THE BEST IRISH BOOKS OF THE YEAR
GIVE THE GIFT OF A BOOK THIS CHRISTMAS
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bgeirishbookawards.ie
watch the awards on rtĂŠ one wednesday 29th november
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For publishers, distributors, booksellers and readers, it’s that exciting time of year when the big books begin to land in bookstores across the country. Autumn also signals the start of the Bord Gáis Energy Irish Book Awards season and we are pleased to bring you once again the very best of Irish writing in our annual campaign. In June of this year, the organ of the book-trade, The Bookseller, dedicated an entire edition to the Irish books market noting its “return to form over the past two years” and applauding the general buoyancy which has seen Irish books, particularly in fiction, “flying off the shelves.” Challenges remain nevertheless – not least in the ambiguity of Brexit – but in a tough business, it is clear that here in Ireland, the flow of fine writing never seems to lose momentum. This year, we bring you more books and more authors than ever before including a new Teen/YA category designed to more adequately cover one of the hottest genres in all publishing. Sadly this year, in the manner of all good things, the partnership with our brilliant headline sponsor of eight years standing has come to an end as it moves to adjust its sponsorship portfolio. Throughout this period, Bord Gáis Energy has been a model sponsor – engaged, collaborative, imaginative and ever ready to champion the cause of Irish writing. To the BGE team who helped to propel the awards to the dizzy heights upon which we now stand we offer a thousand thanks and best wishes for the future. 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. You can also watch the highlights show on RTÉ One on 29th November. larry Mac hale is Managing Director of argosy Books & chairman, irish Book awards ltd.
a worD FroM oUr heaDline sPonsor: BorD gáis energy This year marks the 11th year of the Irish Book Awards and the eighth year we in Bord Gáis Energy have been proud to be headline sponsor. Over the period of our partnership we have been privileged to facilitate the showcasing of a most remarkable roster of Irish and international writing talent. It has been our honour to support and be witness to the celebration of such wonderful writers as Seamus Heaney, John Banville, Roddy Doyle, Mary Costello, Donal Ryan, Maeve Binchy and the list just goes on… just writing those names is a reminder of how lucky we are in this country to call these wonderful writers our own. Whilst this year marks the end of our tenure as headline sponsor we will continue our involvement as sponsor of the Sports Book of the Year and will as ever remain passionate cheerleaders of all things associated with Irish writing. This year like every one of the last eight we have a tremendous shortlist and can look forward to a wonderful awards ceremony in which we are thrilled to welcome David Walliams for his well-deserved International Recognition Award. As a parent of four keen book readers, David has been a welcome visitor to our home already on many occasions. I would like to thank the Awards committee for the incredible dedication and hard work they put in to organising these awards. We greatly value the support they have given us over the years and look forward to supporting them in their wonderful work for years to come. Finally congratulations to all the shortlisted authors, everyone in this shortlist should be truly proud, and we wish them all the very best in the awards. I look forward to seeing you all on the night! Dave Kirwan, Managing Director, Bord gáis energy.
the BorD gรกis energy irish BooK awarDs 2016
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 midday 23rd November 2017. 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
eason BooK clUB
NOVEL OF THE YEAR “The death of the novel is a rhetorical motif, all the more venerable for never having produced a corpse.” Benjamin Moser
Book Club
recent winners: 2016 Solar Bones by Mike McCormack 2015 The Green Road by Anne Enright 2014 Academy Street by Mary Costello 2013 The Guts by Roddy Doyle 2012 Ancient Light by John Banville 2011 Mistaken by Neil Jordan
Midwinter Break Bernard MacLaverty
he: A Novel John Connolly
In his first novel for sixteen years, Bernard MacLaverty portrays a retired couple flying to Amsterdam for a long weekend; a holiday to refresh the senses and generally to take stock of what remains of their lives. Their relationship seems safe, easy, familiar – but over the course of the four days we discover the deep uncertainties which exist between them.
Stan Laurel was one of the great screen comedians: a man who never sought to cause pain, yet left a trail of affairs and broken marriages in his wake. With he, John Connolly recreates the golden age of Hollywood for an intensely compassionate study behind one of the most enduring and beloved partnerships in cinema history: Laurel & Hardy.
Jonathan Cape
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Hodder & Stoughton
watch the awarDs on rté one WEDNESDAY 29TH NOVEMBER
Mrs Osmond John Banville Having fled Rome and a stultifying marriage, Isabel Osmond is in London, brooding on the recent disclosure of her husband's shocking, years-long betrayal of her. What should she do now, and which way should she turn? Reawakened by grief and the knowledge of having been grievously wronged, she determines to resume her youthful quest for freedom and independence.
The Heart's Invisible Furies John Boyne
When Light Is Like Water Molly McCloskey
Born out of wedlock in a rural Irish community and later adopted by an eccentric Dublin couple, Cyril Avery is adrift in the world, anchored only tenuously by his heartfelt friendship with the glamorous and dangerous Julian Woodbead. In this, Boyne's most transcendent work to date, we discover the story of Ireland from the 1940s to the present day.
Alice, a young American, arrives in the West of Ireland with no long-term plans. Soon she falls in love, marries, and settles down in a place whose codes she struggles to crack. And then, in the course of a single hot summer, she embarks on an affair that wrecks her marriage and sets her life on a new course.
Doubleday
Penguin Ireland
Smile Roddy Doyle Alone for the first time in years, Victor Forde goes every evening to Donnelly’s pub where he meets Fitzpatrick, a stranger in shorts and a pink shirt, who claims to remember him from school. Victor dislikes him on sight, but it’s these memories of school, and of one particular Brother, that he cannot control and which eventually threaten to destroy his sanity. Jonathan Cape
Viking
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POPULAR FICTION “Virtue ascendant, malice defeated - that’s what we look for in any kind of fiction, popular or otherwise.” Andrew S. Gibbons Orange Blossom Days Patricia Scanlan
recent winners: 2016 Holding by Graham Norton 2015 The Way We Were by Sinéad Moriarty 2014 The Year I Met You by Cecelia Ahern 2013 Downturn Abbey by Ross O’Carroll-Kelly 2012 A Week in Winter by Maeve Binchy 2011 All For You by Sheila O’Flanagan
In a beautiful southern Spanish town, where the sea sparkles and orange blossoms scent the air, the gates of a brand new apartment complex glide open to welcome the new owners. Anna and Austen MacDonald, an Irish couple, are preparing to enjoy their retirement but the demands of family cause problems which shake their marriage to the core. Simon & Schuster
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The Break Marian Keyes Amy's husband isn't leaving her. He still loves her – he's just taking a break from their marriage, their children and, most of all, from their life together. Six months to lose himself in South East Asia. And there is nothing Amy can say or do about it. The Break is Marian Keyes at her funniest, wisest and brilliant best. Michael Joseph
watch the awarDs on rté one WEDNESDAY 29TH NOVEMBER
BOOK OF THE YEAR
Operation Trumpsformation Ross O’Carroll-Kelly It's the end of the world as Ross knows it. Sorcha has thrown him out of the family home. The old dear is in prison, accused of murdering her second husband. His sons are showing an unhealthy interest in soccer! And his daughter wants everyone to call her Eddie. Another monumental fock-up for the Rossmeister and this time, there's no way of escaping! Penguin Ireland
The Good Mother Sinéad Moriarty Devastated after her husband's affair and the break-up of their family, Kate has pulled through and is beginning to see the start of a new life. But when twelve-year-old Jessica is diagnosed with cancer, Kate's resilience is put to the ultimate test. Kate knows she must do right by her children but maybe doing the right thing means doing the unthinkable? Penguin Ireland
The Woman at 72 Derry Lane Carmel Harrington On a leafy suburban street in Dublin, beautiful, poised Stella Greene appears to have it all. Next door, at number 72, lives gruff, bad-tempered Rea Brady. When Stella and Rea’s worlds collide they realise they have much in common. Both are trapped in a prison of their own making. Has help been next door without them realising it?
Keep You Safe Melissa Hill Every mother faces impossible choices. Vaccination is one of the hardest. For single mum Kate O’Hara, there was no decision to make. Her daughter Rosie is one of a small percentage of Irish children who can’t be vaccinated against measles. All Kate can do is hope that her little girl is safe and pray that it’s the right decision. HQ
HarperCollins Publishers
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rté raDio 1's the ryan tUBriDy show
LISTENERS' CHOICE
“When Tubs gets excited about books on-air, he’s like a kid on the Toy Show. We need that guileless enthusiasm for reading, now more than ever.” Bert Wright
recent winners: 2016 Lying In Wait by Liz Nugent 2015 Irelandopedia by Fatti & John Burke 2014 It’s All In The Head by Majella O’Donnell 2013 Staring at Lakes by Michael Harding 2012 Just Mary by Mary O’Rourke 2011 How To Be A Woman by Caitlin Moran
Francis Brennan's Book of Household Management Francis Brennan Francis Brennan is known for his impeccable taste and high standards in homemaking, so there’s no better man to tell you how to wash your sheets, clean your oven and arrange your cushions. In this book, Francis takes us through the house room by room and offers his advice and unique insights on how to manage your household. Gill Books
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The Word is Murder Anthony Horowitz A wealthy woman strangled six hours after she’s arranged her own funeral. A very private detective uncovering secrets but hiding his own. A reluctant author drawn into a story he can’t control. What do they have in common? Unexpected death, an unsolved mystery and a trail of bloody clues lie at the heart of Anthony Horowitz's pageturning new thriller. Century
AWARD
Ithaca Alan McMonagle In the summer of 2009, a troubled youngster flees his chaotic family life by escaping to the Swamp, a mysteriously rising pool of fetid water on the outskirts of the town. There, he meets a kindred spirit, an equally-lost girl, and together they conjure exotic adventures. This fine debut novel combines a fiercely emotional story with some crackling prose. Picador
watch the awarDs on rté one WEDNESDAY 29TH NOVEMBER
Admissions: A Life in Brain Surgery Henry Marsh Henry Marsh has spent a lifetime operating on the surgical frontline. There have been exhilarating highs and devastating lows, but his love for the practice of neurosurgery has never wavered. Reflecting on what forty years of handling the human brain has taught him, Marsh finds a different purpose in life as he approaches the end of his professional career. Weidenfeld & Nicolson
Jackie's Girl: My Life with the Kennedy Family Kathy McKeon In 1964, Kathy McKeon was nineteen years old and newly-arrived from Ireland when she was hired as the personal assistant to former first lady Jackie Kennedy. For the next thirteen years she served Jackie, helped to raise young Caroline and John Jr, but also enjoyed a front-row seat to some of the twentieth century’s most significant events.
he: A Novel John Connolly Stan Laurel was one of the great screen comedians: a man who never sought to cause pain, yet left a trail of affairs and broken marriages in his wake. With he, John Connolly recreates the golden age of Hollywood for an intensely compassionate study behind one of the most enduring and beloved partnerships in cinema history: Laurel & Hardy. Hodder & Stoughton
Simon & Schuster
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Photo by simon emmett
BorD gáis energy international recognition awarD
DAVID WALLIAMS
T
he Bord gáis energy international recognition award aims to honour international writers who, in the view of the 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 the millions; and will have endeared themselves to irish booksellers throughout their careers. this year’s recipient satisfies all of these criteria in spades and he is mega-selling children’s author, David walliams. Published by HarperCollins Children’s Books for almost a decade, David Walliams is a global phenomenon in the world of publishing and his books have revolutionised reading for children. His ability to wow fans is unprecedented, with global sales exceeding 20 million copies and his books translated into 53 languages. Walliams is the fastest growing children’s author in the UK and Ireland this decade and countless broadsheet reviewers have compared him to his all-time hero, Roald Dahl, the accolade of accolades in the field of children’s books. As booksellers, we are eternally grateful to David Walliams, not just for the music of the cash-register but because, like Roald Dahl, his wonderfully inventive books, like Ratburger, Gangsta Granny and Mr Stink brilliantly illustrated by Tony Ross, have inspired children to develop the reading habit, possibly for a lifetime.
For all of these reasons, we are delighted to award David Walliams the 2017 Bord Gáis Energy International Recognition Award, which will be presented at the Gala Dinner in Dublin on 28th November. Irish booksellers offer their warmest congratulations to David on this richlydeserved award.
David walliams’ award-winning books have become an eagerly anticipated part of every family’s festive season. his latest novel, Bad Dad, illustrated by the amazing tony ross, delivers all the hallmarks of a walliams classic and will no doubt be at the top of everyone’s christmas wish list. Bad Dad is coming to all good book retailers on 2nd november with simultaneous ebook and audio publication. David walliams said, “Bad Dad is about a boy named Frank whose dad is thrown into prison for driving the getaway car in a bank robbery. Frank hatches a daring plan to break his father out of prison for the night so they can put the stolen money back. But will the evil crime boss Mr Big stop them?”
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NEWCOMER OF THE “You look back on your first book as you would a first child; with affection and a sense of wonder at what you brought into the world, however tough it seemed at the time.” Walter Pierce
recent winners: 2016 Red Dirt by E.M. Reapy 2015 Spill Simmer Falter Wither by Sara Baume 2014 Only Ever Yours by Louise O’Neill 2013 The Herbalist by Niamh Boyce 2012 The Spinning Heart by Donal Ryan 2011 Solace by Belinda McKeon
Conversations With Friends Sally Rooney Frances, Bobbi, Nick and Melissa ask each other endless questions. As their relationships unfold, they discuss sex and friendship, art and literature, politics and gender, and, of course, one another. Twenty-one-yearold Frances is at the heart of it all, bringing us this tale of a complex ménage-à-quatre and her affair with Nick, an older married man. Faber & Faber
The Gospel According To Blindboy Blindboy Boatclub Here is a surreal genre-defying collection of short stories exploring the myths and contradictions of modern Ireland. Covering themes ranging from love and death to sex and politics, there’s a story about a girl from Tipp being kicked out of ISIS, a van powered by Cork accents and a man who drags a fridge on his back through Limerick. Gill Books
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YEAR
Oh My God, What a Complete Aisling The Novel Emer McLysaght & Sarah Breen Emer McLysaght and Sarah Breen, the creators of the much-loved Aisling character and the popular Facebook page, bring Aisling to life in their novel about the quintessential country girl in the big smoke. Newly single and relocated to the big city, life is about to change utterly for this wonderful, strong, surprising and funny girl.
watch the awarDs on rté one WEDNESDAY 29TH NOVEMBER
I Found My Tribe Ruth Fitzmaurice
Montpelier Parade Karl Geary
Harvesting Lisa Harding
Ruth Fitzmaurice has two extraordinary families. She has husband Simon, a filmmaker with advanced Motor Neurone Disease and five children under the age of 10. Then there is Ruth’s other family – The Tragic Wives Swimming Club who derive the purest solace from swimming in the freezing waters of The Irish Sea. Her memoir is a lifeaffirming inspiration.
In a sea-bright Dublin spring, Sonny is fixing a crumbling wall in the garden when he sees Vera for the first time. She is older, wealthier, sophisticated and as chance meetings quickly shade into shy arrangements, Sonny falls hopelessly in love. But Vera is hiding something that will have dramatic consequences for both of them.
Sammy is a spiky, quick-witted Dublin teenager; Nico is a warm and conscientious girl from Moldova. When they are thrown together in a Dublin brothel, a peculiar and important bond is formed. This is a novel about a flourishing but hidden world, thinly concealed beneath a veneer of normality – the appallingly cruel world of sex trafficking.
Harvill Secker
New Island Books
Chatto & Windus
Gill Books
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thejoUrnal.ie
BEST IRISH-PUBLISHED “Wherever they went the Irish brought with them their books, and that is how the Irish saved civilization.” Thomas Cahill The Woodcutter and His Family Frank McGuinness, cover design by Emma Byrne
READ, SHARE AND SHAPE THE NEWS
recent winners: 2016 The Glass Shore by Sinéad Gleeson (Editor) 2015 The Long Gaze Back by Sinéad Gleeson (Editor) 2014 Dubliners 100 by Thomas Morris (Editor) 2013 A History Of Ireland in 100 Objects by Fintan O’Toole 2012 Atlas of the Great Irish Famine by John Crowley, William J. Smyth & Mike Murphy 2011 Connemara by Tim Robinson
The World War intensifies in Europe. In Zurich as James Joyce is dying, the voices of his family surround him. Each chapter chronicles the power of their passion for their famous father, their love, their hate, their need, their sorrows and joys, their strangeness. And he has saved one last story to delight and defy them: The Woodcutter And His Family. Brandon, an imprint of The O'Brien Press
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Atlas of the Irish Revolution John Crowley, Donal Ó Drisceoil, Mike Murphy & John Borgonovo This definitive and visually compelling volume brings to life a pivotal moment in Irish history and nation-building. A chronological and thematically organised treatment of the period serves as the core of the Atlas, enhanced by over 400 colour illustrations. An academic tour de force, illuminating the effects of the Revolution on Irish culture and politics, both past and present. Cork University Press
watch the awarDs on rté one WEDNESDAY 29TH NOVEMBER
BOOK OF THE YEAR
De Valera: Volume I: Rise (1882–1932) David McCullagh Éamon de Valera was the single most consequential Irish figure of the twentieth century: leader in the Easter Rising; figurehead of the anti-Treaty rebels in the Civil War; and later, the pivotal figure in the birth of the Republic. In this, the first volume of a magisterial new biography, David McCullagh draws on new and neglected sources to present a rounded portrait of the man, his times and his complex legacy.
Tangleweed and Brine Deirdre Sullivan & illus Karen Vaughan Here is a collection of twelve dark, feminist retellings of traditional fairytales from one of Ireland’s leading writers for young people. Stories such as Cinderella and Rumpelstiltskin are given a witchy makeover not for the faint-hearted. With intricate black and white line drawings by a new Irish illustrator this is a hugely impressive collection.
A Sense of Home Helen James From leading Irish designer and food blogger Helen James comes a beautiful book for all who enjoy making their house a home. Room by room, Helen shares her distinctive design sensibility inspired by the natural world, as she considers the spaces where we spend so much of our time – indoor and out – from a sensory perspective: taste, sight, scent, touch and sound. Hachette Books Ireland
Connemara & Aran Photography by Walter Pfeiffer German-born Walter Pfeiffer was one of Ireland's leading names in the world of photography and in this book he presents his perception of a landscape he had grown to appreciate and understand more deeply over the years. Poems from seven leading poets who are equally fascinated by the landscape of the west coast of Ireland are included. Artisan House
Little Island
Gill Books
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irish inDePenDent
CRIME FICTION BOOK “Crime fiction confirms our belief, despite some evidence to the contrary, that we live in a rational, comprehensible, and moral universe.” P. D. James
recent winners: 2016 The Trespasser by Tana French 2015 After the Fire by Jane Casey 2014 Unravelling Oliver by Liz Nugent 2013 The Doll’s House by Louise Phillips 2012 Broken Harbour by Tana French 2011 Bloodland by Alan Glynn
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Can You Keep A Secret? Karen Perry
Here and Gone Haylen Beck
It's been twenty years since Lindsey has seen her best friend Rachel. Twenty years since she has set foot in Thornbury Hall, where they spent so much time as teenagers. It's time for a reunion – and for the secrets to come out. But some secrets should never be told – while others require revenge at any cost.
Audra has left her abusive husband. She’s taken the car, and her young children are buckled up in the back. This is their chance for a fresh start. Audra keeps to the country roads to avoid attention, but a police car is following her, lights flashing. Her perfect escape is about to turn into a nightmare beyond her imagining...
Michael Joseph
Harvill Secker
watch the awarDs on rté one WEDNESDAY 29TH NOVEMBER
OF THE YEAR
Let the Dead Speak Jane Casey
One Bad Turn Sinéad Crowley
Eighteen-year-old Chloe Emery returns home to find the house covered in blood and her mother gone. All the signs point to murder. Maeve Kerrigan is determined to prove she’s up to her new role as detective sergeant. She suspects Chloe is hiding something, but getting her to open up is impossible. All Maeve needs is one person to talk.
Sergeant Claire Boyle wasn't expecting to get caught up in a hostage situation during a doctor's appointment. When it becomes apparent that the kidnapping is somehow linked to the hostagetaker, a woman called Eileen Delaney, she is put in charge of finding the missing girl. Sinéad Crowley’s Claire Boyle series goes from strength to strength.
HarperCollins Publishers
Quercus
There Was a Crooked Man Cat Hogan Scott is coming back to Ireland to finish what he started. Jen knows Scott will come back. He almost killed her last time and he’s not a man to ever just move on. He will kill her and her young son. But her husband believes she has spiralled into paranoia. So she knows, when he returns, she’ll face the psychopath alone. Poolbeg Press
The Therapy House Julie Parsons Garda Inspector Michael McLoughlin is trying to enjoy his retirement doing a bit of PI work, meeting former colleagues, fixing up an old house in a genteel Dublin suburb near the sea. When he discovers the body of a retired judge, brutally murdered, McLoughlin's investigation reveals the dark secrets which would destroy the judge's legendary family name. New Island Books
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the BoB hUghes liFetiMe achieVeMent awarD 2017
EAVAN BOLAND
T
he Board of the Bord gáis energy irish Book awards wish to confer upon eavan Boland their lifetime achievement award for 2017. the award will be presented at the gala Dinner in Dublin on the night of 28th november. Eavan Boland was born in Dublin in 1944. The daughter of a diplomat and a painter, Boland spent her childhood in London and New York, later returning to Ireland to attend secondary school in Killiney and university at Trinity College in Dublin. Her first collection, 23 Poems (1962) was published when she was still a student and her early work was informed by her growing awareness of the troubled role of women in Irish history and culture. Boland has spoken of the “difficult situation” she experienced as an Irish woman poet: “I began to write in an Ireland where the word ‘woman’ and the word ‘poet’ seemed to be in some sort of magnetic opposition to each other. I couldn’t accept the possibility that the life of the woman would not, or could not, be named in the poetry of my own nation.” Years later during her inaugural Presidential speech of 1990, Mary Robinson quoted the poet approvingly; “I want the women who have felt themselves outside history to be written back into history in the words of Eavan Boland ‘finding a voice where they found a vision’.”
Currently editing Poetry Ireland Review, Eavan Boland recalls “standing in a bookstore in Dublin when I was a young poet – Greene’s in Clare St, or Hodges Figgis perhaps – taking a journal down from the shelf and opening it at a new poem.” Many, many collections later with a hugely distinguished career in academia still flourishing, and her poetry a fixture on the Leaving Cert, Eavan Boland’s sense of wonder and enchantment at the power of poetry remains undimmed. For her art, for her eloquence and for her stalwart advocacy for poetry, The Board of the Bord Gáis Energy Irish Book Awards is proud to honour the winner of the 2017 Bob Hughes Lifetime Achievement Award, Eavan Boland. This is dawn. Believe me This is your season, little daughter. The moment daisies open, The hour mercurial rainwater Makes a mirror for sparrows. It’s time we drowned our sorrows. I tiptoe in. I lift you up Wriggling In your rosy, zipped sleeper. Yes, this is the hour For the early bird and me When finder is keeper. excerpted from Night Feed by eavan Boland.
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POPULAR NON-FICTIO
“G’wan ya good thing! Wudya look what I’m up against! I’m a shoo-in, unless there’s any fowl play!” Dustin the Turkey
PreVioUs winners: 2016 Making It Up As I Go Along by Marian Keyes 2015 Me and My Mate Jeffrey by Niall Breslin
Motherfoclóir Darach Ó Séaghdha Motherfoclóir takes an irreverent, punfriendly and contemporary approach to the Irish language. The translations are expanded on and arranged into broad categories that allow for interesting connections and are sprinkled with anecdotes and observations about Irish and Ireland itself. The author includes stories about his own relationship with Irish, and how it fits in with the most important events in his life. Head of Zeus
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Owning It: Your Bullsh*t-Free Guide to Living with Anxiety Caroline Foran Through the filtered lens of social media, it may seem like life's a peach, but for lots of people, anxiety is always bubbling beneath the surface. With extensive research and help from the experts, Caroline Foran’s guide is written with honesty and a bullsh*t-free perspective. Consider it your ultimate, practical guide that aims to get you feeling good again. Hachette Books Ireland
watch the awarDs on rté one WEDNESDAY 29TH NOVEMBER
N BOOK OF THE YEAR
The M Word Maia Dunphy Blogger and TV presenter Maia Dunphy is muchloved by women everywhere for her girl-next-door relatability and a non-judgmental curiosity. As a new mum, her focus has shifted to the pressures of modern motherhood and in her first book she shares her experiences of dealing with unwanted advice, sleep deprivation, competitive parenting and dirty nappies.
Why Can't Everything Just Stay the Same? Stefanie Preissner As a child, being in new places made her ill, which was why her family holidayed in the same apartment on the same island for nine years in a row. And why, at Christmas, she wrote lengthy letters to Santa begging him not to bring any surprises. She hated change. But change happens, no matter what we do.
WikiBeaks Dustin the Turkey
Everything Vogue Williams
The first book from Ireland's biggest megastar, Dustin the Turkey, will see the feathered one take his mighty pen to the Ireland he has helped shape over his 25 years as a national treasure. Wikibeaks exposes the real Ireland – and Dustin's central place in it – like no other book has done before.
Looking and feeling her best – whether this means toning up at the gym, wearing an outfit she loves, or relaxing with friends – gives model, DJ and presenter Vogue Williams the confidence to work and shine in a busy, fast-paced world. Learn the secrets which have Vogue looking healthy, fit and comfortable in her own skin.
Transworld Ireland
Hachette Books Ireland
Hachette Books Ireland
Gill Books
BORD GÁIS ENERGY IRISH BOOK AWARDS 2017 23
onsiDe
NON-FICTION BOOK “I have two pairs of reading glasses, one pair for reading fiction, the other for nonfiction. Trust me, when I wear the wrong pair all hell breaks loose.” Stephen Wright
recent winners: 2016 I Read the News Today, Oh Boy by Paul Howard 2015 Children of the Rising by Joe Duffy 2014 The Life and Loves of a He Devil: A Memoir by Graham Norton 2013 Staring at Lakes by Michael Harding 2012 Country Girl by Edna O’Brien 2011 Easy Meals by Rachel Allen
In America: Tales from Trump Country Caitríona Perry As RTÉ’s Washington Correspondent, Caitríona Perry was well-placed to make sense of the maelstrom of shocking headlines emanating from Donald Trump’s America. Going beyond the news reports, Perry delves into the American heartland witnessing Trump’s rise first hand while others looked on, blindsided by his ultimate victory. This is the story of the US election that shook the world. Gill Books
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After Ireland Declan Kiberd Church scandals, political corruption, and economic collapse have shaken our faith in Ireland’s institutions. But, as Declan Kiberd argues in this critical survey, the country's creative writers have preserved and extended a humane culture that imagines a renewed, more open nation. Following on from 1995’s Inventing Ireland, this is a magisterial account of the second renaissance in Irish literature. Head of Zeus
watch the awarDs on rté one WEDNESDAY 29TH NOVEMBER
OF THE YEAR
I Am, I Am, I Am Maggie O'Farrell
Alfie Trevor White
This is the story of an extraordinary woman's life in neardeath experiences. Insightful, inspirational, and intelligent, it is a book to render readers newly conscious of life's fragility, to make us value every heartbeat. Maggie O'Farrell’s memoir makes you question yourself. What would you do if your life was in danger, and what would you stand to lose?
Alfie Byrne was that rarest of things: a genuinely popular politician. Rising from inner-city Dublin to become known as the 'Lord Mayor of Ireland', Byrne was a truly remarkable figure. Trevor White's sparkling book tells the story of a man of many parts and contradictions, a fundamentally conservative man who was nevertheless deeply devoted to the poor of his native city.
Headline
Penguin Ireland
Wounds: A Memoir of War & Love Fergal Keane This is a powerful memoir about Irish people caught up in the revolution that followed the 1916 Rising, and in the pitiless violence of The Civil War. Whatever side they chose, all were changed in some way. Keane uses the experiences of his ancestral homeland in North Kerry to examine how the act of killing for a cause reverberates through the generations. William Collins
Brexit and Ireland Tony Connelly Brexit represents the single greatest economic and foreign-policy challenge to the Irish state since World War II. RTÉ's long-time Brussels correspondent Tony Connelly has been helping the public make sense of the implications of Brexit for Ireland and now, he tells the dramatic inside story of the Irish response and lays out the agenda for the uncertain years ahead. Penguin Ireland
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eUrosPar
COOKBOOK OF THE “There is no sincerer love than the love of food.” George Bernard Shaw
Cook Well, Eat Well Rory O'Connell
recent winners: 2016 The World of the Happy Pear by Stephen & David Flynn 2015 The Virtuous Tart by Susan Jane White 2014 The Nation’s Favourite Food Fast! by Neven Maguire 2013 30 Years of Ballymaloe by Darina Allen 2012 Eat Like An Italian by Catherine Fulvio
Rory O’Connell, Ballymaloe Cookery School teacher and author is back with his second cookbook, with recipes from his popular RTÉ TV show, How to Cook Well. The book focuses on seasonal, balanced threecourse meals for elegant eating and entertaining, with recipes divided by season. This is an absolute delight of a cookbook offering a very modern way to eat. Gill Books
Fearless Food Lynda Booth, Joanne Murphy (photographer), Mr & Mrs Stevens (cookbook design) Fearless Food is the latest book from Lynda Booth of Dublin Cookery School. It’s bursting with fresh ideas, outstanding photography and Lynda’s own chatty and informal style. Cook your way through its accessible recipes and you will develop the confidence to improvise effortlessly, to cook fearlessly and to transform a dish from the ordinary to the extraordinary. DCS Publishing
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YEAR
watch the awarDs on rté one WEDNESDAY 29TH NOVEMBER
The Cookery School, Half Hour Hero Donnybrook Fair Roz Purcell Niall Murphy Roz Purcell will The man behind show you how tasty Dublin's most high whole foods can be profile cookery – and how easy it is school demystifies to fit them into a the art of cooking busy lifestyle. Using great food. In this readily available book the most ingredients and popular recipes store cupboard from the courses essentials, Roz's have been collected whole foods recipes together for the first are quick, nutritious time. Topics covered and delicious. In less include: great-start than thirty minutes, breakfasts, the art of you can prepare, breadmaking, cook, and enjoy stunning starters, food that helps cooking meat to you look and perfection, easy feel healthier seafood, sensational and happier. sauces, tapas, curry Penguin Ireland nights, sushi and chocolate heaven.
Home Baking Rachel Allen Rachel’s recipes always work. Here, in this gorgeous new book, she combines simple yet brilliant techniques with delicious flavours. With over 140 easyto-follow recipes, Home Baking caters to your every baking need or whim. Every recipe includes Rachel’s friendly and expert tuition, with clear instructions to ensure that you achieve the perfect bake, however comfortable you are in the kitchen.
Neven Maguire's Perfect Irish Christmas Neven Maguire Christmas is the one time of the year where you want everything to be perfect. So, thank heaven for Neven! Here Ireland’s most trusted chef has all the recipes and advice to help you deliver the perfect Christmas. Packed with all the classics you need for the big day, you’ll also find lots of inspiration for the whole festive season. Gill Books
HarperCollins Publishers
Mercier Press
BORD GÁIS ENERGY IRISH BOOK AWARDS 2017 27
BorD gáis energy
IRISH BOOK OF THE YEAR
T B
ack in 2011, the awards organisers decided to add a new category which would take for its shortlist all of the individual category winners honoured on the night of the awards ceremony. the idea was not entirely original, admittedly – several UK awards projects had been doing it for some time – but it was felt that an overall irish Book of the year would generate huge interest and perhaps some added value for the awards in general. and so it has proved with large numbers – prompted by watching the rté tV highlights show – voting for their favourite book in the days immediately thereafter. For this development, full credit must go to our generous, and now sadly departing, headline sponsor, Bord Gáis Energy, who immediately offered to sponsor the new award. This was typical of the fruitful relationship we enjoyed with BGE who were ever willing to explore new ways of maximizing awareness of the awards and their own association with them. The good news is that we will not be saying goodbye but au revoir because Bord Gáis Energy will continue to act as category sponsors for the Sports Book of the Year an association which ties in with their status as the new official sponsor of the GAA Hurling AllIreland Senior Championship. Since its inception, The Bord Gáis Energy Irish Book Of The Year has been won by a series of landmark titles which have gone on to become Christmas bestsellers and
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firm backlist favourites. They are: 2016 Solar Bones Mike Mccormack 2015 Asking For It louise o’neill 2014 Academy Street by Mary costello 2013 Staring at Lakes by Michael harding 2012 The Spinning Heart by Donal ryan 2011 Solace by Belinda McKeon You can discover the candidates for the Bord Gáis Energy Irish Book of the Year 2017 by tuning in to the RTÉ TV highlights show with presenters Keelin Shanley and Evelyn O’Rourke on 29th November. From 29th November we will be asking for your votes for the 2017 overall Irish Book of the Year at bgeirishbookawards.ie Everyone that votes will be entered into a prize draw to win €100 of National Book Tokens.
THE ONLY GIFT CARD WELCOMED IN BOOKSHOPS ACROSS IRELAND
2016 Solar Bones Mike McCormack Once a year, on All Souls Day, the dead may return; Solar Bones tells the story of one such visit. Wry and poignant, Solar Bones is an intimate portrayal of one family, capturing how careless decisions ripple out into waves, and how our morals are challenged in small ways every day.
2015 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.
2014 Academy Street Mary Costello Growing up in the west of Ireland in the 1940s, Tess is a shy introverted child. But beneath her quiet exterior lies a heart of fire. Over four decades and a life lived with quiet intensity on Academy Street in upper Manhattan, Tess encounters love and loss. But what endures is her bravery and fortitude.
2013 Staring at Lakes Michael Harding Throughout his life Michael Harding has lived with a sense of emptiness – through faith, marriage, fatherhood and his career as a writer, a pervading sense of darkness remained. In this memoir, he talks with openness and honesty about his journey and his ultimate acceptance of the importance of now.
2012 The Spinning Heart Donal Ryan Technically daring and evocative of Patrick McCabe and J.M. Synge, this novel of small-town life is witty, dark and sweetly poignant. The language and spirit of rural Ireland is absolutely authentic. Donal Ryan's brilliantly-realized debut announced a stunning new voice in literary fiction.
2011 Solace Belinda McKeon This is the story of a father and son thrown together by tragedy; one clinging to the old country and one plunging into the new. It’s a novel about the conflicting values of the old and young generations and the stubborn, heartbreaking habits that mute the language of love.
BorD gáis energy
SPORTS BOOK OF TH "There are two things in Ireland that would drive you to drink – GAA referees and the price of drink!” Sligo GAA fan The Warrior's Code: My Autobiography Jackie Tyrrell with Christy O'Connor
recent winners: 2016 The Battle by Paul O’Connell 2015 Until Victory Always: A Memoir by Jim McGuinness 2014 The Test by Brian O’Driscoll 2013 Seven Deadly Sins by David Walsh 2012 My Olympic Dream by Katie Taylor 2011 Inside the Peloton by Nicolas Roche
Recording one of the most successful hurling careers in Irish sporting history, this story, written by the award-winning Christy O'Connor, lifts the lid on what motivates a winner of nine All-Ireland titles and four AllStar awards. And for anyone who has ever wondered what makes the Kilkenny club such a winning machine, Jackie Tyrrell provides some crucial answers. Trinity Mirror Sport Media
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The Ascent: Sean Kelly, Stephen Roche and the Rise of Irish Cycling's Golden Generation Barry Ryan For decades, professional cycling was dominated by continental riders but in the 1980s two Irish riders, Sean Kelly and Stephen Roche, rose from obscurity to dominate the sport. Based on new and exclusive interviews with among others, Paul Kimmage, Martin Earley and David Walsh, this is the dramatic story of how a generation of Irish cyclists took on the world. Gill Books
E YEAR
watch the awarDs on rté one WEDNESDAY 29TH NOVEMBER
Shay: Any Given Saturday – The Autobiography Shay Given
Form: My Autobiography Kieren Fallon with Oliver Holt
Shay Given is one of football's good guys – a Premier League legend and Irish hero whose marathon goalkeeping career has spanned three decades at the highest level. Few players have seen as much in the game as Shay. Any Given Saturday, his long-awaited autobiography, is a revealing and entertaining story about a life that defied the odds.
Kieren Fallon was one of the world’s greatest jockeys. British Champion Jockey six times, he won more than 2,250 races. No one would question his ability in the saddle. But his extraordinary rapport with the horse has not quite been matched by his dealings with humans – particularly not those in authority with whom he’s had a career-long battle. Simon & Schuster
The Choice Philly McMahon with Niall Kelly
Gooch: The Autobiography Colm Cooper
Raw, vivid and intensely moving, The Choice is many things – an epic story of triumph in the face of adversity and loss, a family saga, a tribute to the redemptive power of sport – but above all it’s a stirring meditation on the roles compassion and resilience can play in shaping our lives, and those around us, for the better.
The holder of five All-Ireland medals and eight All-Star awards, Colm Cooper was Kerry’s stand-out forward for fifteen years. From a family steeped in Gaelic football, Cooper became one of the GAA’s best-loved figures at a time of tumultuous change in the game. An intensely private figure, Gooch’s personal story has remained largely untold, until now.
Gill Books
Transworld Ireland
Trinity Mirror Sport Media
BORD GÁIS ENERGY IRISH BOOK AWARDS 2017 31
national BooK toKens
CHILDREN’S BOOK OF “Access to books and the encouragement of the habit of reading: it is our children’s right and it is also our best hope and their best hope for the future.” Michael Morpurgo
THE ONLY GIFT CARD WELCOMED IN BOOKSHOPS ACROSS IRELAND recent winners: 2016 Pigín of Howth by Kathleen Watkins & Margaret Anne Suggs 2015 Imaginary Fred by Eoin Colfer & Oliver Jeffers 2014 Shh! We Have a Plan by Chris Haughton 2013 When You Were Born by Benji Bennett 2012 This Moose Belongs to Me by Oliver Jeffers 2011 The Lonely Beast by Chris Judge
Rabbit and Bear: The Pest in the Nest Julian Gough & Jim Field Gorgeously illustrated and with a classic feel, this is a brilliantly funny story of a rabbit and a bear who discover that things are always better when they're shared with a friend. Ideal for readers moving on from picture books. Julian Gough’s wonderful series just goes from strength to strength. Hodder Children’s Books
Foclóiropedia: A Journey Through the Irish Language from Arán to Zú Fatti Burke & John Burke This breathtakingly exciting book discovers the Irish language as you’ve never learned it before! Fatti Burke’s amazing illustrations and her father John’s fabulous teaching bring the language alive. A visual introduction to Ireland’s language for young and old, you will learn your first thousand words, discover your culture and enjoy the fabulous quirks and features of your native tongue! GIll Books
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watch the awarDs on rté one WEDNESDAY 29TH NOVEMBER
THE YEAR jUnior
A Sailor Went to Sea, Sea, Sea – Favourite Rhymes from an Irish Childhood Sarah Webb & Steve McCarthy Owls and pussycats, cockles and mussels, golden stockings, wiggly worms and rattlin’ bogs – they’re all here, and more. Another wonderful collection of rhymes to delight any child, from the author and illustrator of Sally Go Round the Stars. Sarah Webb’s massive contribution to children’s books in Ireland continues to astound us all.
Socks for Mr Wolf Tatyana Feeney Mr Wolf loves looking good. Mr Wolf loves to dance. But more than anything in the world Mr Wolf loves his beautiful socks. Until one day, a hole appears in one… WHAT can he do? Follow the rather dapper Mr Wolf on a woolly adventure around Ireland as he tries to save his socks! The O’Brien Press
The President's Glasses Peter Donnelly
Patrick and the President Ryan Tubridy & P.J. Lynch
The President has some VERY important documents to sign at Dublin Castle, but without his glasses, how will he do it? Luckily, the presidential pigeon knows exactly what’s happened and follows the presidential car, taking in a bird’s eye view of the city on his way. Will he ever catch up with the President to deliver his glasses in time?
When the muchloved President visited Ireland in 1963, he described it as the best four days of his life. This warmly told picture book captures the fevered excitement in the build-up to JFK’s visit – all evoked through the eyes of a young boy called Patrick who really wants to know what it would feel like to shake the President’s hand...
Gill Books
Walker Books
The O’Brien Press
BORD GÁIS ENERGY IRISH BOOK AWARDS 2017 33
national BooK toKens
CHILDREN’S BOOK OF “Reading should not be presented to children as a chore, a duty. It should be offered as a gift.” Kate DiCamillo A Dangerous Crossing Jane Mitchell
THE ONLY GIFT CARD WELCOMED IN BOOKSHOPS ACROSS IRELAND recent winners: 2016 Knights of the Borrowed Dark by by Dave Rudden 2015 Asking For It by by Louise O’Neill 2014 Moone Boy by Chris O’Dowd & Nick V. Murphy 2013 Skulduggery Pleasant: Last Stand of Dead Men by Derek Landy 2012 Artemis Fowl: The Last Guardian by Eoin Colfer 2011 The Real Rebecca by Anna Carey
Separated from his family while fleeing Syria, fighting cold, pain and hunger, Ghalib makes it to a refugee camp in Turkey. He is safe for now, but life in the camp is wretched, and his journey is far from over. Based on true accounts and real Syrian children, A Dangerous Crossing is the story of one boy's search for refuge. Little Island
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Stand By Me Judi Curtin Graham is Molly and Beth’s favourite uncle, so they really want to help him fix the past – and since the girls know of a mysterious door that can take them back in time, maybe they can! But how can they find who they’re looking for without apps or social media? And what will the girls make of the 60s? The O'Brien Press
watch the awarDs on rté one WEDNESDAY 29TH NOVEMBER
THE YEAR senior
Star by Star Sheena Wilkinson It’s 1918, the Great War is finally ending, and women are going to be able to vote for the first time. Stella wants to change the world – but she can’t do it all by herself. Just as stars come one by one to brighten the night sky, so history is made person by person, girl by girl, and vote by vote. Little Island
Illegal Eoin Colfer & Andrew Donkin, Illus. Giovanni Rigano This is a powerful and timely story about one boy's epic journey across Africa to Europe. Ebo's epic journey takes him across the Sahara Desert to the dangerous streets of Tripoli, and finally out to the merciless sea. But with every step he holds on to his hope for a new life, and a reunion with his sister. Hodder Children's Books
The Forever Court Dave Rudden When the Knights encounter the members of the Forever Court, the meeting almost immediately dissolves into a battle. And that's not the worst of it. There is another order of people who can communicate with the monsters of the dark. A family who worship the dark. And they will stop at nothing to bring the shadows back to power. Puffin
A Place Called Perfect Helena Duggan Violet never wanted to move to Perfect. She quickly discovers there's something weird going on in the town – she keeps hearing voices, her mam is acting strange and her dad has disappeared. When she meets Boy she realises that her dad is not the only person to have vanished... and that the mysterious Watchers are guarding a perfectly creepy secret! Usborne Publishing
BORD GÁIS ENERGY IRISH BOOK AWARDS 2017 35
DePt 51 @ eason
TEEN & YOUNG ADULT “It's an interesting time of life to write about, when your ideals get slammed up against reality, and you must compromise.” S. E. Hinton Spellbook of the Lost and Found Moira Fowley-Doyle
PresenteD For the First tiMe this year
One stormy summer night, Olive and her best friend, Rose, begin to lose things. Then Olive meets three wild, mysterious strangers: Ivy, Hazel and Rowan. Like Rose, they’re mourning losses – and holding tight to secrets. When they discover the ancient spellbook, they realise it might be their chance to set everything right. Corgi Children's
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Perfect Cecelia Ahern Celestine North lives in a society that demands perfection. Since Judge Crevan has declared her public threat number one, she has been a ghost on the run. But Celestine has a secret – one that could destroy the entire Flawed system. Celestine must make a choice: save only herself, or risk her life to save all the Flawed. HarperCollins Children's Books
watch the awarDs on rté one WEDNESDAY 29TH NOVEMBER
BOOK OF THE YEAR
Moonrise Sarah Crossan
Like Other Girls Claire Hennessy
Joe hasn't seen his brother for ten years, and it's for the most brutal of reasons. Ed is on death row. But now Ed's execution date has been set, and Joe is determined to spend those last weeks with him, no matter what other people think. From the immenselytalented Sarah Crossan, this poignant, stirring, huge-hearted novel asks big questions.
Lauren knows she's not like other girls but it's problematic to say that – what's wrong with girls? She's even fancied some in the past. But if you were stuck in St Agnes, her posh all-girls school, you'd feel like that too. Here everyone's expected to be Perfect Young Ladies. Be like other girls? That's all so much easier... right?
Bloomsbury Children's Books
Hot Key Books
Tangleweed and Brine Deirdre Sullivan & illus Karen Vaughan Here is a collection of twelve dark, feminist retellings of traditional fairytales from one of Ireland’s leading writers for young people. Stories such as Cinderella and Rumpelstiltskin are given a witchy makeover not for the faint-hearted. With intricate black and white line drawings by a new Irish illustrator this is a hugely impressive collection.
The Girl In Between Sarah Carroll In an old, abandoned mill, a girl and her ma take shelter from their memories of life on the streets. To the girl it’s home, her safe place, the Castle. But as her ma spins out of control and the Authorities move ever closer, the girl finds herself trapped. Can she move on before it’s too late? Simon & Schuster
Little Island
BORD GÁIS ENERGY IRISH BOOK AWARDS 2017 37
writing.ie
SHORT STORY OF THE “Short stories are tiny windows into other worlds and other minds. They are journeys you can make to the far side of the universe and still be back in time for dinner.” Neil Gaiman
recent winners: 2016 The Visit by Orla McAlinden 2015 A Slanting of the Sun by Donal Ryan 2014 Rest Day by John Boyne 2013 The Things We Lose The Things We Leave Behind by Billy O’Callaghan
In the Event of an Emergency Patricia McAdoo Patricia has written a children's book, Claddagh, The Tale of the Ring and a non-fiction book, Writing for Wellbeing. Her short stories have been published by Poolbeg, Books Ireland and Crannog. She has been shortlisted for the Francis MacManus, Poolbeg and Over the Edge short story competitions. From Books Ireland magazine, Jan/Feb issue 2017
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Upcycle: an account of some strange happenings on Botanic Road June Caldwell June Caldwell is author of the acclaimed Room Little Darker (New Island Books/Head of Zeus). She is a prizewinner of the Moth International Short Story Prize and has been shortlisted for numerous others. Her first novel, Little Town Moone, is forthcoming from John Murray. From Room Little Darker (New Island Books)
reaD all six short stories online at writing.ie
YEAR AWARD
Hollow Paul McVeigh
Dogs Helena Mulkerns
Nuala O’Connor aka Nuala Ní Chonchúir lives in East Galway. Her novel, Miss Emily, was shortlisted for the Eason Book Club Novel of the Year 2015 and longlisted for the 2017 International DUBLIN Literary Award. Her fifth short story collection Joyride to Jupiter was published in 2017 and Becoming Belle, her fourth novel, will be published in 2018.
Paul’s short stories have been published in anthologies and journals and read on BBC Radio 3, 4 & 5. He is co-founder of London Short Story Festival. The Good Son, Paul’s first novel, won The Polari First Novel Prize and is currently shortlisted for the Prix du Roman Cezam in France.
Helena Mulkerns has been internationally anthologised and shortlisted for America’s Pushcart Prize and Ireland’s Hennessy Literary and Francis MacManus awards. She has edited two literary anthologies and is a recipient of a bursary from the Arts Council of Ireland. Her debut short story collection, Ferenji, was published by Doire Press in 2016.
From Joyride to Jupiter (New Island Books)
From Numéro Cinq Magazine Aug 2017
From Ferenji and other Stories (Doire Press)
Photo: Deirdre Power
Photo: Stefano Masse
Photo: Roelof Bakker
Consolata Nuala O'Connor
Back To Bones Christine Dwyer Hickey Christine Dwyer Hickey has published seven novels, one short story collection and a full length play. The Cold Eye of Heaven won The Kerry Group Irish Novel of the Year 2012. Her short stories have been published in anthologies and magazines worldwide and have won several awards. Longlisted for EFG/Sunday Times Award and published on their website
“At the heart of Irish writing online, the award-winning website 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’re 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
listowel writers’ weeK
IRISH POEM OF THE “If you have the words, there’s always a chance that you’ll find the way.” Seamus Heaney
Points Amanda Bell
PreVioUs winner: 2016 In Glasnevin by Jane Clarke
Amanda Bell is a Dublin-based poet, writer and editor. Her début poetry collection, First the Feathers, is being launched on 16th November by Doire Press. Recent publications include The Lost Library Book (an illustrated book for children, from The Onslaught Press) and Undercurrents (a haibun collection, from Alba Publishing). Published in The Irish Times
Ledwidge in Manchester John McAuliffe John McAuliffe has published four books, most recently The Way In (Gallery Press), which was joint winner of the Michael Hartnett Award in 2016, and Of All Places (Gallery), which was Poetry Book Society Recommendation in 2011. He teaches poetry at the University of Manchester and writes the poetry column for The Irish Times. Published in The Irish Times
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YEAR
reaD all PoeMs online at writersweeK.ie
about listowel writers’ week: an internationally acclaimed literary festival devoted to bringing together writers and audiences at unique and innovative events in the historic and intimate surroundings of listowel county Kerry.
Bride and Moth Tara Bergin Tara Bergin was born and grew up in Dublin. Her second collection, The Tragic Death of Eleanor Marx (Carcanet), was shortlisted for the Forward Prize, and is a PBS Recommendation. Tara currently lives in the North of England and lectures part-time at Newcastle University.
Seven Sugar Cubes Clodagh Beresford Dunne County Waterford poet Clodagh Beresford Dunne received the 2016 Arts Council of Ireland emergingwriter bursary. Her work has been published in Ireland and internationally. She is currently assembling her first collection. Published in The Irish Times
Photo: John Kelliher
the next listowel writers’ week takes place 30th May to 3rd june 2018. writersweek.ie
Published in The Tragic Death of Eleanor Marx (Carcanet)
BORD GÁIS ENERGY IRISH BOOK AWARDS 2017 41
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