Louth author Oisín McKenna has been nominated for the Sunday Independent Newcomer of the Year award at the An Post Irish Book Awards 2024 for his book Evenings and Weekends.
The shortlist for the An Post Irish Book Awards 2024 features a diverse and exciting mix of exceptional writing from new and established writers across 20 categories.
Now in its 19th year, the An Post Irish Book Awards celebrate and promote Irish writing to the widest range of readers possible. Each year, the An Post Irish Book Awards bring together a vast community passionate about books – readers, authors, booksellers, publishers and librarians – to recognise the very best of new and established Irish writing talent and 2024 will be no different.
This year, the An Post Irish Book Awards has introduced the ‘Hodges Figgis History Book of the Year’ category to celebrate Ireland’s history writers and acknowledge the importance of historical writing and its contribution to the Irish literary landscape.
Additionally, the awards have expanded the ‘Cookbook of the Year’ category and renamed it as the ‘Food and Drink Book of the Year’ category to reflect the evolving tastes and interests of readers who enjoy culinary literature.
The ‘Best Short Story’ and ‘Best Poetry Award’ categories are now in partnership with the Irish Independent’s New Irish Writing competition. Formerly known as the Hennessy Literary Awards, New Irish Writing has been a platform for unpublished writers since its establishment in 1968. It has helped launch the careers of numerous Irish literary stars, including Colum McCann, Anne Enright, Joseph O’Connor and Claire Keegan. The monthly winners are published on the last Saturday of each month online and in the Review supplement of The Irish Independent.
The shortlist of six for the Short Story and Poetry categories was selected from the monthly winners between November 2023 and October 2024 by Ciaran Carty, New Irish Writing’s Editor since 1988, and Associate Editor Dermot Bolger. The overall winners of both categories will be chosen by two of New Irish Writing’s most successful and respected alumni – John Boyne and Paula Meehan.
Other categories include Novel of the Year, Children’s (Junior and Senior), Newcomer, Lifestyle, Crime Fiction, Biography, Popular Fiction, Non-fiction, Sports, Teen and Young Adult and Irish Language.
To tie in with the announcement of the An Post Irish Book Awards shortlist, the public are now being asked to have their say and cast their votes for the best books of the year on the An Post Irish Book Awards website anpostirishbookawards.ie/vote. All voters will be entered into a prize draw to win one of five €100 National Book Tokens vouchers. Voters may cast their votes from 8pm on 24th October until voting closes on the 14th November at 5pm.
Meanwhile, a one-hour television special, hosted by Oliver Callan, will be broadcast on RTÉ One on 19th December giving viewers an exclusive insight into the six books and the authors competing for the accolade of ‘An Post Irish Book Awards Book of the Year 2024’, culminating in the reveal of this year’s overall winner.
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Larry Mac Hale, Chairperson of the An Post Irish Book Awards, says:
“The shortlist for this year’s An Post Irish Book Awards is, once again, remarkable, showcasing the immense talent of Irish writers and the strength of our literary community. Each category highlights exceptional writing, with well deserving authors, publishers, illustrators, and booksellers being recognised.
The An Post Irish Book Awards is a key event in the literary calendar, and it is wonderful to see the growing enthusiasm for this initiative. I would like to wish all the nominees the very best of luck and look forward to celebrating the winners on the 27th November.”
PJ Brigdale, Head of Brand at An Post, says:
“We are thrilled to announce this year’s shortlist for the An Post Irish Book Awards and celebrate the incredible talent and diversity of Irish writing. Each shortlisted book reflects the rich storytelling tradition we cherish, and we’re proud to honour the authors, publishers, booksellers and readers who make these awards so special. As a brand, we are especially proud to support and foster a love of reading across Ireland, helping to ensure that it remains a vital part of our culture and communities for generations to come.”
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