The shortlist for the Bord Gáis Energy Irish Book Awards was announced this evening at an event in the Royal College Of Physicians on Kildare Street.
Among those nominated are, Ryan Tubridy, Joseph O’Connor, Roddy Doyle, Colm Toibin, Colum McCann, Paul Murrary and Booker shortlisted, Emma Donoghue.
Tom Owens, Trading Director, Eason and Chairman of the Bord Gáis Energy Irish Book Awards, said, ‘The new look Bord Gáis Energy Irish Book Awards is a welcome leap forward for the Irish book sector. These industry-wide awards allow us to showcase the rich and diverse selection of Irish writing available and we are proud to say that 2010 has produced a fine selection of books that would rival any on the world stage. In these difficult times, nothing represents value for money better than a book and it is important to use these awards as a platform to celebrate our Irish authors and recognise their talent.’
Public Voting
From today, the public are being asked to cast their vote on the best books of the last year via the Bord Gáis Energy Irish Book Awards website www.irishbookawards.ie and every person who votes will be in with a chance of winning one of five €100 National Book Token vouchers.
To help readers a free Bord Gáis Energy Irish Book Awards 2010 magazine will be available in book retailers throughout the country. Votes can be cast until midnight November 21st 2010.
Publishing Companies
With some eleven nominations between their Irish and UK imprints, Penguin leads the shortlists, with Hachette scoring an impressive eight nominations though with two nominations for Orion titles, the wider Hachette group actually comes quite close to equalling Penguin.
Irish publishers have not been ignored either with titles by O’Brien, Mercier, Liberties, Gill & Macmillan, Brandon and The History Press, Ireland all included.
Self-Publisher, Benji Bennet is also nominated for his Adam’s Pirate Treasure.
Lifetime Achievement Award
The winners will be announced at an awards dinner which takes place in The Mansion House on November 25th 2010. As part of the ceremony, novelist Maeve Binchy will also be presented with a ‘Lifetime Achievement Award in Irish Literature’. Former recipients of this accolade include Edna O’Brien, William Trevor and John McGahern.
The full list of categories and nominees is below:
Hughes & Hughes Irish Novel of the Year
Let the Great World Spin, Colum McCann, Bloomsbury
Brooklyn, Colm Toibin, Viking
Skippy Dies, Paul Murray, Hamish Hamilton
Ghost Light, Joseph O’Connor, Harvill Secker
The Dead Republic, Roddy Doyle, Cape
Room, Emma Donoghue, Pan Macmillan
Argosy Irish Nonfiction Book of the Year
Wasters, Shane Ross and Nick Webb, Penguin Ireland
Who Really Runs Ireland, Matt Cooper, Penguin Ireland
Ship of Fools, Fintan O’Toole, Faber
At Five in the Afternoon, Michael Murphy, Brandon
A Coward if I Return, A Hero if I Fall, Neil Richardson, O’Brien Press
JFK in Ireland: Four Days that Changed a President, Ryan Tubridy, Collins
Ireland AM Crime Fiction Book of the Year
City of Lost Girls, Declan Hughes, John Murray
Time of Death, Alex Barclay, Harper Collins
Faithful Place, Tana French, Hachette Books Ireland
The Missing, Jane Casey, Ebury
Dark Times in the City, Gene Kerrigan, Vintage
The Twelve, Stuart Neville , Vintage
Easons Popular Fiction Book of the Year
Stand By Me, Sheila O’Flanagan, Headline
Pieces of my Heart, Sinead Moriarty, Penguin Ireland
Hello, Heartbreak, Amy Huberman, Penguin Ireland
At Home with the Templetons, Monica McInerney, Pan Macmillan
The Oh My God Delusion, Ross O’Carroll Kelly, Penguin Ireland
Homecoming, Cathy Kelly, Harper Collins
Best Newcomer of the Year
The Twelve, Stuart Neville, Vintage
JFK in Ireland: Four Days that Changed a President, Ryan Tubridy, Collins
The Soldier’s Song, Alan Monaghan, Pan Macmillan
Not Untrue and Not Unkind, Ed O’Loughlin, Penguin Ireland
If I Never See You Again, Niamh O’Connor, Transworld
Hello, Heartbreak, Amy Huberman, Penguin Ireland
IES Best Irish-published Book of the Year
Strangest Genius; the Stained Glass of Harry Clarke, Lucy Costigan & Michael Cullen, History Press
Vanishing Ireland: Further Chronicles of a Disappearing World, Turtle Bunbury & James Fennell, Hachette Books Ireland
Good Mood Food, Donal Skehan, Mercier Press
From the Republic of Conscience Stories Inspired by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Various, Liberties Press
Catherine’s Italian Kitchen, Catherine Fulvio, Gill & Macmillan
The Beaut.ie Guide to Gorgeous, Aisling McDermott , Gill & Macmillan
DAA Childrens Book of the Year
Junior
Adam’s Pirate Treasure, Benji Bennett, Adams Printing Press
The Heart and the Bottle, Oliver Jeffers, Harper Collins Children’s Books
On the Road with Mavis and Marge, Niamh Sharkey, Walker Books
Alfie Green and the Chocolate Cosmos, Joe O’Brien, O’Brien Press
Senior
Ask Amy Green: Bridesmaid Blitz, Sarah Webb, Walker Books
Skulduggery Pleasant: Mortal Coil, Derek Landy, Harper Collins Children’s Books
Timecatcher, Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick, Orion
Noah Barleywater Runs Away, John Boyne, David Fickling
Energise Sport Irish Sports Book of the Year
A Football Man, John Giles, Hachette Books Ireland
Screaming at the Sky, Tony Griffin, Transworld Ireland
The Ecstasy and the Agony, Damien Tiernan, Hachette Books Ireland
Lansdowne Road – The Stadium, The Matches, The Greatest Days, Gerard Siggins & Malachy Clerkin, O’Brien Press
Come What May, Donal Og Cusack, Penguin Ireland
Ruby: The Autobiography, Ruby Walsh, Orion
The John Murray Show Listeners’ Choice Award
Freedom, Jonathan Franzen, Fourth Estate
The Slap, Christos Tsiolkas, Tuskar Rock
A Journey, Tony Blair, Hutchinson
At Five in the Afternoon, Michael Murphy, Brandon
The Book of Tomorrow, Cecelia Ahern, Harper Collins
Come What May, Donal Og Cusack, Penguin Ireland
After a few weeks where sales seemed to be recovering for the top ten, this week dealt a huge blow with an over 15% drop in sales by volume. That nonetheless offered some bright points as Irish authors still held 4 of the top ten spots in the chart but the trend is disappointing.
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