Six titles in the running for prestigious overall ‘An Post Irish Book of the Year Award’ 2023

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  • Books by Liz Nugent, Paul Murray, Katriona O’Sullivan, Mark O’Connell, Eimear Ryan and editors Lucinda Jacob and Sarah Webb along with illustrator Ashwin Chacko nominated for significant accolade

 

  • Winner will be revealed during one-hour television special presented by Oliver Callan on RTÉ One on Wednesday 6th December

 

Books by Liz Nugent, Paul Murray, Katriona O’Sullivan, Mark O’Connell, Eimear Ryan and editors Lucinda Jacob and Sarah Webb along with illustrator Ashwin Chacko are in the running for the accolade of ‘An Post Irish Book of the Year 2023’.

 

The six titles competing for the overall An Post Irish Book of the Year Award were drawn from the category winners at the An Post Irish Book Awards, and were chosen on the principle of  the highest number of votes secured during the shortlist voting process across all categories.

 

The six nominated titles are:

 

  • Strange Sally Diamond – Liz Nugent (Sandycove)
  • The Bee Sting – Paul Murray (Hamish Hamilton, Penguin Random House)
  • Poor – Katriona O’Sullivan (Sandycove)
  • A Thread of Violence – Mark O’Donnell (Granta Books)
  • I Am the Wind: Irish Poems for Children Everywhere – Edited by Lucinda Jacob and Sarah Webb, illustrated by Ashwin Chacko (Little Island Books)
  • The Grass Ceiling – Eimear Ryan (Sandycove)

 

The overall ‘An Post Irish Book of the Year 2023’ winner will now be decided by a distinguished panel of judges, including a literary editor, a bestselling novelist, a broadcaster with RTE, Director of International Trade with An Post, the CEO of Children’s Books Ireland and a bookstore general manager.

 

The judging panel consists of:

 

  • Madeleine Keane – Literary editor of the Sunday Independent, lecturer at University College Dublin and Board Member of Children’s Books Ireland

 

  • Sinead Moriarty – Award-winning author of 16 novels and three children’s books. Sinead is the books ambassador for Eason Must Reads book club and founded and co-hosted the podcast ‘What’s In The Water’ with fellow author Anna McPartlin

 

  • Rick O’Shea – Broadcaster with RTÉ Gold, Rick runs The Rick O’Shea Book Club on Facebook and chooses the Eason Must Reads list four times a year. He is also literary curator for the annual UCD Festival and a board member of Fighting Worlds NI in Belfast

 

  • Cyril McGrane – A certified public accountant by profession, Cyril has worked with An Post for the last 26 years, holding a succession of senior roles in retail, operational and logistics management. Cyril is An Post’s key liaison lead with IPC and UPU and he is leading An Post’s Customs 2020 and Brexit programmes

 

  • Elaina Ryan – CEO of Children’s Books Ireland and Co-Artistic Director of Tower and Tales Children’s Books Festival in Co. Wexford

 

  • Tómas Kenny – General Manager of Kenny’s bookshop, Tomás has worked in Kenny’s for over 20 years, dealing with purchasing, marketing and the selling of new, second hand and rare books along with archive material. He has served on the committee of Bookselling Ireland since 2020

 

One of the six titles will be revealed as the ‘An Post Irish Book of the Year 2023’ during a one-hour television special hosted by Oliver Callan on RTÉ One on Wednesday 6th December at 10:35pm.

 

Since its inception, the An Post Irish Book of the Year Award has been won by a series of landmark titles which have gone on to become Christmas bestsellers and firm favourites with readers.

 

Previous winners of the An Post Irish Book of the Year Award include Sally Hayden for My Fourth Time, We Drowned, Fintan O’Toole for We Don’t Know Ourselves, Doireann Ní Ghríofa for A Ghost in the Throat, the late 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.

 

Tune into RTÉ One at 10:35pm on Wednesday 6th December to find out who wins the

An Post Irish Book of the Year Award 2023

 

First awarded in 2006, the An Post Irish Book Awards celebrate and promote Irish writing to the widest range of readers possible. Each year it brings together a vast community passionate about books – readers, authors, booksellers, publishers and librarians – to recognise the very best of Irish writing talent and 2023 is no different.

 

The 2023 winners, outlined below, were announced earlier this week:

 

Eason Novel of the Year

  • The Bee Sting – Paul Murray (Hamish Hamilton, Penguin Random House)

 

TheJournal.ie Best Irish-Published Book of the Year

  • Sunday Miscellany: A Selection 2018 – 2023 – Edited by Sarah Binchy (New Island Books)

 

Bookselling Ireland Biography of the Year

  • Poor – Katriona O’Sullivan (Sandycove)

 

Cookbook of the Year

  • Flavour – Mark Moriarty, photography by Cliodhna Prendergast (Gill Books)

 

Bookstation Lifestyle Book of the Year

  • The Hike Life – Roz Purcell (Black and White Publishing)

 

Dubray Non-Fiction Book of the Year

  • A Thread of Violence – Mark O’Connell (Granta Books)

 

Eason Sports Book of the Year in association with Ireland AM

  • The Grass Ceiling – Eimear Ryan (Sandycove)

 

Library Association of Ireland Author of the Year

  • Claire Keegan (Faber and Faber)

 

Irish Independent Crime Fiction Book of the Year

  • Strange Sally Diamond – Liz Nugent (Sandycove)

 

National Book Tokens Popular Fiction Book of the Year

  • My Hot Friend – Sophie White (Hachette Books Ireland)

 

Sunday Independent Newcomer of the Year

  • Kala – Colin Walsh (Atlantic Books)

 

Foras na Gaeilge Irish Language Fiction Book of the Year Award

  • Imram agus Scéalta Eile – Róise Ní Bhaoill (Éabhlóid)

 

The Last Word Listeners’ Choice Award

  • Poor – Katriona O’Sullivan (Sandycove)

 

New Voices: The An Post Writing Prize

  • The Border / Кордон – Valeriia Shmyrova

 

International Education Services Teen and Young Adult Book of the Year, in honour of John Treacy

  • Black and Irish: Legends, Trailblazers and Everyday Heroes – Leon Diop and Briana Fitzsimons, illustrated by Jessica Louis (Little Island Books and Black and Irish)

 

Specsavers Children’s Book of the Year – Junior

  • The President’s Dog – Peter Donnelly (Gill Books)

 

Specsavers Children’s Book of the Year – Senior

  • I Am The Wind: Irish Poems for Children Everywhere – Edited by Lucinda Jacob and Sarah Webb, illustrated by Ashwin Chacko (Little Island Books)

 

Writing.ie Short Story of the Year

  • Such A Pretty Face – Moïra Fowley (Eyes Guts Throat Bones, Orion)

 

Listowel Writers’ Week Poem of the Year

  • Vectors in Kabul – Mary O’Donnell

 

An Post Bookshop of the Year

  • Halfway up the Stairs – Greystones, Co. Wicklow

 

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

www.anpostirishbookawards.ie

Facebook: @AnPostIBAS

Instagram: @anpost_irishbookawards

Twitter: @AnPostIBAS

TikTok: @anpost_irishbookawards