ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

General Eligibility Guidelines

The book must have been published within the current awards year i.e. between November 1st the previous calendar year to 31st October in the current year. 

The author must be Irish by birth, citizenship or long-term residence .  

The book must be original, ie neither a reprint nor a translation or adaptation
of a previously-published book.

Eligibility guidelines for individual awards:

If you are not sure which category of award your book falls into please read the guidelines below. Please note that some books may fit comfortably in two or more categories.

Titles submitted for the Novel of The Year must be works of literary fiction.

The Nonfiction Book of the Year will broadly cover narrative works of business, current affairs, politics, and history.

The Lifestyle Book of the Year will broadly cover lifestyle matters such as diet, mental health and wellness.

Titles submitted for the Best Irish-published Book of the Year must emanate from an Irish-based publishing house. The award aims to reward the overall excellence of a title’s publication from intrinsic merit, to the aesthetic merits of the book itself, the publicity campaign, the impact on the market etc.

Titles submitted for the Children’s Book of the Year categories, should be carefully directed to the appropriate category:

  • Junior category is for books aimed at the under-8 age group.
  • Senior category is for books aimed at the 8-12 age group.
  • Teen/Young Adult category is for books aimed at the 12 + age group.


Publishers must credit author and illustrator in their submissions whenever appropriate; all An Post Irish Book Awards materials will conform to this rule.

Titles submitted for the Crime Fiction Award should be novels which must fit comfortably within the generic constraints of “crime fiction”.

Titles submitted for the Newcomer of the Year must be the publishing debut of the author regardless of genre. Titles submitted in this category may also be submitted in other categories.

Titles submitted for the Biography of the Year must be on the life of an Irish personality.  The author must also be Irish.

Titles submitted in this category will range from biographies of Irish sports figures to accounts of great sporting seasons to histories of clubs or organizations.  In all cases the personalities and contexts must be exclusively Irish.

Titles submitted in this category must be written by exclusively Irish chefs, restaurateurs, or food critics.

Titles submitted for the Popular Fiction Book of the Year must be works of popular fiction.

External Submissions:

Submissions for the writing.ie Short Story of the Year Award are administered by writing.ie – click here for more information

Submissions for the Listowel Writers Week Irish Poem of the Year are administered by Listowel Writers Week – click here for more information

Submissions for the Love Leabhar Gaeilge Irish Language Book of the Year are administered by Love Leabhar Gaeilge – click here for more information

Additional Requirements

Publishers are requested to ensure that shortlisted titles remain in print at the time of the awards and must also ensure that such titles are generally available in the Irish market, ie available from the national wholesalers at appropriate discounts.

Publishers must also undertake to support the IBAS campaign and key events, ensuring that any shortlisted author is available to attend. Publishers should also provide promotional copies of each shortlisted title (not at submission stage) as follows:

10 copies of each shortlisted book should be sent to:


Breda Brown,
Unique Media Ltd,
600a Cathedral Court,
New Street, Dublin 8

3 copies of each shortlisted book should be sent to:


Luke Giles, Agile Ideas,
Glove Factory Studios,
1 Brook Lane, Holt,
BA14 6RL, UK.

Adjudication on all eligibility issues will be at the discretion of the Awards’ executive body.
Their decision will be final.