Librarians and library book club members nationwide called on to nominate their favourite Irish author in new ‘Library Association of Ireland Author of the Year’ category at the An Post Irish Book Awards

/in /by
  • New category is designed to acknowledge an Irish author whose work has contributed significantly to the reader experience and enjoyment of Irish books during 2021
  • Bookstation, Ireland’s best value chain of book and stationery shops, also announced as new sponsor of ‘Bookstation Lifestyle Book of the Year’ category

The ‘Library Association of Ireland Author of the Year’ is today being unveiled as a new category for the An Post Irish Book Awards 2021, the annual highlight of the Irish literary calendar that celebrates and promotes the very best of Irish writing talent.

The ‘Library Association of Ireland Author of the Year’ category is designed to acknowledge an Irish author whose work has contributed significantly to the reader experience and enjoyment of Irish books during 2021. Nominations are uniquely open to librarians and library book club members nationwide to acknowledge their dedication, passion, and commitment to the literary community in Ireland.

To cast their vote, librarians and library book club members will be invited by The Library Association of Ireland to visit: www.anpostirishbookawards.ie and nominate their favourite Irish author. With over 400 libraries, including public libraries, academic libraries, school libraries and special libraries, and almost 200 library book clubs across Ireland, nominations are expected to be in their thousands.

Nominations for the ‘Library Association of Ireland Author of the Year’ will close on Saturday 18 September and a shortlist consisting of six finalists will be revealed on Thursday 21 October. The overall winner will be announced at the An Post Irish Book Awards on Tuesday 23 November 2021.

Each year, the An Post Irish Book Awards bring together a vast community who are passionate about books – readers, authors, booksellers, publishers, and librarians – to recognise the very best of new and established Irish writing talent and 2021 will be no different. The ‘Library Association of Ireland Author of the Year’ will now be added to the wide range of other categories including Novel of the Year, Children’s (Junior and Senior), Cookery, Crime Fiction, Popular Fiction, Nonfiction, Lifestyle, Sports, Short Story, Poetry, Teen and Young Adult and Irish Language. It is the second new category to be added to this year’s awards, alongside the recently announced ‘An Post Bookshop of the Year.”

Cathal McCauley, President of the Library Association of Ireland, said: “Libraries and reading have been an important part of Ireland’s response to COVID-19 and reading has never been so important for many people who were subject to various restrictions. Many libraries saw demand grow by more than 300% during the past year. Reading and books allow us to learn, travel, and live wherever we are. In recognition of this, the Library Association of Ireland is delighted to sponsor this new award that acknowledges the enormous contribution Irish authors have made to the reader experience and enjoyment of Irish books during 2021 as nominated by librarians and library book club members.”

The Library Association of Ireland is the professional body representing libraries and librarianship in Ireland. The objectives of the association are to promote and develop high standards of librarianship and of library and information services in Ireland, and to secure greater co-operation between libraries.

Also revealed today, Bookstation, Ireland’s best value chain of book and station shops, is the new sponsor of the ‘Bookstation Lifestyle Book of the Year’ category which broadly covers a range of non-fiction titles.

Alan Johnston, Marketing Director of Bookstation, says: ‘We are very proud to be sponsoring the Bookstation Lifestyle Book of the Year award for the next three years. Every year the An Post Irish Book Awards reward and celebrate both exceptional writing and publishing in this country. As an Irish book chain, we are delighted that our passion for bookselling will now be reflected on this national stage as sponsors of a new award for books that enhance the lives of Irish people.’

The shortlist for the An Post Irish Book Awards 2021 will be announced on Thursday 21 October, while the winners will be announced on Tuesday 23 November.A television programme will be broadcast on RTÉ One television on Wednesday 8December and will culminate in one of the 2021 winning titles being announced as the ‘An Post Irish Book of the Year 2021’.

An Post is also continuing with their hugely successful #ReadersWanted campaign, celebrating the value and joy of reading and encouraging everyone to pick up more books, more often. Simply search for the hashtag online to get involved.

www.anpostirishbookawards.ie

Facebook: @AnPostIBAS

Instagram: @anpost_irishbookawards

Twitter: @AnPostIBAS

For a range of reading recommendations, check out www.anpost.com/readerswanted

79% of Irish people tune into live radio everyday compared to 25% who stream music and 5% who listen to podcasts daily – new JNLR ‘Radio and the Irish Audio Market’ report

/in /by
  • 3.17m listeners tune in to radio for a total of 13.1 million hours each weekday.
  • Almost seven in ten 15–24-year-olds listen to live radio every weekday and 7% listen to podcasts
  • Smart phone ownership has risen from 82% in 2018 to 86% this year making it easier to access audio anytime and anywhere
  • Ownership of voice activated audio devices, such as Alexa, has almost trebled over past three years

The JNLR’s ‘Radio and the Irish Audio Market” report, compiled by Ipsos/MRBI shows radio is in a healthy position in 2021 with 3,171,000 listeners tuning in on a daily basis.  Despite the proliferation of media content, platforms and devices, the research shows that Irish radio has maintained its significant impact on Irish audiences over the years – listeners tune into radio for a total of 13.1 million hours daily – on average each listener is listening for 4 hours and 16 minutes each weekday and for more than three hoursamong the 15-24 year old audience.

Irish listeners  love live radio  with 92% saying they listen weekly, far exceeding the weekly audience figures for on-demand online audio (53%). This on-demand online figure includes podcasting – 17% say they listen to podcasts each week increasing to 30% among the younger 15-24 year old group.

The figures also indicate that rather than supplanting live radio, over time music streaming services are replacing our personal music archives such as downloads, CD’s or vinyl.  Weekly listenership to these archives is down from 38% in 2018 to 22% in 2021 while the proportion  listening to streaming music services, such as Spotify, has risen by a similar level, from 22% to 37% over the same period.

At home is by far the most popular place to listen to audio content, with 75% of Adults 15+  listening in this location daily. 34% of people listen in the car every day, while 9% listen in a work or school/college environment and 8% while out walking/running or cycling.  In terms of devices used, to listen to audio, 72% use a radio or music player on a typical day. 

Widespread ownership of smart phones, now at 86% amongst the Irish public, facilitates access to audio anytime and anywhere, while ownership of voice activated technology devices such as Alexa or Google Home has almost trebled since 2018, growing from 11% to 30%. Ownership of these voice activated devices is significantly higher among younger age groups (48% among 15–24-year-olds.)

Other key statistics from the report:

  • 92% listen to live radio on a weekly basis.
  • 36% of people listen to music weekly via YouTube
  • Live radio has an estimated share of 78.8% of time spent listening to all audio on a daily basis and 53.2% share among 15-24 year olds.
  • Among this younger 15-24 year old audience, music streaming (Spotify, Apple Music etc..) has a time spent share of 25.2% and You Tube music has 14.2% share

The next detailed JNLR listenership report will be published at the beginning of December 2021.

Scott Williams, Chair of the JNLR Committee, said:

“Irish people love radio, as the JNLR data consistently shows. 92% of Irish adults listen to radio each week. Access to audio has never been easier with growing consumption on digital devices. The Irish audio market is dynamic and sophisticated and Irish radio remains the most significant audio provider in the country notwithstanding the rise in popularity of streaming and podcasting.”

The JNLR Committee members are:

  • Scott Williams, Wireless (Chairman)
  • Barry Dooley, AAI
  • Andrew Robinson, BAI
  • Helen O’Rourke, IAPI
  • Katie Boylan, IRS+
  • Gavin Deans, Media Central
  • Diarmuid O Leary, Red FM
  • Gareth Ivory, RTE
  • Dan Healy, RTE
  • Chris Doyle, Bauer Media
  • Brian McCarthy, Urban Media