An Post Irish Books Awards 2023 Shortlist Nominees at DBF23

There was great excitement last week as the An Post Irish Book Awards shortlists were announced, and we were delighted to see so many #DBF23 authors featured. The winners will be announced on November 22nd but, before then, we’ve done a recap of the categories in which #DBF23 authors were nominated, and when and where you can hear them speaking about their latest books at our festival next month.

Journal.ie Best Irish Published Book of the Year

• Sunday Miscellany: A Selection 2018 – 2023 (New Island Books ed. Sarah Binchy) will be celebrated at a special launch on Friday November 10th out at dlr LexIcon.
• Wild Ireland: A Nature Journey from Shore to Peak (The O’Brien Press) by Carsten Krieger will be featured in an exhibition on display at The Printworks, Dublin Castle, and Carsten will also be leading a Wildlife Photography Walking Tour out at the National Botanic Gardens on Sunday November 12th.
• The Lamplighters of the Phoenix Park (Hachette Ireland) will be discussed with Donal Fallon and the titular Lamplighters themselves, James and Frank Flanagan, on Saturday 11th November out at Farmleigh in the Phoenix Park itself.

Bookselling Ireland Biography of the Year

• Madhouse (Sandycove) by PJ Gallagher will be featured in a fantastic talk with PJ and journalist, broadcaster and writer Aoife Barry on Saturday 11th November in the Glass Mask Theatre.

Bookstation Lifestyle Book of the Year 

• From Malin Head to Mizen Head (Gill Books) by Joanna Donnelly has been nominated for Lifestyle Book of the Year. Joanna will be taking part in the Tackling the Climate and Ecological Crisis free event on Sunday 12th November in the Printworks, Dublin Castle.

Dubray Non-Fiction Book of the Year

• Martin Doyle will be discussing his shortlisted book Dirty Linen (Merrion Press) with Joe Duffy on Sunday 12th November in the Printworks, Dublin Castle.

Specsavers Children’s Book of the Year Junior

• Ashwin Chacko will be participating in a number of Dublin Book Festival events this year but he will be celebrating his new shortlisted book Wild City in a fun, interactive event on Saturday 11th November in the Printworks, Dublin Castle.

Specsavers Children’s Book of the Year Senior

• Gods Don’t Cry (HarperCollins) by Ellen Ryan, illustrated by Conor Merriman. Ellen and Conor will be holding a special event reading from their new book and teaching you how to draw a god on Saturday 11th November in the Printworks, Dublin Castle.
• I Am The Wind (Little Island) by Lucinda Jacob and Sarah Webb, illustrated by Ashwin Chacko. They will be taking part in our amazing Schools Programme to discuss their new book with students.
• Millie McCarthy and the Irish Dancing Disaster (Gill Books) by Leona Forde, illustrated by Karen Harte. Leona and Karen will be holding a fun reading and drawing event on Sunday 12th November in the Printworks, Dublin Castle.

International Education Services Teen & Young Adult Book of the Year 

• Black and Irish: Legends, Trailblazers & Everyday Heroes (Little Island) by Leon Diop and Briana Fitzsimons will be showcased as part of our lovely Schools Programme as well as Something Terrible Happened Last Night (Gill Books) by Sam Blake, which has also been shortlisted.
• What Walks These Halls (O’Brien Press) by Amy Clarkin and Wise Creatures (Hot Key Books) by Deirdre Sullivan will both be featured in our spine-tingling supernatural book events!

Writing.ie Short Story of the Year

• Thomas Morris’s short story Wales has been shortlisted for Short Story of the Year and he will be discussing The Art of the Short Story on Saturday 11th November in dlr LexIcon.

Sunday Independent Newcomer of the Year

• Close to Home (Hamish Hamilton) by Michael Magee will be explored in conversation at our Dublin City Libraries Reader’s Morning on Saturday 11th November, at the Printworks, Dublin Castle.
• The Red Bird Sings (Virago) by Aoife Fitzpatrick will be discussed along with other exciting debut authors and their novels on Thursday 9th November at the New Theatre, Temple Bar.

The Last Word Listeners’ Choice Award

• Social Capital (HarperCollins Ireland) by Aoife Barry, will also be discussed along with PJ Gallagher and his memoir at the Glass Mask Theatre, Saturday 11th November.

National Book Tokens Popular Fiction Book of the Year

• The Last Lifeboat (HarperCollins Ireland) by Hazel Gaynor. Hazel will be discussing her book with other fascinating historical fiction books in the Writing History event on Saturday 11th November, at the National Library of Ireland.

Eason Novel of the Year

• Paul Lynch will be in conversation about Prophet Song at our RTÉ Radio 1 Arena opening night on November 8th.
• Anne Enright was nominated for The Wren, The Wren and Claire Kilroy for Soldier, Sailor, and they will be in conversation with Jessica Traynor on Sunday November 12th at The Printworks, Dublin Castle.

And these are just some of the great authors shortlisted for this year’s awards. See the full overall shortlist and read more about the awards over at their website. 

We wish all the nominees the best, and don’t forget to vote now for your winner in each category here https://www.irishbookawards.ie/vote/

Watch this space as well to see the line-up for our An Post Irish Book Awards shortlisted authors panel discussion event happening Saturday November 11th in the Glass Mask Theatre.