Twentieth anniversary of the Irish Book Awards

This year marks the twentieth anniversary of the Irish Book Awards which emerged from the chrysalis of the Hughes & Hughes Novel of the Year, first taking flight in its now familiar multi-category format in 2005. From a mere three categories in those early years, publishers may now submit titles to categories which span the full range of publishing genres. Submissions open on July 1st and close on 22nd August and we would love to see a record number of submissions in this special year for the Awards.

Irish writers have never been more prominent and well-respected globally and we are proud to have celebrated their achievements and promoted Irish writing in general over such a long period. Arts projects don’t always achieve such longevity and this has been made possible by the co-operative efforts of the entire Irish book industry including authors, publishers, booksellers, librarians, illustrators, media outlets, sponsors and the many thousands of readers who vote for their favourite books every year.

Some wonderful books have been published already this year. Many more will follow in the coming months and the best of them will figure prominently in the quest for the glittering prizes come November. The shortlists will be announced in late October with the winners honoured at the Gala Dinner and Awards Ceremony on November 27th in the Convention Centre Dublin.

To keep pace with developments, log in to the website regularly. Public voting will begin directly after the shortlist launch but meanwhile, here’s wishing you a wonderful summer.

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