The An Post Irish Book Awards, one of Ireland’s most distinguished and popular literary events, has unveiled the Top 20 Favourite Irish Books from award winners of the past two decades, as voted for by the public, marking a key milestone in its 20th anniversary celebrations.
The Top 20 list follows last month’s announcement of a curated Top 60 titles selected through votes from leading booksellers nationwide, which brought together standout winners from the Fiction, Non-Fiction and Children’s categories over the lifetime of the awards. Readers across Ireland were then invited to vote for their favourites from this longlist, with over 30,000 votes received nationwide.
The final selection, over half of which is authored by or features contributions from women, reflects the depth and diversity of contemporary Irish writing, and is below in alphabetical order by surname:
- The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry - Novel of the Year 2009 (Faber)
- The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne – Children’s Book of the Year (Senior) 2007 (Transworld)
- Atlas of the Irish Revolution by John Crowley, Donal Ó Drisceoil, Mike Murphy and John Borgonovo – Best Irish-Published Book of the Year 2017 (Cork University Press)
- Room by Emma Donoghue – Novel of the Year 2010 (Pan Macmillan)
- Fia and the Last Snow Deer by Eilish Fisher and illustrated by Dermot Flynn – Children’s Book of the Year (Senior) 2024 (Puffin)
- Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan – Author of the Year 2023 (Faber)
- Trespasses by Louise Kennedy – Novel of the Year 2022 (Bloomsbury)
- Ninety-Nine Words for Rain (and One for Sun) by Manchán Magan and illustrated by Megan Luddy – Best Irish-Published Book of the Year 2025 (Gill)
- The Importance of Being Aisling by Emer McLysaght and Sarah Breen – Popular Fiction Book of the Year 2018 (Gill)
- The Bee Sting by Paul Murray – Novel of the Year 2023 (Penguin Random House)
- A Ghost in the Throat by Doireann Ní Ghríofa – Non-Fiction Book of the Year 2020 (Tramp Press)
- Holding by Graham Norton – Popular Fiction Book of the Year 2016 (Hodder)
- Unravelling Oliver by Liz Nugent – Crime Fiction Book of the Year 2014 (Penguin Random House)
- Country Girl by Edna O’Brien – Non-Fiction Book of the Year 2012 (Faber)
- Asking For It by Louise O’Neill – Children’s Book of the Year (Senior) 2015 (Quercus)
- Poor by Katriona O’Sullivan – Biography of the Year 2023 (Sandycove, Penguin Random House)
- We Don’t Know Ourselves by Fintan O’Toole – Non-Fiction Book of the Year 2021 (Head of Zeus, Bloomsbury)
- Normal People by Sally Rooney – Novel of the Year 2018 (Faber)
- The Spinning Heart by Donal Ryan – Newcomer of the Year 2012 (Transworld)
- Girls Who Slay Monsters by Ellen Ryan and illustrated by Shona Shirley Macdonald – Children’s Book of the Year (Senior) 2022 (HarperCollins)
Alastair Giles, CEO of the Irish Book Awards, says: “As we celebrate 20 years of the An Post Irish Book Awards, this Top 20 list represents the books that have truly resonated with readers across the country. It’s a powerful reflection, not only of the extraordinary talent within Irish writing, but also of the deep connection between these particular stories and the readers who cherish them.
The goal of the Irish Book Awards is to promote Irish writing to the widest range of readers possible, and seeing book lovers engage so passionately with this vote has been extremely rewarding. The final selection stands as a testament to the lasting impact of Irish books over the past two decades.”
Since its launch in 2006, the An Post Irish Book Awards has promoted Irish writing to the widest possible readership. Each year it brings together a vibrant community of readers, authors, booksellers, publishers and librarians to recognise the very best of Irish writing.
The awards feature a diverse mix of exceptional writing from new and established writers across 18 categories, including Novel of the Year, Children’s, History, Crime Fiction, Popular Fiction, Non-fiction, Sports, Lifestyle, Short Story, Irish Language, Poetry, Newcomer, Teen and Young Adult, Irish Published and Biography.
Hundreds of books are submitted for consideration each year and, over the past two decades, an array of new and established domestic and international authors have graced the Irish Book Awards stage.
In addition to category winners, a special honour is presented at the event. The Bob Hughes Lifetime Achievement Award recognises the contribution of distinguished Irish writers and poets. Previous recipients include Martin Waddell, Anne Enright, Sebastian Barry, Colm Tóibín, Thomas Kinsella, Eavan Boland, John Montague, J.P. Donleavy, Paul Durcan, John Banville, Maeve Binchy, John McGahern, Edna O’Brien, William Trevor and Séamus Heaney.
