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Booker winner vies for Irish award

05.03.08 Anna Richardson

Anne Enright’s The Gathering, Ronan Bennett’s Zugzwang, Joe O’Connor’s Redemption Falls and Benjamin Black’s The Silver Swan will battle it out to claim the Irish Novel of the Year accolade at this year’s Irish Book Awards. Both Enright and Black are also in the running for the Listeners’ Choice prize, joining On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan (Vintage), Judging Dev by Diarmaid ­Ferriter, The Road by Cormac McCarthy and The Ghost by Robert Harris.

The shortlists emerged from a ballot of more than 300 Irish booksellers and librarians. ­Originally launched by Irish book chain ­Hughes & Hughes in 2006 with three categories, the newly expanded awards were established as a not-for-profit company last year, with all major Irish retailers and whole­salers involved, "to encourage the Irish book trade to unite in support of the event".

They now comprise nine categories, with sponsorship from RTÉ, Eason, ­Hughes & Hughes and Galaxy, among others. Two categories—"The Tubridy Show" Listeners’ Choice Award and the Irish Popular Fiction Book of the Year—are open to votes from the public.

Winners in the other categories will be chosen by the Irish Literary Academy, a selection of around 100 people involved in the book trade.

The winners will be announced at Mansion House, Dublin, on 24th April.

SHORTLISTS IN FULL:

Hughes & Hughes Irish Novel of the Year
The Gathering by Anne Enright (Cape)
Zugzwang by Ronan (Bloomsbury)
Redemption Falls by Joe O'Connor (Harvill Secker)
The Silver Swan by Benjamin Black (Picador)

The Argosy Irish Non-Fiction Book of the Year:
Judging Dev by Diarmaid Ferriter (Royal Irish Academy)
The High Society by Justine Delaney Wilson (Gill & Macmillan)
Forgotten Soldiers by Stephen Walker (Gill & Macmillan)
Follow Me Down To Dublin by Deirdre Purcell (Hodder Headline IR)

Galaxy Irish Popular Fiction Book of the Year
Secret Diary of a Demented House Wife by Niamh Greene (Penguin Ireland)
Bad Behaviour by Sheila O'Flanagan (Headline)
This Champagne Mojito is the Last Thing I Own by Ross O'Carroll-Kelly (Penguin Ireland)
Ship of Dreams by Martina Delvin (Poolbeg)
The Last to Know by Melissa Hill (Poolbeg)
Take A Look At Me Now by Anita Notaro (Bantam Press)

Energise Sport Irish Sports Book of the Year
Padraig Harrington's Journey to the Open by Padraig Harrington (Bantam Press)
Rule 42 And All That by Sean Kelly (Gill & Macmillan)
The Gambler: Oisin McConville's Story by Oisin McConville and Ewan (Mainstream)
Trevor Brennan: Heart and Soul by Gerry Thornley (Red Rock Press)

International Education Services Irish Newcomer of the Year Award
In the Woods by Tana French (Hodder Headline)
With My Lazy Eye by Julia Kelly (Lilliput)
There Are Little Kingdoms by Kevin Barry (Stinging Fly Press)
Secret Diary of a Demented House Wife by Niamh Greene (Penguin Ireland)

Eason Irish Published Book of the Year
Lines I Love by Mary Kennedy (Merlin)
The Story of Ireland by Brendan O'Brien (O'Brien Press)
Judging Dev by Diarmaid Ferriter (Royal Irish Academy)
Ross O'Carroll-Kelly's Guide to South Dublin by Ross O'Carroll-Kelly (Penguin Ireland)

RTÉ Radio 1's The Tubridy Show Listeners' Choice Award (Public Vote)
The Silver Swan by Benjamin Black (Picador)
On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan (Vintage)
Judging Dev by Diarmaid Ferriter (Royal Irish Academy)
The Gathering by Ann Enright (Cape)
The Road by Cormac McCarthy (Picador)
The Ghost by Robert Harris (Hutchinson)

The Dublin Airport Authority Irish Children's Book of the Year
Junior
The Thing With Finn by Tom Kelly (Macmillan Childrens)
Angela and the Baby Jesus by Frank McCourt (Fourth Estate)
The Legend of the Worst Boy in the World by Eoin Colfer (Penguin Ireland)
The Way Back Home by Oliver Jeffers (Harper Collins)
Senior
The Alchemyst by Michael Scott (Doubleday)
Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy (HarperCollins)
Wilderness by Roddy Doyle (Scholastic)
The Story of Ireland by Brendan O'Brien (O'Brien Press)

Anna Richardson Prize Home Irish Book Awards

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