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From princes to haunted teenagers and one hugely courageous priest, this year’s shortlists boast some truly remarkable, unique and memorable protagonists. From across our diverse and various categories, explore 8 unforgettable protagonists that will likely capture your heart or open your mind.
The eccentric, idiosyncratic and strange Sally Diamond is a uniquely compelling character with a dark and troubled history. Vulnerable, reclusive and navigating the repercussions of her trauma, Sally is thrust onto a journey of discovery and growth.
Sally Diamond cannot understand why what she did was so strange. She was only doing what her father told her to do, to put him out with the rubbish when he died.
Now Sally is the centre of attention, not only from the hungry media and police detectives, but also a sinister voice from a past she cannot remember. As she begins to discover the horrors of her childhood, Sally steps into the world for the first time, making new friends and big decisions, and learning that people don't always mean what they say.
But who is the man observing Sally from the other side of the world? And why does her neighbour seem to be obsessed with her? Sally's trust issues are about to be severely challenged . . .
Strange Sally Diamond is Shortlisted for Irish Independent Crime Fiction Book of the Year and The Last Word Listeners’ Choice Award.
In the words of Marian Keyes, 'Aisling is one of the finest comic creations of all time', and, of course, she’s a complete Aisling. The beloved and hugely relatable Aisling is a small-town girl with a big heart, navigating life and love in the Big Apple in the latest and final book of the hit series.
Living in the Big Apple feels like a movie, especially when Aisling finds her ex-boyfriend John on her doorstep. Can his new-found devotion (and his new six-pack!) lure her back home, or should she continue to chase the American dream with the Irish Mafia and Jeff the ridey fireman?
Meanwhile, in Ballygobbard, it’s all go. Baby showers are the new hen parties, Mammy and Dr Trevor are more serious than Aisling thought, and the prospect of two evil stepsisters has her doubting her place in the family. Pulled between head, heart and home, Aisling strives to finally create her own happy ever after.
Aisling Ever After is Shortlisted for National Book Tokens Popular Fiction Book of the Year.
Child psychic Daisy moves in with her aunt and cousin Nina after losing her parents, and, ten years on, she has a normal life. But then the hauntings begin again, leaving Daisy to tackle the ghosts of her past and her troubled mind once more.
If anyone knows what it is to be haunted, it’s Daisy. The ghosts of her troubled past are ever present. Daisy has always done her best to shut the ghosts away. To shut away the wise creatures who used to whisper to her from the walls of the house. To live a normal life.
But now, something is humming in the house. Something dark, and unknown. And it’s targeting Nina, her beloved sister. Daisy knows that something is up. And that the wise creatures, locked away for so long, are back. And this time, who knows what they want?
Wise Creatures is Shortlisted for International Education Services Teen & Young Adult Book of the Year, in honour of John Treacy.
13-year-old Jamie O’Neill is a little different from the other children at Christ’s College. He loves the colour red, tall trees, patterns, rain that comes with wind, the curvature of many objects, books with dust jackets, cats, rivers and Edgar Allan Poe. In How To Build a Boat, Elaine Feeney takes us into the neurodivergent mind of Jamie, as he connects with two teachers who also defy the norm.
At age 13 there are two things Jamie O’Neill especially wants in life: to build a Perpetual Motion Machine, and to connect with his mother Noelle, who died when he was born. In his mind, these things are intimately linked. And at his new school, where all else is disorientating and overwhelming, he finds two people who might just be able to help him.
How to Build a Boat is the story of how one boy and his mission transforms the lives of his teachers, Tess and Tadhg, and brings together a community. Written with tenderness and verve, it’s about love, family and connection, the power of imagination, and how our greatest adventures never happen alone.
How to Build a Boat is Shortlisted for Eason Novel of the Year.
Sean is quietly unforgettable. Having graduated from university in Liverpool to return to his home city of Belfast, Sean navigates his identity, community and the life he wants for himself in the wake of an assault at a party which leaves him reeling. Attempting to make sense of himself and his aspirations against the backdrop of his past, Sean must navigate class lines, family and friends, new and old, to find a way.
Sean's brother Anthony is a hard man. When they were kids their ma did her best to keep him out of trouble but you can't say anything to Anto. Sean was supposed to be different. He was supposed to leave and never come back. But Sean does come back. Arriving home after university, he finds Anthony's drinking is worse than ever. Meanwhile, the jobs in Belfast have vanished, Sean's degree isn't worth the paper it's written on and no one will give him the time of day. One night he loses control and assaults a stranger at a party, and everything is tipped into chaos.
Close to Home witnesses the aftermath of that night, as Sean attempts to make sense of who he has become, and to reckon with the relationships that have shaped him, for better and worse. Luminous and devastating, a portrait of modern masculinity as shaped by class, by trauma, and by silence, but also by the courage to love and to survive.
Close to Home is Shortlisted for Sunday Independent Newcomer of the Year.
Prince Lir is more scholarly than adventurous, nurturing a desire for knowledge rather than power. As he unwittingly finds himself on a legendary quest, unable to ride a horse or lift a sword, he must use his other talents to succeed.
After his father’s death, Prince Lir is tricked into embarking on a perilous quest to rescue a maiden from a dragon. The studious young prince is no warrior, but he uses his brains to make himself indispensable to the grumpy dragon. However, neither prince nor dragon have bargained on the dark magic which manipulates them both, and it may be left to the maiden herself to save them all…
Three Tasks for a Dragon is Shortlisted for Specsavers Children’s Book of the Year - Junior.
Agatha Doyle is supposed to be writing her next book, but she instead finds herself charting her menopause symptoms in her diary, from insomnia to brain fog, hot flushes and anxiety. And then she goes viral, holding up a mirror to many a menopausal woman. Witty, honest, and down-to-earth, it’s hard not to fall in love with Agatha.
Fifty-year-old Agatha Doyle loves her empty nest – until hot flushes, a pair of killer heels and an overbearing man who won’t stop talking conspire to change her life. In one moment of madness, she unwittingly becomes a heroine to women everywhere. But can she become the heroine of her own life?
Queen Bee is Shortlisted for National Book Tokens Popular Fiction Book of the Year.
Based on a real figure, Hugh O’Flaherty courageously resists persecution and terror, helping those escaping from the Nazis in occupied Rome. With an immensely powerful conscience and a strong will, Hugh is an inspiring character.
September 1943: German forces occupy Rome. SS officer Paul Hauptmann rules with terror. The war’s outcome is far from certain. An Irish priest, Hugh O’Flaherty, dedicates himself to helping those escaping from the Nazis. His home is Vatican City, a neutral, independent country within Rome where the occupiers hold no sway. Here Hugh brings together an unlikely band of friends to hide the vulnerable under the noses of the enemy. But Hauptmann’s net begins closing in on the Escape Line and the need for a terrifyingly audacious mission grows critical. By Christmastime, it’s too late to turn back.
Based on an extraordinary true story, My Father’s House is a powerful literary thriller from a master of historical fiction. Joseph O’Connor has created an unforgettable novel of love, faith and sacrifice, and what it means to be truly human in the most extreme circumstances.
My Father’s House is Shortlisted for Eason Novel of the Year.