BOOKS OF THE YEAR
2015
Welcome to the
Watch the awards on RTĂŠ One Saturday 28th November
bgeirishbookawards.ie @BGEIBAS #BGEIBA
This year, as we celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Irish Book Awards, it’s gratifying to look back and consider how far we’ve come in a decade that has seen dramatic roller-coaster fluctuations in the economic, political and cultural life of the country. Perhaps now at last we can stop lamenting “the current climate” of tough recessionary times and relish the increased consumer confidence upon which our industry depends. Booksellers still face enormous challenges but that sense of emerging from the shadows is gathering pace.
limitless creativity of Irish writers
Throughout the decade one thing has never changed and that has been the seemingly limitless creativity of Irish writers. The Bord Gáis Energy Irish Book Awards were set up to honour such creativity and it is our hope that we’ve played our part in showcasing the work of so many talented writers over the years. This year, we bring you more books and more authors than ever before. Some will be old friends with whom you have long been familiar but so deep are the wellsprings of Irish literature, you will find in these pages some new exciting names you may not have encountered before. Remember, these awards are your awards too. Look out for Bord Gáis Energy Irish Book Awards logos in bookshops, libraries and online. Read, enjoy and vote for your favourite books at bgeirishbookawards.ie and watch the highlights show on RTÉ One on 28th November. Brendan Corbett, Head of Marketing, Eason & Chairman, Irish Book Awards Ltd.
A WORd FROM OuR HEAdLINE SpONSOR
BORD GÁIS ENERGY This is the sixth year we have sponsored, what has become, the highlight of the Irish literary calendar. Our association with the Bord Gáis Energy Irish Book Awards has always been about supporting something that resonates with our customers and we will continue to help showcase the wealth of Irish literary talent on a national stage. On the tenth anniversary of these awards, the quality of Irish writing on the shortlist is as strong as ever. We really are privileged to enjoy books written by our own countrymen and women who are world class at what they do. It’s also great to see a rich vein of talent coming through in the New Writers’ Category. The future of Irish writing really is bright. I’d like to thank the Irish Book Awards committee, who are always willing to help us explore how we can help them promote Irish books and writing through this association. Finally, congratulations to this year’s shortlisted authors and I really hope the public gets behind them and votes in every category.
dave Kirwan, Chief Operating Officer, Bord Gáis Energy.
Vote for the book you would like to win in each award category at bgeirishbookawards.ie and enter the prize draw to win €100 of National Book Tokens Voting closes at midnight 19th November 2015. Four lucky voters selected will each win €100 of National Book Tokens. Please visit the website for terms and conditions.
THE ONLY GIFT CARD WELCOMED IN BOOKSHOPS ACROSS IRELAND
THE EASON BOOK CLuB
NOVEL OF THE YEAR The senior category of the awards, The Eason Book Club Novel of the Year, always produces a distinguished shortlist and this year is no exception with two giants of the genre in Anne Enright and Edna O’Brien slugging it out with four young writers who are steadily building great careers. Book Club
LAST YEAR’S WINNER: Academy Street Mary Costello
Beatlebone Kevin Barry
Miss Emily Nuala O’Connor
John owns a tiny island off the west coast of Ireland. Maybe there he can outrun the shadows of his past. The tale of a wild journey into the world and a wild journey within, Beatlebone is a portrait of an artist at a time of creative strife, a sad and beautiful comedy from a gifted stylist.
The Dickinson household in Amherst is saved from domestic chaos with the arrival of Irish maid Ada Concannon. Her friendship with Emily the middle daughter is tested when Ada's personal safety and reputation is violated, and Emily finds herself tasked with defending her maid against her own family and those she loves, with shocking consequences.
Canongate Books
Sandstone Press
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WATCH THE AWARdS ON RTé ONE SATuRDAy 28TH NOVEMBER
Tender Belinda McKeon
The Green road Anne Enright
From the author of the multi-awardwinning debut Solace comes another dazzling exploration of the complexities of human relationships, a novel about friendship and youth, about selfhood and sexuality, about the lies we tell ourselves and the lies we are taught to tell. Tender confirms Belinda McKeon's status as one of the most exciting contemporary voices in Irish fiction.
The adult children of Rosaleen Madigan come back to the West for a last Christmas with their difficult, wonderful mother, who is planning to sell their childhood home, erasing their personal history. The Green Road is a story of fracture and family, selfishness and compassion from our inaugural Laureate of Irish fiction. Jonathan Cape
The Little red Chairs Edna O’Brien
The Mark And The Void Paul Murray
When a wanted war criminal from the Balkans, masquerading as a faith healer, settles in a small west coast Irish village, the community are in thrall. One woman, Fidelma McBride, falls under his spell and in this astonishing novel, her first in ten years, Edna O'Brien charts the consequences of that fatal attraction.
While marooned at his banking job, Claude Martingale is approached by a struggling author, Paul, looking for his next great subject. Claude finds that his life gets steadily more exciting under Paul's fictionalizing influence; however Paul's plan is not what it seems. A comic masterpiece about love, art, greed and the banking crisis.
Faber & Faber
Hamish Hamilton
Picador
Bord Gáis EnErGy IRISH BOOK AWARDS 2015 7
THE IRISH INdEpENdENT
POPULAR FICTION This year we welcome new sponsors The Irish Independent to the Popular Fiction Book of the Year category which has a fresh look with a number of first-time nominees alongside established favourites like last year’s winner Cecelia Ahern, Sinéad Moriarty and Ross O'Carroll-Kelly.
LAST YEAR’S WINNER: The year I Met you Cecelia Ahern
About sisterland Martina Devlin Welcome to Sisterland. A world ruled by women. A world designed to be perfect. Here, women and men are kept separate. Women lead highly controlled and suffocating lives, while men are subordinate – used for labour and breeding. Set in the near future, About Sisterland is a searing, original novel which explores the devastating effects of extremism. Ward River Press
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Another Heartbeat in The House Kate Beaufoy When Edie Chadwick travels to Ireland to close up her uncle’s lakeside lodge, she finds an old house full of memories – not just her own, but those of a woman whose story has secrets she could never have imagined – a story that has waited a lifetime to be told. Transworld Ireland
WATCH THE AWARdS ON RTé ONE SATuRDAy 28TH NOVEMBER
BOOK OF THE YEAR
seedless in seattle Ross O’Carroll-Kelly
The dress Kate Kerrigan
The one where Ross is forced by Sorcha to face the unkindest cut of all. Seedless in Seattle is the fifteenth novel in Paul Howard's 'Ross O'Carroll-Kelly' series. Ross books – annual No 1 bestsellers – have sold over half a million copies, and are also critically acclaimed as satirical masterpieces.
The Dress interweaves the passionate and surprising stories of three women. Joy and Honor, whose destinies are linked not only by a piece of timeless fashion, but by the ruthless love of one man. And Lily, determined to find out if the legendary dress still exists, and if it does, to bring it back to glorious life.
Penguin Ireland
Head of Zeus
The Marble Collector Cecelia Ahern A forgotten childhood. A discovered life. What if you only had one day to find out who you really were? A novel about how the most ordinary decisions we make can have the most extraordinary consequences for how we live our lives. And how sometimes it’s only by shining a light on someone else, that you can truly understand yourself.
The Way We Were Sinéad Moriarty When Alice's husband Ben dies suddenly, her world falls apart. They shared twenty years and two daughters and life without him is unimaginable. Somehow they come through the dark days. In time, it's even possible for Alice to consider marrying again, with the girls' blessing. So when Ben turns up after three years, her world is again turned upside-down. Penguin Ireland
HarperCollins
Bord Gáis EnErGy IRISH BOOK AWARDS 2015 9
RTé RAdIO 1'S THE RYAN TuBRIdY SHOW
LISTENERS' CHOICE
We are delighted to welcome back RTÉ Radio 1’s Ryan Tubridy, a passionate reader and a broadcaster who loves sharing his bookish enthusiasm with his listeners. Ryan’s shortlist carries all the hallmarks of his preference for challenging and ambitious books, both fact and fiction.
Asking For it Louise O’Neill
Call the Midlife Chris Evans
Does it matter if you can't remember? After a party, Emma can’t remember what happened. But everyone else does. Photographs taken at the party show, in explicit detail, what happened to Emma that night. A novel about betrayal and consent, truth and denial, in the age of the smartphone.
As he approaches fifty, Chris Evans is on a mission. To take stock of where he’s at in order to figure out how to get the most out of what he believes are the best years yet to come. Health, love, marriage, sex, death and even religion all come under his microscope as he asks – midlife: crisis vs opportunity?
Quercus Childrens
Weidenfeld & Nicholson
LAST YEAR’S WINNER: It’s All In The Head Majella O’Donnell
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AWARD
irelandopedia Fatti & John Burke Get ready to go on an exciting adventure around Ireland. unleash your imagination and sense of adventure as you discover Ireland like you’ve never seen it before! Armchair travellers of any age will be totally absorbed by Fatti Burke’s detailed illustrations and her father John’s fabulous facts, which can be discovered on every page. Gill & Macmillan
WATCH THE AWARdS ON RTé ONE SATuRDAy 28TH NOVEMBER
so you've Been Publicly shamed Jon Ronson For the past three years, Jon Ronson has travelled the world meeting recipients of highprofile public shamings. Simultaneously powerful and hilarious, So You've Been Publicly Shamed is a deeply honest book about modern life, full of eye-opening truths about the escalating war on human flaws – and the very scary part we all play in it.
The Green road Anne Enright The adult children of Rosaleen Madigan come back to the West for a last Christmas with their difficult, wonderful mother, who is planning to sell their childhood home, erasing their personal history. The Green Road is a story of fracture and family, selfishness and compassion from our inaugural Laureate of Irish fiction. Jonathan Cape
The Girl on The Train Paula Hawkins Rear Window meets Gone Girl, in this exceptional and startling psychological thriller. Paula Hawkins worked as a journalist for fifteen years before turning her hand to fiction. Born and brought up in Zimbabwe, Paula moved to London in 1989 and has lived there ever since. This multi-million bestseller is her first novel. Doubleday
Picador
Bord Gáis EnErGy IRISH BOOK AWARDS 2015 11
10TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE
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015 marks the tenth anniversary of the Irish Book Awards. Building arts projects is a slow process requiring patience, energy and determination and looking back, it’s sobering to consider how modest an outfit we were back in the day. In 2006 there were a mere three award categories: fiction, non-fiction and children’s. On the first awards night, a group no larger than one you might see at a suburban dinner party congregated in a Dun Laoghaire yacht Club to applaud winners John Banville, Brian Dillon and Kate Thompson for The Sea, In the Dark Room, and The New Policeman. By the time Anne Enright won Novel of the year for The Gathering in 2008, we had expanded to eight categories which were presented in the more salubrious surroundings of The Mansion House. But the game-changer came in 2010 when Bord Gáis Energy came on board as headline sponsors, securing for the project the substantial financial underpinning that has enabled us to grow exponentially. Arts and business collaborations require mutual understanding and with Bord Gáis Energy the synergy was there from the outset. Now, after six years and several contract renewals, it’s good to know that both parties are in it for the long haul and the future of the awards is secured. In recent years, the growth of the awards has been staggering. We now have fifteen awards categories. The entire book industry is involved. We’ve had Presidents,
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Taoisigh, Nobel Laureates and most of the best writers in Ireland in attendance at the Gala Dinner which now accommodates upwards of 500 guests annually. It’s become one of the premier events in the Irish literary calendar, a glittering evening to celebrate Irish writing, broadcast to the nation on the RTÉ TV highlights show.
We are proud of the way in which the awards have engaged the attention of the reading public But more than anything, perhaps, we are proud of the way in which the awards have engaged the attention of the great reading public. Every year, readers vote in their thousands to help choose the winners of the awards. Thanks for taking part! Literary prizes proliferate but often make little impression on the average reader. For the crucial two months period at the end of each year, The Bord Gáis Energy Irish Book Awards showcases Irish books and Irish writers with a level of media coverage that surpasses all others. Looking down from the summit in 2015, it’s extraordinary to see the scale of the ascent. We’ve come a long way from Dun Laoghaire. Here’s to another ten years!
IRISH BOOK AWARDS
Bord Gรกis EnErGy IRISH BOOK AWARDS 2015 13
THE IRELANd AM
CRIME FICTION BOOK
Irish crime writing has developed steadily into a thriving genre of successful writers, a matrix from which emerges year after year, new talents inspired to follow in their footsteps. A warm welcome to newcomers Jax Miller and our first tandemteam, Karen Perry.
LAST YEAR’S WINNER: unravelling Oliver Liz Nugent
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After The Fire Jane Casey After a fire, two bodies are found locked in an 11th floor flat. The third victim, controversial MP Geoff Armstrong, ensures the presence of detective Maeve Kerrigan and the murder squad. What was such a right wing politician doing in the deprived, culturally diverse Maudling Estate? Another gripping police procedural from Jane Casey. Ebury Press
Are you Watching Me? Sinéad Crowley Liz Cafferky , unwilling darling of the Dublin media, barely notices a letter from a new fan. But then she receives another, more sinister note. Running from her own ghosts, Liz is too scared to go to the police. And with no leads, there is little Sergeant Claire Boyle can do to protect her. Quercus
WATCH THE AWARdS ON RTé ONE SATuRDAy 28TH NOVEMBER
OF THE YEAR
Even The dead Benjamin Black
Freedom’s Child Jax Miller
only We Know Karen Perry
The Game Changer Louise Phillips
When a body is found, Quirke is called in to verify the apparent suicide of an up-andcoming civil servant. But Quirke can't shake a suspicion of foul play. When the trail eventually leads to Quirke's own family, the past and present collide. Another visceral, gritty and cinematic thriller from Benjamin Black, the pen name of acclaimed author John Banville.
A heart-stopping debut thriller about a woman named Freedom, who will stop at nothing to save the daughter she only knew for two minutes and seventeen seconds. Freedom's Child is Jax Miller’s debut novel and will be published in over a dozen languages. She lives in Ireland with her husband.
In 1982, on a oncein-a-lifetime holiday beneath the stifling heat of the midday sun, three children start a game that ends in tragedy. Now, thirty years later, Nick, Luke and Katie are estranged, yet still bound together by the dark truth of what happened at the river that day. Except some secrets won't stay buried.
When criminal psychologist Dr Kate Pearson was twelve years old she was abducted, but she has no memory of the time she was held. Over twenty years later, an anonymous note is pushed under her door... I REMEMBER yOu, KATE. And suddenly Kate's distant past becomes her present.
HarperCollins
Michael Joseph
Hachette Books Ireland
Viking
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THE SuNdAY INdEpENdENT
NEWCOMER OF THE These days, the literary pages are full of stories about a “New Wave” of young Irish writers. Talk of “waves” and “movements” is overblown but undoubtedly something is stirring in new Irish writing as the terrific shortlist for the 2015 Sunday Independent Newcomer of the Year will attest.
LAST YEAR’S WINNER: Only Ever yours Louise O’Neill
dinosaurs on other Planets Danielle McLaughlin In Danielle McLaughlin's stories, the world is both beautiful and alien. Men and women negotiate their surroundings watchfully, with a mixture of wonder and apprehension. Here are characters living lives in translation, ever at the mercy of misunderstandings, striving to make sense both of the spaces they inhabit and of the people they share them with. Stinging Fly Press
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Eggshells Caitriona Lally Caitriona Lally offers a witty, exhilarating debut novel in Eggshells. Vivian’s head is filled to the brim with clever one-liners that leave the people she encounters more than a little confused. Her OCDlike tendencies make her human relationships strained, but she still has the house her Great Aunt Maude left her – as long as she doesn't hurt its feelings. Liberties Press
YEAR
WATCH THE AWARdS ON RTé ONE SATuRDAy 28TH NOVEMBER
Hopscotch: A Memoir Hilary Fannin
spill simmer Falter Wither Sara Baume
The Glorious Heresies Lisa McInerney
Hilary is four, and she has a mother and a father and an older brother and sisters. But now that she is in Low Babies in the local convent school, it seems Hilary has something else called responsibilities. A funny, poignant and beautifully written memoir, a spellbinding meditation on innocence, love and memory itself.
A misfit man finds a misfit dog. Both are accustomed to being alone, unloved, outcast – but they quickly find in each other a strange companionship of sorts. As spring turns to summer, their relationship grows and intensifies, until a savage act forces them to abandon the precarious life they’d established, and take to the road.
One messy murder affects the lives of five misfits who exist on the fringes of Ireland's postcrash society. Hard-hitting, moving and darkly funny, The Glorious Heresies explores salvation, shame and the legacy of Ireland's twentiethcentury attitudes to sex and family, in this acclaimed debut novel.
Doubleday Ireland
John Murray
Weightless Sarah Bannan Before Carolyn Lessing arrived, nothing much had ever happened in Adamsville, Alabama. She was perfect. This was all before it became impossible to see where rumour ended and truth began, and cracks began to appear in the dry earth. A haunting coming-ofage story for the digital generation and an examination of the hypocrisy of small town life. Bloomsbury Circus
Tramp Press
Bord Gáis EnErGy IRISH BOOK AWARDS 2015 17
THEjOuRNAL.IE
BEST IRISH-PUBLISHED In the digital age the primacy of the physical book cannot be understated. In The Best Irish-published category we see this concept made gloriously and vibrantly real. Six beautiful books on culturally important Irish themes such as 1916 and the Cultural Revival vie for the title of Best Irish-published Book of the Year.
READ, SHARE AND SHAPE THE NEWS
LAST YEAR’S WINNER: Dubliners 100 Edited by Thomas Morris
1916: Portraits And Lives Edited by Lawrence William White & James Quinn. Illustrated by David Rooney A selection of articles from the Royal Irish Academy's Dictionary of Irish Biography, dealing with 42 men and women whose careers were deeply involved with the Easter Rising of 1916. Each biography is illustrated with an original drawing by artist David Rooney. This selection aims to give a balanced view of the rising. Royal Irish Academy
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Eileen Gray: Her Work And Her World Jennifer Goff The renowned and highly influential architect, furnituremaker, interior designer and photographer Eileen Gray was born in Ireland and remained throughout her life an Irishwoman at heart. Jennifer Goff expertly blends art history and biography, offering an insight into truly understanding Gray - the woman and the professional. Irish Academic Press
WATCH THE AWARdS ON RTé ONE SATuRDAy 28TH NOVEMBER
BOOK OF THE YEAR
Handbook of The irish revival Edited by Declan Kiberd & P.J. Mathews An anthology of Irish cultural and political writings from the revolutionary period 1891-1922, the book offers a fresh insight into the fascinating Irish Revival. Showcasing texts that have never been readily available to the public before, this vibrant collection promises to shed surprising new light on this formative period to accurately reflect a remarkable era of achievement and change. Abbey Theatre Press
ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way Carsten Krieger Take a photographic journey down Ireland’s Atlantic coast from Donegal in the north to Cork in the south. This beautiful book showcases the west coast in all its wild beauty: dramatic views, abundant nature and wildlife, lighthouses, harbours and quaint seaside villages, as well as heritage, history and people. The O'Brien Press
The Long Gaze Back Edited by Sinéad Gleeson
Windharp Edited by Niall MacMonagle
The Long Gaze Back, edited by Sinéad Gleeson, is an exhilarating anthology of thirty short stories by some of the most gifted women writers this island has ever produced. Taken together, the collected works of these writers reveal an enrapturing, unnerving, and piercingly beautiful mosaic of a lively literary landscape.
Windharp is an anthology that follows the twists and turns of Irish history, culture and society through the work of its remarkable standing army of poets. Edited by Niall MacMonagle, Ireland's most trusted poetry commentator, Windharp is an accessible and inspiring journey through a century of Irish life.
New Island Books
Penguin Ireland
Bord Gáis EnErGy IRISH BOOK AWARDS 2015 19
THE BOB HuGHES LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARd
J.P. DONLEAVY
T
he board of the Bord Gáis Energy Irish Book Awards wish to confer upon j.p. donleavy their Lifetime Achievement Award for 2015. The Award will be presented at the annual Awards dinner in the doubletree Hilton Hotel in dublin on the night of November 25th. In 1946 a young American, J.P. ‘Mike’ Donleavy, arrived in Dublin to take up his studies at Trinity College. In the postwar euphoria he found a natural home in the bohemian Dublin of Behan and Kavanagh, drinking in the celebrated literary pubs, McDaid’s and Davy Byrnes. It is here that he received his real education and the resulting thesis is his 1955 novel, The Ginger Man, an anarchic, light-hearted, rambunctious twentieth-century classic following the social and sexual peregrinations of a footloose American on the streets and in the pubs of Dublin. Dorothy Parker called it, ‘stunning... brilliant ... the picaresque novel to stop them all. Lusty, violent, wildly funny, it is a rigadoon of rascality, a bawled-out comic song of sex.’ Banned in Ireland until 1968, the novel went on to become a true classic, cited as one of the 100 best novels of the twentieth century. It has been translated into some two dozen languages including Hebrew, Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese. Brendan
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Behan predicted that it was destined to ‘go around the world, and beat the bejaysus out of the Bible’. Behan got the first part right. Since its first publication in 1955, the novel has sold close to 50 million copies, bringing more tourists to Dublin’s Trinity College (where it was set) than the Book of Kells. Any book sold keeps yeats’s “greasy till” chiming but there are certain books booksellers actively enjoy recommending and selling to their customers and Irish booksellers have been recommending and selling The Ginger Man for six decades. It is those good friends of the book trade that our Lifetime Achievement Award is designed to honour and J.P. Donleavy is indeed one such friend. In the 60th anniversary year of The Ginger Man, The board of the Bord Gáis Energy Irish Book Awards is proud to honour the winner of the 2015 Bob Hughes Lifetime Achievement Award, J.P. Donleavy.
THE AVONMORE
COOKBOOK OF THE Now in its fourth year The Avonmore Cookbook of the Year has quickly become an established Awards favourite, perhaps because we Irish love good food. What's more, we produce fantastic fresh produce and we're blessed with talented chefs brimming with ideas on how to cook it. Bon appetit!
A Bird in The Hand Diana Henry Chicken is one of the most popular foods we love to cook and eat: comforting, quick, celebratory and casual. In A Bird In The Hand, Diana Henry offers a host of new, easy and not-so-very-wellknown dishes, starring the bird we all love. Mitchell Beazley
LAST YEAR’S WINNER: The Nation’s Favourite Food Fast! Neven Maguire
Coast – recipes inspired By ireland’s Wild Atlantic Coast Rachel Allen Go on a trip with Rachel Allen as she journeys along the beautiful Atlantic coast of Ireland, delivering over 100 recipes collected from her culinary odyssey. Follow her as she explores local fare, starting her journey near her home in Cork and travelling all the way up to the green untamed headlands of Donegal. HarperCollins
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YEAR
Fresh Donal Skehan Fresh is jam-packed with yummy recipes to cook at home and fill you with energy. Don't deprive yourself – it's all about maximising your health through eating delicious and nutrient-packed food. Tying into Donal's TV series on eating for energy, Fresh includes recipes that are big on flavour and chock-full of goodness! Hodder & Stoughton
WATCH THE AWARdS ON RTé ONE SATuRDAy 28TH NOVEMBER
Home: recipes From ireland Trish Deseine In Home: Recipes From Ireland, Trish Deseine re-visits classic recipes from her childhood which have shaped her tastes and her cookery, and invents many others, dismissing once and for all the clichés about Irish food. Accompanied by sumptuous photography reflecting the special atmosphere of the Emerald Isle, Home is an emotional culinary tour.
The nation’s Favourite Healthy Food Neven Maguire Every day, Neven Maguire meets people looking to navigate the world of healthy eating. Whether you have an intolerance or you simply want to find recipes that will help you look and feel better, join Ireland’s favourite chef in a fresh and modern way of eating.
The Virtuous Tart Susan Jane White Now you can have your cake and eat it too. That’s because all of Susan Jane’s sweets, treats, drinks and snacks are packed with nutritional hits that love your body, boost your brain and make you feel and look great. It’s no wonder they are her most requested recipes. Gill & Macmillan
Gill & Macmillan
Hachette Cuisine
Bord Gáis EnErGy IRISH BOOK AWARDS 2015 23
THE SpECSAVERS
CHILDREN’S BOOK OF Developing the reading habit is one of the greatest gifts we can give to our children. Picture books represent not just a great opportunity for quality time but a gateway into a wonderland that will engage them for the rest of their lives. Try them with these six terrific titles.
LAST YEAR’S WINNER: Shh! We Have A Plan Chris Haughton
A dublin Fairytale Nicola Colton Fiona’s on a journey to Granny’s house... but who’s that following her through the streets of Dublin? Travel across the city with Fiona and her fantastic friends in this modern Dublin fairytale. With beautiful quirky illustrations by acclaimed illustrator Nicola Colton. The O'Brien Press
imaginary Fred Eoin Colfer & Oliver Jeffers An extraordinary collaboration between Irish Children’s Laureate, Eoin Colfer, and picture book superstar, Oliver Jeffers. Sometimes, with a little electricity, or luck, or even magic, an imaginary friend might appear when you need one. An imaginary friend like Fred. HarperCollins Children's Books
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WATCH THE AWARdS ON RTé ONE SATuRDAy 28TH NOVEMBER
THE YEAR juNIOR
i’m A Girl! Yasmeen Ismail The girl in this book likes to win, she likes to be spontaneous, fast and strong, and because she also likes to dress in t-shirt and shorts, she is forever getting mistaken for a boy. A wonderful celebration of being who we are and not being pigeon-holed or restricted by gender stereotypes. Bloomsbury Children's Books
The Boy Who Fell off the Mayflower, or John Howland's Good Fortune P.J. Lynch
The day The Crayons Came Home Drew Daywalt & Oliver Jeffers
John Howland's tale is masterfully told in his own voice, bringing an immediacy to the familiar Pilgrims' story. P.J. Lynch captures this pivotal moment in American history in precise and exquisite detail, from the light on the froth of a breaking wave to the questioning voice of a teen in a new world.
Watch out – the crayons are back and they're crosser than ever! A hilarious text and joyful illustrations combine to show that crayons have feelings too in this laugh-out-loud sequel to bestselling picture book The Day the Crayons Quit.
The snow Beast Chris Judge Beast has been robbed! And so has the whole village. Without tools the villagers can't put on their legendary Winter Festival, so Beast sets off to solve the mystery. Discovering that a stranded Snow Beast is behind the robbery, Beast has to decide whether to help this oddlooking stranger. Andersen Press
HarperCollins Children's Books
Walker Books
Bord Gáis EnErGy IRISH BOOK AWARDS 2015 25
THE SpECSAVERS
CHILDREN’S BOOK OF Young adult is currently the hottest genre in all publishing and Irish writers are in the vanguard. This year’s shortlist for The Specsavers Children’s category (Senior) comprises a stellar list of top Irish writers all signed to major UK publishing imprints.
LAST YEAR’S WINNER: Moone Boy Chris O’Dowd & Nick V. Murphy
Asking For it Louise O’Neill Does it matter if you can't remember? After a party, Emma can’t remember what happened. But everyone else does. Photographs taken at the party show, in explicit detail, what happened to Emma that night. A novel about betrayal and consent, truth and denial, in the age of the smartphone. Quercus Childrens
darkmouth: Worlds Explode Shane Hegarty Shane Hegarty was Arts Editor of The Irish Times, but left to be a full time writer after Darkmouth sold in a frenzied auction. The second book in the action-packed series continues the adventures of the most unfortunate Legend Hunter ever to don fighting armour and pick up a Dessicator. HarperCollins Children's Books
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WATCH THE AWARdS ON RTé ONE SATuRDAy 28TH NOVEMBER
THE YEAR SENIOR
demon road Derek Landy The creator of the number one bestselling Skulduggery Pleasant series returns with the story of a girl on the run from everything she loves… and the monsters that await her. Witty, actionpacked and heart-stoppingly thrilling, Demon Road will take you on an epic roadtrip across the supernatural landscape of America.
once Upon A Place Edited by Eoin Colfer & illustrated by P.J. Lynch A collection of new short stories and poems by Ireland's top childrens writers, edited by Laureate na nÓg Eoin Colfer and illustrated by world renowned artist P.J. Lynch. Each contribution is based around the theme of place, being set or inspired by a particular location within Ireland.
one Sarah Crossan Grace and Tippi are twins – conjoined twins. But their lives are about to change. A heart-wrenching decision lies ahead. This moving and beautifully crafted novel about identity, sisterhood and love ultimately asks one question: what does it mean to want and have a soulmate? Bloomsbury Children's Books
The Boy At The Top of The Mountain John Boyne Pierrot knows nothing about the Nazis when he is sent to live with his aunt in the Berghof. Taken under Hitler's wing, Pierrot is swept up into a dangerous new world of power, secrets and betrayal – and ultimately, he must choose where his loyalties lie. Doubleday
Little Island Books
HarperCollins Children's Books
Bord Gáis EnErGy IRISH BOOK AWARDS 2015 27
HarperCollins congratulates:
C
E
EC
ELIA AHER
N COLFE OI R OL
R JEFFE IVE R
RA
N
SH
ANE
HEGAR
CHEL ALLEN
TY
O
LIV DR
S
DE
R E K L A N DY
JAX
ER JEFFER
EW
D AY W A
MILLER
Shortlisted for the Bord Gรกis Energy Irish Book Awards 2015
LT
S
THE WRITING.IE
SHORT STORY OF THE
Rest Day John Boyne
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Photo: Ger Holland
LAST YEAR’S WINNER:
Photo: Anthony Woods
Many outstanding novelists have launched their careers with short stories, a form that has a special place in the Irish literary tradition. Anne Enright says that short stories are like cats “beautiful but a little self-contained.” This year’s shortlist features six beautiful short stories for readers to enjoy.
A slanting of the sun Donal Ryan
The Journey to Galway Colm Tóibín
Donal Ryan is the author of two acclaimed novels, The Spinning Heart and The Thing About December. In 2012 The Spinning Heart won the Bord Gáis Energy Irish Book of the year and in 2013 it won the Guardian First Book Award. A Slanting of the Sun is his first short story collection.
Colm Tóibín is one of Ireland’s most distinguished and most decorated writers. He has won the IMPAC and Costa Novel of the year awards. He is the author of eight novels, two collections of short stories and many works of non-fiction. His work has been translated into more than thirty languages.
Published in A Slanting of the Sun (Doubleday Ireland)
Published in The Irish Times & All Over Ireland (Faber & Faber)
REAd ALL SIx SHORT STORIES ONLINE AT WRITING.IE
YEAR AWARD
Paul Lenehan has been writing short stories for twenty years. He was twice shortlisted for the Hennessy/Sunday Tribune short story award. His story December Swimmers was a winner in The Moth Short Story Prize in 2015. Published in The Moth, Issue 22 Autumn 2015
What Time is it now, Where you Are? Colum McCann Colum McCann, originally from Dublin, is the author of five novels and three collections of stories. He has won numerous international literary awards including the IMPAC and The National Book Award. Published in Thirteen Ways of Looking (Bloomsbury Publishing)
Photo: Conor O'Mahony
Photo: Dustin Aksland
december swimmers Paul Lenehan
monologue for cabman Kevin Barry Kevin Barry is the author of the story collections Dark Lies The Island and There Are Little Kingdoms and the novels City Of Bohane and Beatlebone. His stories have appeared in The New Yorker, and many other journals and anthologies. Published in The Stinging Fly, Issue 31 Volume Two, Summer 2015.
Boy, 19 John Boyne John Boyne is the author of nine novels and four for younger readers. His novels have been published in 48 languages. In 2012, he was awarded the Hennessy Literary ‘Hall of Fame’ Award. John won the Short Story category last year for Rest Day. Published in Beneath the Earth (Doubleday)
“At the heart of Irish writing online, Writing.ie is a global platform, promoting established authors while drawing on their wisdom and experience to provide unparalleled resources for new and aspiring writers. We are thrilled that the Short Story of the Year shortlist reflects this each year, featuring both stellar names in the world of Irish Fiction as well as new and exciting emerging voices.” Vanessa Fox O’Loughlin, Founder of Writing.ie
IN MEMORIAM
BRIAN FRIEL 1929-2015
W
ith the death of Brian Friel in October, aged 86, Ireland lost her greatest playwright and one of her greatest gentleman of letters. In a long career that brought him many honours, Friel wrote twenty-four published plays, two short-story collections and eight published adaptations, most notably from Ibsen, Chekov and Turgenev, the great European masters alongside of whom his literary legacy will surely stand justifiable comparison. His first major play was the hit of the 1964 Dublin Theatre Festival and Philadelphia, Here I Come! is a text dear to the heart of Irish booksellers because of its inclusion on the Leaving Cert syllabus. Dancing at Lughnasa (1990), probably his most successful play, won three Tony Awards in 1992 and any theatre-goer who has witnessed the climactic scene where the Mundy sisters burst into wild pagan dancing will know the sheer dramatic power of Friel. Many actually regard Faith Healer (1979) as his greatest play but Translations (1980) has its adherents too. The plays deal with the unreliability of memory, the strangeness of families, often using Ballybeg, the archetypal small town, as a locale. As an artist he was sufficiently engagé to address the major Irish political themes in plays like The Freedom of the City, Volunteers and Translations. He described himself as a nationalist, was once a member of the old Nationalist Party in the North, was elected Seanad Eireann and
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co-founded the political theatre group Field Day with actor Stephen Rea. Latterly, his plays became less overtly political and more reflective but as with all of the greats, Friel sustained a prodigious output well into his final decades. A modest man who shunned the limelight preferring to yield primacy to the work at all times, Friel could be acerbic and droll as well; when Queen’s Belfast named its Centre for Theatre Research after him in 2009, he joked that it would probably be located in the basement of the Seamus Heaney Centre for Poetry. Brian Friel was one of the best-loved writers of this or any other generation. He will be greatly missed but the plays will be performed and enjoyed by future generations for many years to come.
THE NATIONAL BOOK TOKENS
NON-FICTION BOOK Almost inevitably, this year’s non-fiction shortlist includes a plethora of books on 1916 or related topics. RTÉ’s Joe Duffy joins historians Diarmaid Ferriter, Ronan Fanning, Tim Pat Coogan and, Matt Cooper and Carlo Gébler bring us biographies of two extraordinary men.
THE ONLY GIFT CARD WELCOMED IN BOOKSHOPS ACROSS IRELAND
LAST YEAR’S WINNER: The Life And Loves Of A He Devil Graham Norton
1916: The Mornings After Tim Pat Coogan
A nation And not A rabble Diarmaid Ferriter
The 1916 Easter Rising and its aftermath changed Ireland forever. Those who avoided the firing squads went on to plan a new struggle, shaping their country's destiny for the century to come. Tim Pat Coogan offers a strong personal perspective on the Irish century that followed the Rising.
Packed with violence, political drama and social and cultural upheaval, the years 1913-23 were full of revolution and unrest in Ireland. Drawing on an abundance of newly released archival material, witness statements and testimony from the ordinary Irish people who lived and fought through some extraordinary times, the book gives a new account of those years.
Head of Zeus
Profile Books
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WATCH THE AWARdS ON RTé ONE SATuRDAy 28TH NOVEMBER
OF THE YEAR
Children of The rising Joe Duffy The first ever account of the young lives violently lost during the week of the 1916 Rising: long-forgotten and never commemorated, until now. Drawing on extensive original research, along with interviews with relatives, Joe Duffy creates a compelling picture of these forty lives, and of the cut and thrust of city life between the two canals a century ago.
Éamon de Valera Ronan Fanning
The Maximalist Matt Cooper
The Projectionist Carlo Gébler
Éamon de Valera is the most remarkable man in the history of modern Ireland. On the eve of the centenary of the Irish Revolution, one of Ireland's most eminent historians explains why Éamon de Valera was such a divisive figure that he has never – until now – received the recognition he deserves.
In this landmark biography, Matt Cooper draws on an abundance of new material, including interviews with many of Tony O’Reilly’s closest family, friends, associates and rivals, to uncover the man behind the myth. It documents in unflinching detail and with great subtlety the meteoric rise and slow unravelling of an Irish icon.
At the helm of one of Ireland’s bestknown literary families, Ernest Geblér’s life was one of staggering complexity and immense talent that spanned a tumultuous century. In a book that is both biography and memoir, Carlo Gébler, Ernest’s estranged son, tells the enthralling story of his father’s life.
Faber & Faber
New Island Books
Gill & Macmillan
Hachette Books Ireland
Bord Gáis EnErGy IRISH BOOK AWARDS 2015 35
THE BORd GáIS ENERGY
SPORTS BOOK OF TH Sport occupies a central place in Irish life. You cannot keep sport stories out of the headlines. Our most heroic figures are often from the sports world and this year’s Bord Gáis Energy Sports Book of the Year shortlist features heroes of rugby, boxing, soccer and GAA.
LAST YEAR’S WINNER: The Test Brian O’Driscoll
Pulling the strings: My Autobiography Peter Stringer
Punching Above Their Weight Sean McGoldrick
When Peter Stringer played youth rugby, he was so small that people told his parents he shouldn't be allowed on the pitch. Over 200 provincial caps and 98 international caps later, Stringer is a legend. Now, Peter Stringer tells his own story – a story every Irish rugby fan will want to read.
A story of blood, sweat and tears and not just in the ring. Sean McGoldrick gives us the inside story on the great Irish tradition of boxing. It’s a story of highs and lows, of wins and losses and of great sportsmen, some whose achievements never quite reached their dreams and others who returned to Ireland victorious.
Penguin Ireland
The O'Brien Press
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E YEAR
The Autobiography Henry Shefflin In an era when Kilkenny established itself as the dominant force in hurling, one man stood out from a remarkable group of players: Henry Shefflin. Now widely regarded as the greatest player of all time, his hurling life has included its share of bitter disappointments, agonizing injuries and intense rivalries. An essential and insightful read. Penguin Ireland
WATCH THE AWARdS ON RTé ONE SATuRDAy 28TH NOVEMBER
The Last Line: My Autobiography Packie Bonner
The White Heat: My Autobiography Tomás Ó Sé
Until Victory Always: A Memoir Jim McGuinness
Goalkeeping legend Packie Bonner shares stories from his incredible career, including his greatest moment in front of a global audience during the Italia '90 World Cup tournament when he became the penalty shoot-out hero of the nation by saving a spot-kick that took the Irish to the quarter-finals stage in their very first World Cup adventure.
When Tomás Ó Sé retired in 2013, he was one of the longest-serving players in intercounty history and one of its most prolific winners. In this account of his upbringing and time in the Championship cauldron competing alongside and against the sport’s modern greats, Tomás writes candidly about life as a member of Ireland’s greatest sporting dynasty.
Until Victory Always is McGuinness’s unforgettable and highly personal account of his years at the helm of the Donegal team. Confessional, moving, funny and fiercely honest, it’s at once the epic story of one team’s audacious bid to rewrite its destiny and one man’s moving testament to the power of sport to sustain us in our darkest moments.
Gill & Macmillan
Gill & Macmillan
Ebury Press
Bord Gáis EnErGy IRISH BOOK AWARDS 2015 37
THE BOOKS ARE MY BAG
POPULAR NON-FICTIO Non-fiction is a genre which covers multitudes so this year for the first time we are including a Popular Non-fiction category which separates out the popular entertainment titles. Household names who have made their mark in other fields abound in this first popular nonfiction shortlist.
AWARdEd FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 2015
Counting My Blessings Francis Brennan
Me And My Mate Jeffrey Niall Breslin
Francis Brennan shares his memories while letting us in on the secret to his success – his belief in happiness. By counting his blessings he outlines what matters to him and what has sustained him in life, and shows how learning to be happy is the most important gift you can give yourself.
Niall Breslin describes living with depression, and his crippling journey to finally acknowledging ‘Jeffrey’ – the name he chose for it – years after he took the decision to conceal his growing mental health issues from the world. Told with raw honesty, it is a story of the demons that lay beneath outward success, and also of a road to reconciliation.
Gill & Macmillan
Hachette Books Ireland
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WATCH THE AWARdS ON RTé ONE SATuRDAy 28TH NOVEMBER
N BOOK OF THE YEAR
off you Go Maeve Higgins Maeve Higgins, the stunning and humble comedian, left Ireland with just a carry-on bag filled to the brim with a positive attitude. New york has been kind to our Celtic princess and she’s ready to return the favour, by writing about it. Off You Go will make your day, your night and your bed – if you let it. Hachette Books Ireland
shine: A Girl's Guide To Thriving (not Just surviving) in real Life Siobhán Hackett & Mary Doherty Mary Doherty and Siobhan Hackett have mined their experience as teachers and counsellors to let every teenage girl know that they don't need to be the best at everything – they just need to be the best at being themselves. Shine shows girls how they can shine from the inside out. Hachette Books Ireland
The daughterhood Natasha Fennell & Róisín Ingle The Daughterhood is the funny, poignant, and occasionally heartbreaking story of eight daughters coming together to talk about their mothers and the joy and despair that this relationship brings. Over a period of months they commit to completing various tasks, all in the hope of improving their relationship with the most important woman in their lives.
That’s Life Marty Whelan Throughout the highs and lows of a 30-year career as one of Ireland’s best-loved radio and television personalities, Marty Whelan has always remained upbeat, with a determination for survival and an enthusiasm for life.In this warm and witty memoir, Marty takes inspiration from the songs that have had meaning in his life. Gill & Macmillan
Simon & Schuster UK
Bord Gáis EnErGy IRISH BOOK AWARDS 2015 39
BORd GáIS ENERGY INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION AWARd
WINNER: BILL BRYSON
T
he International Recognition Award aims to honour international writers who, in the view of the Bord Gáis Energy Irish Book Awards board, have contributed substantially to the health and wealth of the Irish book-trade. Recipients will have a large corpus of popular work behind them; will have sales figures counted in millions; will have demonstrated staying power and longevity; and will have endeared themselves to Irish booksellers throughout their long careers. This year’s recipient satisfies all of these criteria in spades and he is Bill Bryson. Starting with The Lost Continent in 1989, Bryson has delighted Irish readers with a series of books which for warmth, wit and insight have rarely been surpassed. He has an unerring eye for the foibles and customs of the countries he’s written about and has parlayed his observational acuity into a brilliant literary career with massive worldwide sales (A Short History of Nearly Everything alone has sold 1.75 m copies.) Whether he is writing about growing up in Iowa, the British way of life, Shakespeare, the components of a domestic home or the American summer of 1927, Bryson’s signature tone is one of insatiable curiosity and wry amusement at the world we live in.
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In his writing he can be acerbic, biting and hilarious but has also said that “the world is crazy but more and more I’ve tried to balance the negatives with some positives because there is also a lot of good in the world.” There, surely, speaks the voice of sanity. The good news for Irish readers is the aspiration expressed in recent interviews which would seem to indicate the possibility of a travel book on Ireland at some future date. “Ireland is so much where my roots are” he has said; “I've always wanted to keep Ireland for a separate book.” you’ll be glad to hear we intend to discuss the matter when Bill turns up to receive his International Recognition Award at the Gala Dinner in Dublin on November 25th. Meanwhile, Irish booksellers offer their warmest congratulations to Bill Bryson on this richly-deserved award.
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The Avonmore Cookbook of the Year Congratulations to the following authors shortlisted The Avonmore Cookbook of the Year 2015 A Bird in the Hand Diana Henry Mitchell Beazley/Octopus Publishing Group The Nation’s Favourite Healthy Food Neven Maguire Gill & Macmillan The Virtuous Tart Susan Jane White Gill & Macmillan Coast: Recipes from Ireland's Wild Atlantic Way Rachel Allen HarperCollins Home: Recipes from Ireland Trish Deseine Hachette Cuisine (Paris) Fresh: Simple, delicious recipes to make you feel energised Donal Skehan Hodder & Stoughton
Check out our delicious, easy to make recipes online at www.cookwithavonmore.ie
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