19 Categories Announce Shortlists for the 2026 An Post Irish Book Awards
Sinéad McCorry, chairperson of the awards, stated that the announcement reflects the depth and diversity of talent across the sector, according to The Irish Times.
Novel of the Year Contenders Feature Booker Nominee and Established Voices
The Eason Novel of the Year category pairs debut author Djamel White, longlisted for the Booker Prize for All Them Dogs, against prominent literary veterans. Maggie O’Farrell’s Land and Louise Kennedy’s Stations secure nods in this flagship category, alongside Sebastian Barry’s The Newer World, Donal Ryan’s Where Are the Kings, John Boyne’s The Weight of Angels, Kathleen MacMahon’s Other People’s Lives, and Jan Carson’s Few and Far Between. Both O’Farrell and Kennedy also appear on the Last Word Listeners’ Choice Award shortlist.
Non-fiction nominations highlight current social commentary and memoir, including This is Also a Love Story: Searching for Good in a Divided World by Irish Times journalist Sally Hayden and Said the Dead by Doireann Ní Ghríofa.
Sports Memoirs and Irish-Language Literature Lead Specialist Categories
The Eason Sports Book of the Year shortlist leans heavily on autobiographical releases from prominent athletes. Nominees include My Greatest Race by athlete Ciara Mageean with Clíona Foley, rugby memoirs All In by Peter O’Mahony with Dion Fanning and Zeebs: My Autobiography by Simon Zebo with Gerry Thornley, and footballer James McClean’s The Walls with Daniel McDonnell. Vincent Hogan’s The Lost Sportswriter and Arthur James O’Dea’s Mackey and Ring round out the sporting contenders.
Public Voting Opens for An Post Irish Book Awards
Public voting opens at 7:00 PM on Thursday, 22 October, and closes at 6:00 PM on Friday, 13 November. Readers can cast their ballots on the official An Post Irish Book Awards website, with participants entered into a draw to win one of five €100 National Book Tokens.
Winners across all categories will be announced at a ceremony at the Convention Centre Dublin on Tuesday, 1 December. The overall Book of the Year 2026 will be selected from six finalists and revealed during a one-hour television special hosted by Oliver Callan, broadcast on RTÉ One on 10 December.