Twelve aspiring novelists have been selected from almost 250 applicants to participate in the Irish Writers Centre Novel Fair 2018, an annual Irish Writers Centre initiative which will take place at the Dublin venue on Saturday, February 17th. Now in its sixth year, the event presents a unique opportunity to meet some of the most influential people in Irish publishing, and could kick-start a literary career for this year’s winners.
This year’s winners are Caroline Bale, David Brennan, Niamh Donnelly, Aingeala Flannery, Martin Keating, Amanda Leahy, Guy Le Jeune, Joseph McDonnell, Sean McNulty, Adrienne Michel-Long, Susanne Stich and Bill Tinley.
The judging panel, until now anonymous, can be revealed as writer and editorAnthony Glavin, writer and editor Nuala O’Connor and Dundrum Library’s senior librarian, Mairead Brady. Since the October 2017 deadline, the judges have read the 250 synopses and opening chapters received and had the task of whittling it down to a winning 12.
“Another rich harvest of strongly voiced, persuasively imagined and deftly wrought storylines,”is how Glavin describes this year’s dozen winners. “Something arguably here for everybody – readers, publishers and agents – across a wide range of genres: literary fiction, historical thriller, young adult, fantasy and crime.”
As always the 2018 finalists are skilled in many writing forms with a screenwriter, a journalist/broadcaster, a playwright and a musician in the mix. The finalists also include a Patrick Kavanagh Poetry Award Winner and a Dalkey Creates Short Story Prize winner. For some, this hasn’t been their first attempt at entering the fair, their success indicating that determination and hard work can pay off in the end. There is a diverse range of genres across the winning manuscripts including literary fiction, science fiction, crime, magical realism and a historical thriller.
The publishers and agents attending the fair include Author Rights Agency, The Book Bureau, Epoque Press, Feldstein Agency, Fletcher & Company, Hachette Ireland, Harper Collins Ireland, Jonathan Williams Literary Agency, LAW Literary Agency, Lilliput Press, Lisa Richards Agency, Marianne Gunne O’Connor Literary Agency, Mulcahy Associates, New Island Books, Penguin Ireland, Quercus and Transworld Ireland.
More than a dozen publishing deals have arisen from the fair since its inception. Listed below are some of the success stories to date:
Janet E Cameron’s novel Cinnamon Toast and the End of the World was published by Hachette in 2013.
Niamh Boyce’s novel The Herbalist was published by Penguin Ireland in 2013 and was on the longlist for the Impac Prize in 2015.
Beatsploitation by Kevin Curran was published by Liberties Press in 2013 and he has since released his second novel, Citizens.
Alan Timmons’ novel Here In No Place was released by New Island in 2013.
The Reluctant Cannibal by Ian Flitcroft was published by Legend Press in 2013.
Daniel Seery’s novel A Model Partner was published by Liberties Press in 2014.
Susan Lanigan’sWhite Feathers was published by Brandon Press in 2014.
Liberties Press published Eggshells by Caitriona Lally in 2015.
Andrea Carter’s novel Whitewater Church was published by Constable & Robinson (Little, Brown Book Group) in 2015.
Swimming on Dry Land by Helen Blackhurst was published by Seren in 2015.
