Irish Book Awards: Maggie O’Farrell, Vincent Browne, Sally Hayden and Louise Kennedy on shortlist

A strong year for Irish writing is reflected in the expansion of the shortlists in several categories of the 2026 An Post Irish Book Awards from six to eight titles.

Debutant author Djamel White, longlisted for the Booker Prize for his literary crime thriller, All Them Dogs, has been shortlisted for Novel of the Year alongside some of the biggest names in Irish fiction: Maggie O’Farrell for Land; Sebastian Barry for The Newer World; Donal Ryan for Where Are the Kings; John Boyne for The Weight of Angels; Louise Kennedy for Stations; Kathleen MacMahon for Other People’s Lives; and Jan Carson for Few and Far Between.

Sinéad McCorry, chairperson of the awards, said: “This year’s An Post Irish Book Awards shortlist is a wonderful reflection of the depth and diversity of talent across Irish writing. As we celebrate the awards’ 21st anniversary, it is fantastic to see such a strong mix of established and new writers represented across the categories, alongside the publishers, illustrators and booksellers who play such an important role in bringing these stories to readers.”

Biography of the Year is another highly competitive category. Vincent Browne’s long-awaited Charles Haughey: Glory, Greed and Guns is up against another former Fianna Fáil Taoiseach, Seán Lemass: The Lost Memoir, edited by Irish Times journalist Ronan McGreevy. Two late literary titans also feature: John McGahern: A Writing Life by Frank Shovlin and No One Tells You: The Last Years of Edna O’Brien by her son, Carlo Gébler. As well as two very different writers’ memoirs, Home Economics: A Memoir by Caitríona Lally and A Bigger Life by Louise O’Neill, the shortlist also features Talk to Joe: Life, Liveline and Me by broadcaster Joe Duffy; and Not the Perfect Victim by Nikita Hand with Kathryn Rogers.

Djamel White is also in the running for Newcomer of the Year, along with three journalists turned authors, Tanya Sweeney for Esther is Now Following You; Jen Bray for The Lies Between Us; and Ruth McKee for Wild Iris. Also in contention are Neil Tully for The Visit; Colin Morgan for The Ballad of Ronan McCoy; Jessamine O’Connor for Somewhere; and Edie May Hand for Dirtpickers.

The History Book of the Year category features three books about the struggle for Irish independence, The Plot Against Ireland by Myles Dungan; A Rebel and a Traitor by Rory Carroll; and Catalpa by Michael B. Barry; alongside The Story of Us: Independent Ireland and the 1926 Census, edited by Orlaith McBride and John Gibney; A History of Ireland in 100 Stamps by Max Barrett; and The Fallen: The Magdalene Laundries and Ireland’s Legacy of Silence by Louise Brangan.

Four very powerful books by women are competing for Non-Fiction Book of the Year – Said the Dead by Doireann Ní Ghríofa; The Most Normal Woman: Essays on Appearances by Roisín Kiberd; Opening Night by Sara Baume; and This is Also a Love Story: Searching for Good in a Divided World by Irish Times journalist Sally Hayden – alongside A Sheepdog Named Oscar by Dara Waldron and A Hosting: Interviews with Irish Writers 1991–2026 by Martin Doyle, Books Editor of The Irish Times.

Two Irish Times columnists are competing for Popular Fiction Book of the Year – Paul Howard with A Nation Once Again and Emer McLysaght, along with Sarah Breen, for Our Deadly Summer. They are up against Ardal O’Hanlon for A Plot to Die For; Cecelia Ahern for Love Unlocked; Lucy Kennedy with The Mini Breakers; Anna Carey for Love Scene; Vicki Notaro for Anywhere But Here; and Andrew O’Connor with The Expectation.

The Sports Book of the Year shortlist features memoirs by athlete Ciara Mageean; rugby players Peter O’Mahony and Simon Zebo; footballer James McClean; sportswriter Vincent Hogan; and Arthur James O’Dea’s profile of GAA legends, Mackey and Ring.

The crime fiction category is also very competitive this year, featuring the latest books by Liz Nugent, Jane Casey, Steve Cavanagh, Andrea Mara, Edel Coffey, Tana French, Jo Spain and Michelle McDonagh.

Readers are invited to vote for their favourite books of the year on the awards website. Voting closes at 6pm on November 13th. A one-hour television special, hosted by Oliver Callan, will be broadcast on RTÉ One on December 10th, featuring the six finalists competing for Book of the Year 2026 and revealing the winner.

Irish Book Awards 2026 shortlists

Novel of the Year

• Land – Maggie O’Farrell
• Stations – Louise Kennedy
• All Them Dogs – Djamel White
• Where Are the Kings – Donal Ryan
• Other People’s Lives – Kathleen MacMahon
• The Newer World – Sebastian Barry
• Few and Far Between – Jan Carson
• The Weight of Angels – John Boyne

Best Irish-Published Book of the Year

• Seeing What’s Hidden – Manchán Magan
• The Story of Us: Independent Ireland and the 1926 Census – Edited by Orlaith McBride and John Gibney
• Irish Sport in 100 Objects – Siobhán Doyle
• An Asylum for My Affections – Sketches of Maeve Brennan – Edited by Molly Hennigan
• A Letter Home – Kerby A. Miller and Breandán Mac Suibhne
• Birdstyle – Gordon D’Arcy

History Book of the Year

• The Plot Against Ireland – Myles Dungan
• The Story of Us: Independent Ireland and the 1926 Census – Edited by Orlaith McBride and John Gibney
• A History of Ireland in 100 Stamps – Max Barrett
• A Rebel and a Traitor – Rory Carroll
• Catalpa – Michael B. Barry
• The Fallen: The Magdalene Laundries and Ireland’s Legacy of Silence – Louise Brangan

Biography of the Year

• Home Economics: A Memoir – Caitríona Lally
• John McGahern: A Writing Life – Frank Shovlin
• No One Tells You: The Last Years of Edna O’Brien – Carlo Gébler
• Charles Haughey: Glory, Greed and Guns – Vincent Browne
• Talk to Joe: Life, Liveline and Me – Joe Duffy
• A Bigger Life – Louise O’Neill
• Not the Perfect Victim – Nikita Hand with Kathryn Rogers
• Seán Lemass: The Lost Memoir – Edited by Ronan McGreevy

Non-Fiction Book of the Year

• Said the Dead – Doireann Ní Ghríofa
• The Most Normal Woman: Essays on Appearances – Roisín Kiberd
• Opening Night – Sara Baume
• This is Also a Love Story: Searching for Good in a Divided World – Sally Hayden
• A Sheepdog Named Oscar – Dara Waldron
• A Hosting: Interviews with Irish Writers 1991 – 2026 – Martin Doyle

Lifestyle Book of the Year

• Best of Ireland – Cassie Stokes
• Sophie’s Swaps Homemade Wins – Sophie Morris
• Finding Joy – Dearbhla Mescal
• Happy, Thank You. More, Please – Kyla Cobbler
• Eva Pau’s Asian Cookbook – Eva Pau
• Now You Are Wonderful: A Celebration of Age, Freedom and Wisdom – Mary Kennedy

Sports Book of the Year

• My Greatest Race – Ciara Mageean with Clíona Foley
• All In – Peter O’Mahony with Dion Fanning
• The Lost Sportswriter – Vincent Hogan
• Mackey and Ring – Arthur James O’Dea
• The Walls – James McClean with Daniel McDonnell
• Zeebs: My Autobiography – Simon Zebo with Gerry Thornley

The Last Word Listeners’ Choice Award

• Stations – Louise Kennedy
• Land – Maggie O’Farrell
• Experts in a Dying Field – Patrick Freyne
• Be Like the Sea – Marie Gleeson with Orlaith Carmody
• White Lines – Ryan Caldwell with Peter Lockhart
• Brian Cowen: Anatomy of a Taoiseach – Gary Murphy
• Hungry: A Biography of My Body – Katriona O’Sullivan
• Imitation Games: How Gambling Hijacked Sport – Darragh McGee

Author / Illustrator of the Year

• Colm Tóibín – The News from Dublin
• Doireann Ní Ghríofa – Said the Dead
• Liz Nugent – The Truth About Ruby Cooper
• Paddy Donnelly The Upside-Down Lighthouse
• P.J. Lynch – Deerheart
• Sally Hayden – This is Also a Love Story: Searching for Good in a Divided World

Newcomer of the Year

• All Them Dogs – Djamel White
• Esther is Now Following You – Tanya Sweeney
• The Visit – Neil Tully
• The Ballad of Ronan McCoy – Colin Morgan
• Wild Iris – Ruth McKee
• Somewhere – Jessamine O’Connor
• The Lies Between Us – Jen Bray
• Dirtpickers – Edie May Hand

Crime Fiction Book of the Year

• The Truth About Ruby Cooper – Liz Nugent
• Everything She Didn’t Say – Jane Casey
• One of Us Is Guilty – Steve Cavanagh
• Such a Nice Girl – Andrea Mara
• In Glass Houses – Edel Coffey
• The Keeper – Tana French
• Never to be Found – Jo Spain
• If These Walls Could Talk – Michelle McDonagh

Popular Fiction Book of the Year

• A Nation Once Again – Paul Howard
• The Expectation – Andrew O’Connor
• Love Scene – Anna Carey
• Our Deadly Summer – Emer McLysaght and Sarah Breen
• The Mini Breakers – Lucy Kennedy
• Love Unlocked – Cecelia Ahern
• A Plot to Die For – Ardal O’Hanlon
• Anywhere But Here – Vicki Notaro

Children’s Book of the Year – Junior

• The Upside-Down Lighthouse – Paddy Donnelly
• Letters to a Giant – Patricia Forde, illustrated by Sarah Warburton
• I Am Not a Dog – Peter Donnelly
• Swim, Little Otter – Tom McCaughren and Erika McGann, illustrated by Shannon Bergin
• Rabbit and Bear: The Bog of Frogs – Julian Gough, illustrated by Jim Field
• The Starmaker – Catherine Doyle, illustrated by Paddy Donnelly
• Little Passenger – Deirdre Sullivan, illustrated by Jessica Love
• An Peata is Fearr – Patricia Forde, illustrated by Philip Cullen

Children’s Book of the Year – Senior

• Deerheart – Eoin Colfer, illustrated by P.J. Lynch
• Millie McCarthy and the Doggy Daycare Drama – Leona Forde, illustrated by Karen Harte
• Minotaur Boy – Shane Hegarty, illustrated by Ruby Fresson
• Murder at the Ivy Hotel – Emily Hourican
• Nina Peanut: Major Drama Alert (Book 4) – Sarah Bowie
• A Timeline of Irish History – Myles Dungan, illustrated by Sol Linero
• Death Before Detention – Alison Weatherby, illustrated by Ellen Porteus
• Epic Ireland – Kieran Fanning, illustrated by Alice Guidi

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

• Effie is Offline – Karen Harte
• Shorelines – Ruth Ennis
• Runaway Road – Sue Divin
• Her Hidden Fire – Clíodhna O’Sullivan
• They Called Us Witch – Ellen Ryan, illustrated by Imogen Oh and Anastasia Stefurak
• From the Top, Sally Flynn – Méabh Collins
• Just Another Dead Boy – Kelly McCaughrain
• Tom Burne Has Left the Chat – Seán Farrelly

Gradam Love Leabhar Gaeilge Leabhar Ficsin Gaeilge na Bliana

• Faraor Géar nár Cailleadh Mé – Micheál Ó Conghaile
• Rúnaí an Aire – Brian Ó Tiomáin
• Eoghan Béal – Darach Ó Scolaí, ealaín le Alé Mercado
• Sí – Seán Ó Muireagáin
• An Cláirseoir – Diarmuid Johnson

New Irish Writing Best Short Story

• Starfish Don’t Have Bodies – Fiona Ennis
• Burnt – Jacinta Cogan
• Carlos – Eamon O’Riordan
• A Day in the Life – Ben Dillon

New Irish Writing Best Poetry

• ‘Abundance’ and ‘The Trouble with Home’ – Noel Howley
• ‘Mother / Father’ and ‘The Gift of Snow’ – John Kenny
• ‘Bring Up’ – Emma Beard
• ‘Rhiannon’ and ‘The North’ – Kevin Cahill

Bookshop of the Year

• Bridge Books, Dromore, Co Down
• Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop, Galway
• O’Mahony’s Booksellers, Limerick
• Tales for Tadpoles, Bray, Co Wicklow
• The Book Centre, Waterford
• Woodbine Books, Kilcullen, Co Kildare