Six titles competing for the ‘An Post Irish Book of the Year Award’ 2021

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  • Books by Maureen Gaffney, David King, Emer McLysaght and Sarah Breen, Séamas O’Reilly, Fintan O’Toole and Sally Rooney nominated for prestigious accolade

 

  • Winner will be revealed on one-hour television special on RTÉ One on Wednesday 8 December

 

Books by Maureen Gaffney, David King, Emer McLysaght and Sarah Breen, Séamas O’Reilly, Fintan O’Toole and Sally Rooney have been nominated for the ‘An Post Irish Book of the Year 2021’.

 

The six titles competing for the accolade were category winners from the recent An Post Irish Book Awards and, given the sheer volume of votes each book has so far received from the public vote and the Academy, they are now finalists for the overall ‘An Post Irish Book of the Year 2021’.

 

The overall ‘An Post Irish Book of the Year 2021’ winner will be decided by an executive panel of judges, while the strength of the public vote will also be taken into consideration. Public voting is now open at www.anpostirishbookawards.ie/botyvote. All voters are in with a chance of winning €100 worth of National Book Tokens.

 

One of the six nominated titles will be revealed as the ‘An Post Irish Book of the Year 2021’ during a special one-hour television show hosted by Oliver Callan on RTÉ One on Wednesday 8 December at 10:35pm.

 

The six nominated titles are:

 

  • Your One Wild and Precious Life – Maureen Gaffney
  • A Hug For You – David King
  • Aisling and the City – Emer McLysaght and Sarah Breen
  • Did Ye Hear Mammy Died? – Séamas O’Reilly
  • We Don’t Know Ourselves: A Personal History of Ireland Since 1958 – Fintan O’Toole
  • Beautiful World, Where Are You? – Sally Rooney

 

Commenting on this year’s nominees, David McRedmond, CEO of An Post, said: “The variety of titles nominated for the overall 2021 An Post Irish Book of the Year Award demonstrates the great breadth and diversity of reading interests across Ireland in these monotone Covid times.”

 

Previous winners of the An Post Irish Book of the Year include Doireann Ni Ghriofa for A Ghost in the Throat, Vicky Phelan for Overcoming, Emilie Pine for Notes to Self, John Crowley, Donal Ó Drisceoil, Mike Murphy, and John Borgonovo for Atlas of the Irish Revolution, Mike McCormack for Solar Bones, Louise O’Neill for Asking For It, Mary Costello for Academy St, Donal Ryan for The Spinning Heart, Michael Harding for Staring at Lakes, and Belinda McKeon for Solace. The ‘An Post Irish Book of the Year’ public vote is sponsored by National Book Tokens.

 

 

Tune into RTÉ One at 10:35pm on Wednesday 8th December to find out who wins the

An Post Irish Book of the Year 2021.

 

First awarded in 2006, the An Post Irish Book Awards are Ireland’s biggest literary celebration, showcasing a diverse mix of exceptional writing from new and established writers across 20 categories- championing everything from novels and non-fiction to poetry, short stories and the Irish language. The 2021 winners were announced earlier this week:

 

Eason Novel of the Year

  • Beautiful World, Where Are You – Sally Rooney

 

Irish Independent Crime Fiction Book of the Year

  • 56 Days – Catherine Ryan Howard

 

Eason Sports Book of the Year in Association with Ireland AM

  • Fight Or Flight: My Life, My Choices – Keith Earls, with Tommy Conlon

 

Sunday Independent Newcomer of the Year

  • Snowflake – Louise Nealon

 

Odgers Berndtson Non-Fiction Book of the Year

  • We Don’t Know Ourselves: A Personal History of Ireland Since 1958 – Fintan O’Toole

 

Dubray Biography of the Year

  • Did Ye Hear Mammy Died? – Séamas O’Reilly

 

Bookselling Ireland Cookbook of the Year

  • Everyday Cook – Donal Skehan

 

National Book Tokens Popular Fiction Book of the Year

  • Aisling and the City – Emer McLysaght and Sarah Breen

 

Bookstation Lifestyle Book of the Year

  • Décor Galore – Laura De Barra

 

TheJournal.ie Best Irish Published Book of the Year

  • The Coastal Atlas of Ireland – Val Cummins, Robert Devoy, Barry Brunt, Darius Bartlett, Sarah Kandrot

 

Specsavers Children’s Book of the Year (Junior)

  • A Hug for You – David King, illustrated by Rhiannon Archard

 

Specsavers Children’s Book of the Year (Senior)

  • The Summer I Robbed a Bank – David O’Doherty, illustrated by Chris Judge

 

Teen and Young Adult Book of the Year

  • The New Girl – Sinead Moriarty

 

RTÉ Audience Choice Award

  • Your One Wild And Precious Life – Maureen Gaffney

 

Library Association of Ireland Author of the Year

  • Marian Keyes

 

Writing.ie Short Story of the Year

  • Little Lives – Deirdre Sullivan

 

Listowel Writers’ Week Irish Poem of the Year

  • Longboat at Portaferry – Siobhan Campbell

 

The Love Leabhar Gaeilge Irish Language Book of the Year

  • Madame Lazare – Tadgh Mac Dhonnagain

 

The An Post Bookshop of the Year

  • Kennys Bookshop and Art Gallery, Galway

 

For further information, please log on to the An Post Irish Book Awards website or social media channels:

 

www.anpostirishbookawards.ie

 

Facebook: @AnPostIBAS

 

Instagram: @anpost_irishbookawards

 

Twitter: @AnPostIBAS

 

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