2021 SHortlist Vote Open
Vote for your favourite books by following the link below & you could win €100 of National Book Tokens
Winners Announced
Watch the 2021 virtual ceremony, hosted by Evelyn O'Rourke
Exclusively Irish, inclusive in every other sense, the An Post Irish Book Awards brings together the entire literary community – readers, authors, booksellers, publishers and librarians – like no other awards. These are your awards – join us in celebrating Irish writing.
ARE YOU READY FOR...
The An Post Irish Book Awards Book of the Year 2021
On December 8th the book of the year will be crowned on RTÉ One at 10.35pm
Make sure you don't miss it!
Explore each title shortlisted for the An Post Irish Book Awards in more detail
Latest News
Explore the latest updates from the An Post Irish Book Awards
Six titles competing for the ‘An Post Irish Book of the Year Award’ 2021
Record number of votes from Irish public sees Maureen Gaffney, Séamas O’Reilly, Sally Rooney, Louise Nealon, and Fintan O’Toole among the winners
The winner of the 2021 'An Post Irish Book Awards' Bob Hughes Lifetime Achievement Award has been revealed.
The five regional winners for the ‘An Post Bookshop of the Year’ 2021 award have been revealed.
Key Dates
31st
August
Submissions Close
21st
October
Shortlist Launch
23rd
November
Winners Announced
8th
DECEMBER
An Post Irish Book of the Year TV show on RTÉ One & RTÉ Player
THE JUDGING PROCESS
The An Post Irish Book Awards are different in character from conventional literary awards where winners attract the subjective approval of a jury normally comprising 3-5 judges. To decide fifteen awards in this way would be impractical and inimical to our aim to canvass the widest possible sector of the reading public.
An Post Irish Book Awards Book of The Year 2020
A Ghost in the Throat
by Doireann Ní Ghríofa
A strikingly original combination of essay and autofiction, has been announced as the An Post Irish Book Awards Book of the Year 2020.
REWATCH THE 2020 AN POST IRISH BOOK AWARDS NOW
Explore the 2020 Winning Books
Testimonials
Maire Logue
Festival Manager, Listowel Writers’ Week
“It was a wonderful night for Irish Authors and Irish Books and shows the literary talent that is in Ireland right now!”
Hugh Linehan, Arts and Culture Editor at The Irish Times
From 2021 Private Investment in Arts, Festival and Music report from Business to Arts
“This is a perfect example of a business and arts organisation working in concert together; taking a concept, reworking and improving it over a two-to five-year period. Ongoing support is so key to building profile for an arts organization. There is no denying the enormous impact the An Post Irish Book Awards have had. They have attracted considerable media attention and made a lot more people aware of the publishing industry, writers and creative writing in all forms. The virtual awards ceremony and online elements of the partnership were very strong in 2020, showing a real understanding of reach and engagement when switching to digital channels.”
Sarah Webb
“I have attended the Book Awards many times as a writer, bookseller and editor over the years and I’ve always been impressed by the professional yet personal way the ceremony is run. It’s the most important night in the Irish book calendar, one I always look forward to.”
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