for Milkman, and Mike McCormack for Solar Bones.
This year’s nominations include 18 novels in translation, with works nominated by libraries from 30 countries across Africa, Europe, Asia, the US and Canada, South America and Australia and New Zealand.
The Irish titles nominated for the 2021 Award are:
The book that received the most nominations for 2021 is On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Vietnamese-American author Ocean Vuong.
Two books share the second-most nominated slot: Hurricane Season by Mexican author Fernanda Melchor, translated by Sophie Hughes, and The Nickel Boys by American author Colson Whitehead.
The shortlist will be announced on 25 March 2021 and the winner will be announced by Lord Mayor of Dublin, Hazel Chu, on 20 May 2021, as part of the opening day programme of International Literature Festival Dublin, which is also funded by Dublin City Council.
Lord Mayor Chu commented: “As Patron of the Award, I am extremely proud of the DUBLIN Literary Award as it affirms Dublin’s commitment to international writers and translators, to literature and creativity. It’s more important than ever that Dublin City Council does its best to support the Arts in such challenging times and the DUBLIN Literary Award is a huge statement of encouragement and support.”
The award is managed by Dublin City Council’s library service. Mairead Owens, Dublin City Librarian, said that the 49 books eligible for the 2021 award were nominated by libraries in 69 cities and 30 countries worldwide.
Added Owens: “Books and reading have sustained the human spirit during this, the Covid-19 pandemic. We escaped with our favourite authors to distant lands, we explored new cultures and we learnt new skills. Librarians are privileged to work in such a rewarding environment. Yes, we faced many challenges over the last year but we have risen to support our communities. Dublin City is appreciative of libraries worldwide for your participation in the 2021 Dublin Literary Award.”
This year there are three new nominating libraries: Slemani Public Library in Iraq, South Dublin Libraries in Ireland, and District of Columbia Public Library in USA.
An international panel of judges will select the winner. The panel features Jan Carson, a writer and community arts facilitator based in Belfast; David James Karashima, an author, translator, and associate professor of creative writing at Waseda University in Tokyo; Lebanese-born, Dr Rita Sakr who lectures in Postcolonial and Global Literatures at Maynooth University; Dr Martín Veiga, a Cork-based Galician poet, translator, and academic who lectures in Hispanic Studies at University College Cork, and Enda Wyley, an Irish poet, author, and teacher who has published six collections of poetry.
The non-voting Chairperson is Professor Chris Morash, who is the Seamus Heaney Professor of Irish Writing at Trinity College Dublin.
Want to get your hands on the nominated books? They’ll be available for readers to borrow from Dublin’s public libraries and public libraries around Ireland when libraries reopen.
But don’t worry – during Level 5 COVID-19 restrictions, you can borrow some of the longlisted titles as eBooks and eAudiobooks on the free Borrowbox app, which is available to all public library users.
The longlist of 49 titles can be viewed on the award website at www.dublinliteraryaward.ie.
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Irish Hip Hop ..seriously …. like Zimbabwe skiing team :))
@Andro Štruca: no it isn’t. Should we only produce trad music? Irish society is now diverse, our music should reflect this.
Sure why not Irish Hip Hop? It’s when white Irish Hip Hop people act like they are black is where I draw the line.
@Arnold Lane: what about a black irish rapper acting white? Now thats where i draw the line
@Arnold Lane: @cp: doesnt matter if your black or white, if you can fight, prefer to use a gun or a mic, its all about might, the will to drop bombs like bush did on all of allahs sons , the might to fight back when isis blew the shit out of Iraq, The might to forget where we came from the slaying thay we gave son one world that no god can divide we were born to live and where living to.die. does not matter the colour of our skin, if the rings roped up will you jump in, mic on mic hand to hand ye boys want to check yer shit man.so on directional probably sitting at home.watching high school musical. With pimples on yer face go to bed and stop worrying about a persons race. Life is life we all gone live it so grow up n stop acting like children
Who “scoffed”? “They”? It’s been a good scene always, and recognised as such always.
@Mike Igoe: Agree! Who ‘scoffed’?
@George Hogan: I scoffed a little… sorry guys
@Liam flag: Fake Liam!
@George Hogan: Nope. I’m the real deal baby
@Mike Igoe: Not true whatsoever, there has always been plenty of talent but the thought of Irish boys rapping for the most part has seemed ridiculous to the general public!
Wud be nice if youd tell us where these gigs happen
@Boo!: look it up yourself.
@Boo!: I left a reply but it does not seem to have posted, maybe due to Facebook links? Are you in Dublin?
On 16th September alone Cuttin Heads & Shaool from This Side Up will be putting on Jehst in the Grand Social, Roots Manuva will be in the Sugar Club and Underground Collective will be putting on a load of local talent in a similar vein to the Truth About Irish Hip-Hop gig in the Sound House / Wiley Fox.
Anybody in Belfast, we are putting on Jehst as the headliner for our third hip-hop showcase of the year in Voodoo.
Hope that helps
Lemonade was a popular drink and it still is. I got more props and stunts than Bruce Willis.
The projects in crumlin is where it all began.
Check out.. This Side Up.. From Sligo. Da biz.
@Patrick J. O’Rourke:
Track by Limerick based Hip Hop outfit Bullitz in 2005 Talks about life living around a fueding city. Titled The GraveYard
https://youtu.be/I1bhqUKrX0g
Be interesting if other people could post old Irish Hip Hop track people might not have heard
But I thought cultural appropriation was supposed to make you a right wing bigot or something. Is the journal promoting racism now?
Your brother eh??? Good!! We have some brilliant talent here. I’m delighted the Rusangano family getting a mention as they are brill!!!
No matter what, it sounds brutal. Your man from Original Rudeboys with his poxy hammed-up dub accent is like a cheese grater to my eardrums. Absolute cringe worthy every time he opens his mouth.
@Jimmy Ireland: I would agree with you Jimmy the Irish accent dies not do a rap song justice. But the lyrics from most rappers where grear like of rob kelly redzer would have made it alot farther had they not had big thick irsh accents
There’s definitely a lot of good things happening for hip hop here at the mo.
For what it’s worth people can check out my tracks here..
https://soundcloud.com/user-18591602
https://newcicero.bandcamp.com/
@New Cicero: good production, and great lyrics.
What about RÌRà? One of the best hip hop artists ever to come out of Ireland. Check this out if you want to hear a uniquely Irish sound:https://youtu.be/aCpQXA_x6GE
Check out Redzer, pretty good rapper. Terawrizt is another good irish rapper. Raw Soul has great tracks but don’t think he raps any more. Nash is from Cork, the accent is mad but still sounds good. The journal should do a story on irish battle rap, used to be a league, DFI. The battles should still be on YouTube.
@Drew P. Baulsach: any link to the battles,redzer was whacking it out on the dublin underground about ten years back sound old skin talented but no one want to here d thick irish accents on tracks including my own pity as some good lyricists would have got if they didnt have a big.thick accent
@James O Keeffe: yeah true that alright! I always enjoyed it, I can’t relate to the American rappers yacking on about their millions and slangin crack, but I can relate to a song about tallaght or that tune “gerrup outta that”. Here’s a playlist for the DFI Battles: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2A2A34F8BB3E21C0
@Drew P. Baulsach: Redzer was whacking it out on the dublin underground scene long time ago good rapper sound old skin and links to those battles be a crack to hear em. Check out these lads down in limerick newly formed really irish hip hop called P19 there mixing trad music with hip hop beats and its sick as fcuk
https://m.facebook.com/RealIrishhiphop/
When your having a bad day, just remember that there is someone from your home town still trying to become a rapper…..
Cheers for the mention for Waking Android, our debut EP can be found here if you wanna check it out
https://wakingandroid.bandcamp.com/album/adrenochrome
https://www.facebook.com/WakingAndroid/
Some great comments from the public here too. The boys mentioned in this article get to go all round the place rocking big crowds doing something they love. I’m sure you have achieved a lot in life though!
Bass Odyssey from the 90s should get a mention. Strict then formed Arm The Elderly.
@Carlin Ite: Yes. They were brilliant live.
Check out Sons Phonetic. Absolutely unbelievable!
“Used to”
https://youtu.be/9QtU7-2JLmw went on to do a sh!t load of work with kids and youth groups. Still producing.
@Dave O Keeffe: remember him fair play doing work with the youth clubs giving back to the young lads in cork
Part of the problem is that so much of what’s I hear from Irish/UK/white boy hip hop is derivative of 90s boom bap rap in style and in content.
The second I hear some angry little scally rap about life growing up on an estate I just switch off. That’s not today their story isn’t valid but it’s boring (at least to me).
Hip hop nowadays has moved on. Kendrick isn’t rapping about petty street bullshit from his teen years, he’s examining identity and he’s doing it in an exciting, entertaining and thoughtful way.
UK hip hop lost me for similar reasons in the early 2000s. Grime on the other hand is exciting and is producing some real gold (albeit with a lot of shit also).
I agree with your man. The exciting things happening in Ireland are coming from the recent immigrants. Their identity in modern Irish society gives them something unique to talk about.
Give that a rattle
@Rob Hill: Give this a rattle –
The best to do it here scaryeire. No false American accents. Very reggae influenced.
@Dillon Kalen: Rock on Siobhan stop actin the ámadan. Yep, they were proper good. DJ Mek a brilliant producer and turntablist to boot.
MC Pat Flynn, MC Lynchy?
I played at the Truth About Irish Hip Hop gig.Great night with loads of talent!Everyone is working hard behind the scenes and everyones getting lyrically and creativally better.And visually everybody’s stepping it up.When the Irish get behind it and accept it the rest of the world will too!
Anyway here’s my album ‘The War Within’ anyway if you would like to buy a copy all money goes to getting people in Louth Mental Health Counselling!
https://steoskitz.bandcamp.com/album/the-war-within
If you could give me a like on Facebook ‘steo skitz’ it would be appreciated too!
“straight outta Crumlin, a crazy hoor called Michael from a band called paddys with pints…”
@Andro Štruca: shut your hole you gome and where is it you call home. Andros your man tho knows irish hip hop and hes probably from orlando.your not irish either bro probably tossing at home to dido, its life tho people hating on talent divides those , fakes who pose no threat hiding behind there iphone what you know about sytle bro racism is dead so shut you pie hole before you die slow guiltones chopped heads but sure what do I know mano y mano keep your lips sealed about rugsano you jealous little a hole. The Irish like us does not matter where they came from not shut your mouth up because I said so.
I’m not a fan of hip hop/rap etc… but look to literary history.
Rap is about expressing oneself with words.
How many Irish are counted around the finest English-language wordsmiths ever too have lived?
No mention of Rejjie Snow?!
A bizarre omission.
No disrespect to the acts mentioned in the article – all credit to them – but a 30-second review of YouTube views shows that Rejjie Snow’s (literally) ten times bigger than most of them. And brilliant with it.
I find the white Irish rappers are much better than the Africans which I thought was very interesting.
@Rex Facer: I hear you’re a racist now Father…
Messiah J and the expert there’s a blast from the past, Jazz FM!
Everyone please check out Skripteh’s new EP at http://www.skripteh.bandcamp.com you won’t be disappointed!! He is a 16yo Irish hip hop artist!
We you to ask for a. “Recitation,”I’d say rapping was going on since mankind got a communal fire going.
@Zozzy Zozimus: Agreed. Surprised to see his admission, as he is the most renowned Irish rapper in the US and UK.
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