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Tom McCaughren and Erika McGann with illustrator Shannon Bergin, Jacqueline Connolly with Kathryn Rogers, Vincent Barton, Nicola Pierce, Claire Gleeson, Pádhraic Quinn and Gráinne O’Brien are among the winning authors at this year’s An Post Irish Book Awards which were held in the Convention Centre, Dublin this evening.
The Eason Novel of the Year Award was won by Roisín O’Donnell for her book Nesting, while Elaine Feeney won The Library Association of Ireland Author of the Year Award.
The An Post Irish Book Awards also presented former President Michael D. Higgins with the Bob Hughes Lifetime Achievement Award. Higgins has published a significant body of literary works including five poetry collections and several collections of speeches and essays on arts and politics. He has also had a profound impact on Irish art and culture, both as a public figure and as an artist in his own right.
Throughout his distinguished career, his influence has spanned the full cultural spectrum - from literature and visual arts to film, music, and public cultural policy. Michael D. Higgins also presented the Lifetime Achievement Award to Seamus Heaney in 2011 at the beginning of his first term as President of Ireland.
As the 2025 Lifetime Achievement honouree, Michael D. Higgins joins a host of other distinguished recipients including Martin Waddell, Professor Roy Foster, Anne Enright, Sebastian Barry, Eavan Boland, Colm Tóibín, and many others. All previous winners of The Lifetime Achievement Award can be found at https://www.irishbookawards.ie/history/hall-of-fame/
The Irish Book Awards also unveiled a newly commissioned trophy designed by award-winning Irish ceramic artist Ciara O’Keeffe of Ceramics and Sculpture Design and Studio, in collaboration with Ruth Liddle, Managing Director at Create Gifts and Awards.
Based in her workshop in Athy, Co. Kildare, Ciara’s work features in esteemed collections including those of the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Royal College of Surgeons, Dublin City Council, the Chilean Ambassador, and former President of Ireland, Mary McAleese.
The new trophy is inspired by the Celtic goddess Brigid, who is closely associated with storytelling and poetry, and is one of the most important figures in Celtic mythology.
Celebrating its 20th anniversary, the Irish Book Awards continue to champion and promote Irish writing to the widest range of readers possible. Each year, the An Post Irish Book Awards bring together a vast community passionate about books – readers, authors, booksellers, publishers and librarians – to recognise the very best of new and established Irish writing talent and 2025 is no different.
Below is the full list of winners for the ‘An Post Irish Book Awards 2025’:
Ninety-Nine Words for Rain (and One for Sun) – Manchán Magan, illustrated by Megan Luddy (Gill Books)
Deadly Silence: A Sister’s Battle to Uncover the Truth Behind the Murder of Clodagh and Her Sons by Alan Hawe – Jacqueline Connolly with Kathryn Rogers (Hachette Books Ireland)
Sophie’s Swaps – Sophie Morris (Gill Books)
Heart on My Sleeve – Andrew Porter (Eriu)
Great Irish Wives – Nicola Pierce (The O’Brien Press)
A Time for Truth: My Father Jason and My Search for Justice and Healing – Sarah Corbett Lynch (Hachette Books Ireland)
The Ghosts of Rome – Joseph O’Connor (Harvill, Penguin)
Run Home, Little Fox – Tom McCaughren and Erika McGann, illustrated by Shannon Bergin (The O’Brien Press)
Animalopedia – Kathi and John Burke (Gill Books)
Solo – Gráinne O’Brien (Little Island Books)
Bódléar – Darach Ó Scolaí (Leabhar Breac)
All the Birch Trees Were Waving – Pádhraic Quinn
‘There’s never a crowd at the poetry section’ – Vincent Barton
Show Me Where It Hurts – Claire Gleeson (Sceptre, Hachette)
Paper Heart – Cecelia Ahern (Harper Fiction, HaperCollins)
It Should Have Been You – Andrea Mara (Bantam, Transworld)
Elaine Feeney
Nesting – Roisín O’Donnell (Scribner Bools from Simon & Schuster)
Chapters Bookstore, Dublin 1
Larry Mac Hale, Chairperson of the An Post Irish Book Awards, says:
“The An Post Irish Book Awards have truly become a defining highlight of Ireland’s literary scene, and we’re immensely grateful for the collaboration, creativity, and enthusiasm that continue to fuel their success - from readers and writers to publishers, booksellers, librarians, and our committed sponsors and media partners.
This year brought an impressive range of Irish books to the shelves, celebrating the work of established authors while also shining a light on remarkable new voices who are adding fresh depth to our literary heritage. We are delighted to offer our warmest congratulations to all of this year’s An Post Irish Book Awards winners.”
David McRedmond, CEO of An Post, says:
“Writing remains Ireland’s leading world class skill, and at An Post, we want to celebrate the achievements of our writers with a world-class awards event. The An Post Irish Book Awards are at the heart of our sustainability strategy and purpose - to act for the common good, now, and for generations to come.”
The ‘An Post Irish Book Awards’ public vote was sponsored by National Book Tokens. A one-hour television special, hosted by Oliver Callan, will be broadcast on RTÉ One on 11th December which will reveal this year’s ‘An Post Irish Book of the Year 2025’, selected by a distinguished panel of judges:
Judging Chair:
Paul Howard, author, screenwriter and newspaper columnist
Madeleine Keane, Literary Editor at the Sunday Independent, lecturer and journalist
Sinéad McCorry, Retail Manager at Waterstones Ireland
Cyril McGrane, Director of International Trade at An Post
Sara Keating, writer, journalist and critic
Previous winners of the An Post Irish Book of the Year include Donal Ryan for Heart, Be At Peace Paul Murray for The Bee Sting, Sally Hayden for My Fourth Time, We Drowned, Fintan O’Toole for We Don’t Know Ourselves, Doireann Ní Ghríofa for A Ghost in the Throat, the late Vicky Phelan for Overcoming, Emilie Pine for Notes to Self, John Crowley, Donal Ó Drisceoil, Mike Murphy and John Borgonovo for Atlas of the Irish Revolution, Mike McCormack for Solar Bones, Louise O’Neill for Asking For It, Mary Costello for Academy St, Donal Ryan for The Spinning Heart, Michael Harding for Staring at Lakes, and Belinda McKeon for Solace.