Listowel Writers' Week has revealed the five shortlisted novels for the prestigious 2026 Kerry Group Irish Novel of the Year Award. The selection, featuring diverse voices in contemporary Irish fiction, was made by Nicola Sturgeon and Andrew O’Hagan. The award celebrates exceptional writing and storytelling as part of Ireland's rich literary heritage.
Books newsletter: tomorrow’s pages previewed; Ballyscullion Park Book Festival ; Cork International Poetry Festival; book deals; Encore Award and Walter Scott Prize shortlists; new Waterstones Catherine Keogh; Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at Kerry Group, with the shortlisted titles for the Kerry Group Novel of the Year Award for Listowel Writers’ Week.
Photograph: Domnick Walsh/ Eye FocusListowel Writers’ Week has announced the shortlist for the 2026 Kerry Group Irish Novel of the Year Award, one of Ireland’s leading literary honours. The five novels are: Conversation with the Sea by Hugo Hamilton; The Wardrobe Department by Elaine Garvey; Ordinary Saints by Niamh Ní Mhaoileoin; The Boy from the Sea by Garrett Carr; and Thirst Trap by Gráinne O’Hare. Catherine Keogh, Kerry Group’s chief corporate affairs officer, said: “As Listowel Writers’ Week marks its 55th year, it is a moment to reflect on the longstanding connection between the festival and its homeplace. Kerry’s own story began in Listowel over five decades ago, and we are proud to support a festival that has become such an important part of Ireland’s cultural and literary life. “Now in its fourth decade, the Kerry Group Irish Novel of the Year Award continues to recognise exceptional writing and storytelling. This year’s shortlist reflects the strength and range of contemporary Irish fiction, and we look forward to celebrating these works during the festival.” This year’s shortlist was selected by Nicola Sturgeon, former first minister of Scotland, and author Andrew O’Hagan. Sturgeon said: “It has been a privilege to judge the Kerry Group Irish Novel of the Year, and a special pleasure to share the judging duties with my friend, Andrew O’Hagan. Choosing a shortlist from the many exceptional novels entered for the prize was no easy task but I am confident that we have selected the best of a bumper crop. The five shortlisted books are diverse in terms of subject and style and, between them, offer something for everyone. Any one of them would be a worthy winner and making the final decision will be extremely difficult.” O’Hagan added: “The art of the novel is thriving in Ireland and Nicola and I have been struck by the strength of the voices and the beauty of the prose in the books we have chosen. It is not going to be easy choosing a winner, but it’s been a joy to work with my friend, and I look forward to gathering in Co Kerry.”The winner will be announced on May 27th, the opening night of Listowel Writers’ Week, which runs until May 31st.In The Irish Times tomorrow, Leila Slimani tells John Self about her new novel, I’ll Take the Fire. Poet Sinead Morrissey talks to Róisín Ingle about her memoir, Among Communists. And there is a Q&A with Claire Coughlan about her new crime novel, Among the Ruins. Danielle McLaughlin tells Gemma Tipton about the art that inspired her novella Rituals. And there is an extract from Home Economics, the new memoir by Caitriona Lally. Reviews are Margaret Kelleher on A Hosting: Interviews with Irish Writers 1991-2026 by Martin Doyle; Katriona O’Sullivan on Home Economics by Caitriona Lally; Declan Burke on the best new crime fiction; Alice Blackhurst on My Year in Paris with Gertrude Stein by Deborah Levy; John Walshe on The Wisdom of Farmers by John Connell; Andrew Lynch on Understanding Homelessness in Ireland Since Independence by Eoin O’Sullivan, Mike Allen and Sarah Sheridan; Jade Wilson on Bread Alone, edited by Kate Pasola; Edel Coffey on Rituals by Danielle McLaughlin; Mei Chin on Whatever Happened to Madeline Stone by Louise O’Neill; Adam Wyeth on Sweep the Cobwebs off the Sky by Mary O’Donnell; Nicholas Allen on Boyhood by David Keenan; Frank Wynne on The Irish Proust; and Robert McNamara on Nuclear Weapons: An International History by David Holloway.Held in the beautiful and historic surroundings of Ballyscullion House, in the heart of Seamus Heaney country near Bellaghy, thetakes place over the weekend of May 16th and 17th, with a particular focus on voices from across the island of Ireland, alongside contributors from Britain and the wider world. As well as a vibrant programme of talks, readings, and panel discussions, guests can meet their favourite writers in a relaxed and informal setting, while also enjoying live music, local food stalls and an artisan market. In association with Queen’s University Belfast, the Festival presents a programme that blends culture, conversation, and creativity. This year’s exceptional line-up includes Jung Chang, author of Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China, who will discuss Fly, Wild Swans, the sequel bringing her family’s story, and that of China, up to date. Lionel Shriver will share her insights on society and storytelling, alongside crime writer James Murphy, philosopher and health researcher Dr Charlotte Blease, and novelist and commentator Martina Devlin, author and festival patron, Carlo Gébler, and Martin Doyle, Books Editor of The Irish Times. On Sunday afternoon, a dedicated children’s festival programme of storytellers, authors and educators will inspire young minds and nurture imagination. Tickets can be bookedargues for the power of poetry to cleanse language dirtied by authoritarians. “Once again we find ourselves in the midst ‘of a low, dishonest decade’ where strongmen and women of messianic zeal are pushing language to a service beyond the boundaries of truth and decency.” The festival is Ireland’s largest annual poetry festival and the festival which presents most poets from abroad in either Ireland or Britain. It kicks off on the evening of Tuesday, May 12th with the presentation of the Farmgate Café National Poetry Award. The five shortlisted books this year are by Dean Browne, Tom French, Annemarie Ní Churreáin, Ross Thompson and Molly Twomey. The festival continues with four days and nights of readings, discussions, workshops and other award presentations. Award-winning poets will appear from over ten countries, from Brazil to Ukraine, Britain and the US. Irish poets include John F. Deane, Chandrika Narayanan-Mohan, Enda Wyley and Aufrey Molloy. The US is represented by Patricia Smith, Henri Cole, Greg Rappleye and Bruce Snider. Bilingual Welsh pet Menna Elfyn reads with bilingual Irish poet Celia de Freine. Other British poets participating include Isabelle Baafi, Niall Campbell, Kim Moore and Martha Sprackland. Access by the socio-economically disadvantaged is important to the producers, so many events are free and no event is priced at more than five euros. There will be free trilingual booklets of poems by Ukrainian Anna Gruver and Andalucian Xaime Martinez. Major funders are the Arts Council and Cork City Council. The main venues are the City Library, Grand Parade and the Cork Arts Theatre where the bar provides ample opportunities for literary conversations.for best second novel of the year features four titles selected by judges Malika Booker, Rachel Aroesti, and Anita Sethi: Love Forms by Claire Adam; Mr Outside by Caleb Klaces; Sycorax by Nydia Hetherington; and The Wilder Path by Deborah Tomkins. The winner will be announced on May 13th, with the first prize of £15,000 and the other shortlisted authors receiving £1,000.in Blanchardstown Shopping Centre in the West End Retail Park in June, its first new store in the State in two decades. Bookshop manager Fiona Scott said: “Excitingly, this will be the first new Waterstones bookshop to open in Ireland in 20 years. We can’t wait to welcome customers into the beautiful new shop and share our love of books with the readers of Blanchardstown. “At Waterstones we pride ourselves on being at the heart of the community and our booksellers will always be on hand to make recommendations for books and gifts. We are passionate about helping customers of all ages discover a new favourite read, from children’s picture books to the latest non-fiction releases to great fiction, our tables and shelves will offer something for all tastes.”, who has published six poetry collections, will talk to writer Lia Mills about the role of poetry in times of war and resistance through literature, with readings of her work delivered by composer, musician, vocalist and writer Olesya Zdorovetska, who founded the Ukrainian-Irish Cultural platform. The event takes place on Monday, April 20th at 6.30pm in the Davis Theatre, Arts Building, Trinity College Dublin. Kruk will also speak at Cúirt Festival in Galway and at the Cork World Book Festival. The event is free but booking must be made throughAn té a bhíonn ag gáire… Brian Ó Nualláin: Scríbhneoir Gaeilge-Béarla , exploring the idea that Brian Ó Nualláin , author of At Swim-Two-Birds and The Third Policeman, was, in effect, writing in Irish – even when writing in English. The lecture shows how his Irish-language upbringing and literary inheritance shaped the imagination and form of his English-language work. The event takes place on May 3rd at 4:30 pm in An Díseart, Dingle and will be delivered in Irish.. This year John Edward DeMicoli makes history as the first-ever Maltese writer to be shortlisted. The prize is viewed worldwide as a bellwether of new talent and many nominated writers go on to find publishers, agents and other opportunities. Previous regional and overall winners include Ingrid Persaud, Kevin Jared Hosein, both from the Caribbean, and Ugandan writer Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi. This year’s themes are also interesting. They span from bereavement and forbidden love to natural disasters and war, told through voices ranging from musicians to migrant workers to athletes and even a stray dog. Five regional winners will be announced on May 13th and the overall winner in late June.Romantic Novelists’ Association Joan Hessayon Award for New WritersSet on a west Cork island, the novel follows Lily Barrett, who returns home to sell her grandmother’s cottage—only to find herself entangled in old memories, unexpected houseguests, and unresolved heartbreak. “It’s been a joy to be part of the RNA New Writers’ Scheme,” McCann said, describing her nomination as a “huge honour. I am looking forward to meeting many new authors on the night and adding their wonderful novels to her growing TBR pile!”for Historical Fiction has been announced. For the first time in the prize’s 17-year history, there are five books on the shortlist, all by British authors. The winner will be announced on June 12th. The shortlisted titles are The Pretender by Jo Harkin; The Matchbox Girl by Alice Jolly; Benbecula by Graeme Macrae Burnet; Once the Deed Is Done by Rachel Seiffert; and Seascraper by Benjamin Wood. Spanning the centuries from the 1480s to the 1950s, the novels cover events and locations from the English Wars of the Roses to Austria and Germany during the Second World War, to a shocking true crime committed on a Hebridean island, and an imagined encounter in a small coastal community in northwest England.is a new English-language imprint from Audio-To-Go, one of Europe’s leading independent audiobook publishers. It is the only dedicated audiobook publisher operating from Ireland with an international production and distribution scope. At the recent London Book Fair, Audible announced plans to establish a dedicated digital marketplace for Ireland by early next year, signalling growing investment in the Irish audiobook ecosystem. Caleb and Kyle launches with a list that combines original English-language titles with the first-ever English translations of successful European works, alongside collaborations with Irish publishers including The Lilliput Press and New Island Books. Among the featured titles are Here Are the Young Men by Rob Doyle, presented in a new multi-voice audiobook edition; Ravelling by Estelle Birdy and Habitat by Catriona Shine. The programme also introduces international productions with high-profile narrators such as John Lee, Rory Bremner and Rupert Graves, reflecting a strong emphasis on performance-led storytelling. The lead title, The Lion’s Claws by Mac P. Lorne, is a major historical saga entering the English-language market for the first time, part of a broader strategy to bring European storytelling to global audiences from an Irish base., author of Nero Book Award and Polari Prize-shortlisted Sunburn and Heap Earth Upon It , has moved to Penguin Michael Joseph for her next novel, which was pre-empted in a two-book deal. Overdrive, the first novel in the contract, takes us back to the millennium and follows the love story of Aly and Meadhbh. Meadhbh has just moved to London from rural Ireland while Aly lives off her parents’ wealth and is studying for yet another master’s degree. They fall instantly in love at a party, spending a lustful summer driving around London, but when they eventually swap city life for rural Ireland and the recession comes down hard, will their love story survive the crash?, next spring. Capturing the distinctive experience of growing up second-generation Irish in north-east England, Commonplace is an intimate exploration of place, cultural identity and belonging – for anyone who has ever felt caught between two worlds. McDonagh said: “I’m feeling all the emotions at the prospect of Commonplace being out in the world – delight, excitement, mild terror – but the support of the New Island team has meant everything. They instantly ‘got it’ and have strengthened my faith that this story of place, memory and diasporic doubleness needs to be told. I’m lucky to be in such good company in terms of humans and titles.” New Island’s Aoife K. Walsh said: “Laura McDonagh’s Commonplace tells the lesser known story of the immigrant away from the urban metropolis. We instantly recognised her ambitious, hard-working, upwardly mobile mother, her resourceful and complex grandparents and her own search for belonging in every place but her home town. Yet we found something new to cherish in the North East setting and all the different ways she and her family have created their own identities as ‘outsiders’ in Britain. It firmly moves their story into the heart of the British experience.”Dalkey Book Festival: Salman Rushdie among authors announced in line-up
Listowel Writers' Week Kerry Group Irish Novel Of The Year Award Irish Fiction Literary Awards Book Festival
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