An Post Irish Book of the year 2022 judges
Since its inception, the An Post Irish Book Awards Book of the Year has been won by a series of landmark titles which have gone on to become Christmas bestsellers and firm favourites with readers. A shortlist of six books will be drawn from the highest-polling titles from the list of individual category winners announced at the Awards Ceremony on November 23rd. The winner will be adjudicated by a distinguished panel of five judges and announced on the An Post Irish Book of the Year TV show on RTÉ One on December 7th.
This year’s distinguished panel includes a bookstore chain chief executive, two literary editors, a bestselling novelist, and the CEO of Children’s Books Ireland. We look forward to learning which of the six titles our judging panel will honour with the ultimate accolade of An Post Irish Book of the Year.
Maria Dickenson
Maria Dickenson is General Manager of Dubray, which has eleven stores nationwide. She began her career in the book trade as a librarian, and prior to her current role she was Head of Book Purchasing for the Eason Group. She is a Board Member of the An Post Irish Book Awards and a Council Member of the Booksellers Association.
Madeleine Keane
Madeleine Keane is an editor, lecturer, and journalist. She was educated at UCD and Trinity. She joined the Sunday Independent in 1988 and has been its Literary Editor for the last 20 years.
She presented a book programme for RTE TV (‘First Edition’) and has written a non-fiction careers guide for teenagers (What Will I Be? Mercier Press 1995). She has broadcast on books and publishing, regularly judges literary awards, and presents at arts festivals and events. She lectures on writing at UCD and the Irish Writers’ Centre. She was recently appointed to the board of Children’s Books Ireland.
Rónán Hession
Rónán Hession is an Irish writer and musician. His debut novel Leonard and Hungry Paul (2019) was shortlisted for numerous awards including the Kerry Group Irish Novel of the Year, the An Post Irish Book Awards, the Dalkey Literary Prize, the McKitterick Prize, and was longlisted for the Republic of Consciousness Prize. Leonard and Hungry Paul was also the 2021 One Dublin One Book choice. His second novel Panenka (2021) was shortlisted for Novel of the Year at the An Post Irish Book Awards and the Books Are My Bag Fiction prize.
As Mumblin’ Deaf Ro, he has released three albums of songs the third of which was shortlisted for the Choice Music Prize for Irish Album of the Year. Rónán also reviews fiction in translation for the Irish Times. He is currently working on his third novel, Ghost Mountain, which will be published in 2024.
Laura Hackett
Laura Hackett is the Deputy Literary Editor of the Sunday Times. She has been at the paper since September 2021, and before that contributed reviews to the Irish Times, Literary Review, the Times Literary Supplement and the BBC. Laura was born in Northern Ireland, and has particular interests in Irish fiction and memoirs.
Elaina Ryan
Elaina Ryan graduated from the MLitt in Publishing at University of Stirling in 2009. She was Managing Editor of Little Island Books, where she worked closely with Ireland’s inaugural Laureate na nÓg, Siobhán Parkinson, until 2013. Since then she has been CEO of Children’s Books Ireland, a charity and arts organisation whose vision is ‘every child a reader’. She is co-Artistic Director, with Niamh Sharkey, of Towers and Tales Children’s Books Festival in County Waterford. For the past two years she has featured in The Bookseller 150, an annual list of the 150 most influential people in UK and Irish publishing.
Maria Dickenson
Maria Dickenson is General Manager of Dubray, which has eleven stores nationwide. She began her career in the book trade as a librarian, and prior to her current role she was Head of Book Purchasing for the Eason Group. She is a Board Member of the An Post Irish Book Awards and a Council Member of the Booksellers Association.
Madeleine Keane
Madeleine Keane is an editor, lecturer, and journalist. She was educated at UCD and Trinity. She joined the Sunday Independent in 1988 and has been its Literary Editor for the last 20 years.
She presented a book programme for RTE TV (‘First Edition’) and has written a non-fiction careers guide for teenagers (What Will I Be? Mercier Press 1995). She has broadcast on books and publishing, regularly judges literary awards, and presents at arts festivals and events. She lectures on writing at UCD and the Irish Writers’ Centre. She was recently appointed to the board of Children’s Books Ireland.
Rónán Hession
Rónán Hession is an Irish writer and musician based in Dublin. His debut novel Leonard and Hungry Paul was published by Bluemoose Books in 2019. It was shortlisted for the Kerry Group Irish Novel of the Year, the An Post Irish Book Awards, the British Book Awards, the Books Are My Bag Awards, the Dalkey Literary Prize, the McKitterick Prize, and was longlisted for the Republic of Consciousness Prize. Leonard and Hungry Paul was selected by Dublin City Council as the 2021 One Dublin One Book. It was also chosen by the Sunday Times as one of the 50 Great Irish Novels of the 21st Century.
Ronán’s second novel Panenka was published in May 2021. It was shortlisted for Novel of the Year at the An Post Irish Book Awards and the for Books Are My Bag Fiction prize. Rónán was shortlisted for 2021 Author of the Year at the An Post Irish Book Awards. Rónán’s story The Translator’s Funeral was longlisted for the An Post Irish Book Awards for Short Story of the Year.
As Mumblin’ Deaf Ro, he has released three albums of storytelling songs. His third album Dictionary Crimes was shortlisted for the Choice Music Prize for Irish Album of the Year. Rónán also reviews fiction in translation for the Irish Times. He is currently working on his third novel, Ghost Mountain, which will be published in 2024.
Laura Hackett
Laura Hackett is the Deputy Literary Editor of the Sunday Times. She has been at the paper since September 2021, and before that contributed reviews to the Irish Times, Literary Review, the Times Literary Supplement and the BBC. Laura was born in Northern Ireland, and has particular interests in Irish fiction and memoirs.
Elaina Ryan
Elaina Ryan graduated from the MLitt in Publishing at University of Stirling in 2009. She was Managing Editor of Little Island Books, where she worked closely with Ireland’s inaugural Laureate na nÓg, Siobhán Parkinson, until 2013. Since then she has been CEO of Children’s Books Ireland, a charity and arts organisation whose vision is ‘every child a reader’. She is co-Artistic Director, with Niamh Sharkey, of Towers and Tales Children’s Books Festival in County Waterford. For the past two years she has featured in The Bookseller 150, an annual list of the 150 most influential people in UK and Irish publishing.
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