Readers across the UK and Ireland have crowned Maggie O’Farrell’s Hamnet as their book of the year, in the Books Are My Bag award’s unique open vote Readers’ Choice category. The award, now in its fifth year, is the only book award with a shortlist curated by bookshops and winners chosen by readers.
Having won this year’s Women Prize for Fiction, Hamnet has captivated thousands of readers with its story of William Shakespeare’s wife, Agnes, and their only son, who inspired one of Shakespeare’s most famous plays.
O’Farrell, author of Hamnet, said: “The Books Are My Bag Readers Awards are very special awards, and ones that consistently yield excellent reading recommendations. I am thrilled that Hamnet has been elected for this year’s Readers’ Choice: what a joy and an honour. Huge thanks to everyone who voted for it.”
Dara McAnulty won in the Non-Fiction category with Diary of a Young Naturalist (which also won the 2020 Wainwright Prize For Nature Writing). MaAnulty, 16, said: “I am so delighted to have won the Books Are My Bag Readers Award for Non-Fiction. Firstly, that it was nominated by booksellers made my heart so happy, booksellers are the superheroes of authors. Books finding the right home, is like an act of trust between bookseller and reader. When the book lands with the reader and they are captivated enough to then give it their vote in an award category – it really is a dream come true.
“When I wrote my Diary, I had no expectations. Its reception has surpassed all expectations! I’m truly grateful to every reader who has championed and supported my book. I feel hugely proud as an autistic teenager, that my words and message have been embraced enough to win this wonderful award.”
Former Readers Award winner Stuart Turton took home the Fiction award with The Devil and the Dark Water, described by Val McDermid as “a glorious mash-up of William Golding and Arthur Conan Doyle”; the Poetry award went to Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright!: An Animal Poem for Every Day of the Year, selected by Fiona Waters and illustrated by Britta Teckentrup, while bestselling authors MG Leonard & Sam Sedgman, and illustrator Elisa Paganelli, won the Children’s Fiction award with The Highland Falcon Thief, the first stop in the major mystery series Adventures on Trains.
Debut writers Kalynn Bayron and Jean Menzies won in the Young Adult Fiction (Cinderella is Dead) and Breakthrough Author (Greek Myths) categories respectively, both with books casting a fresh light on traditional tales. Notably, over half of this year’s winning titles come from independent publishers (Bloomsbury, Little Toller Books, Nosy Crow).
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Saturday’s books coverage in The Irish Times features an interview with Gabriel Byrne by Donald Clarke about his memoir Walking with Ghosts; John Self’s assessment of this year’s debut-heavy Booker Prize shortlist; Ruth Medjber on her lockdown photography project, Twilight Together; and reviews including Chris Kissane on Giles Tremlett’s The International Brigades: Fascism, Freedom and the Spanish Civil War; Helen Cullen on To Be a Man by Nicole Krauss; Eoin Ó Broin on Generation Rent by Chloe Timperley; Sara Keating on Mr Wilder & Me by Jonathan Coe; Liam Cagney on Enya: A Treatise on Unguilty Pleasures by Chilly Gonzales; John Self on Breasts and Eggs by Mieko Kawakami; Sarah Gilmartin on The Good Man by Thomas McMullan; and Seán Hewitt on the best new poetry.
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Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has been awarded the Women’s Prize for Fiction “Winner of Winners” for her novel Half of a Yellow Sun. The public chose it over a stellar-line up including Zadie Smith, the late Andrea Levy, Lionel Shriver, Rose Tremain and Maggie O’Farrell. This one-off award marks the culmination of the prize’s year-long 25th anniversary celebrations.
Half of a Yellow Sun won the Women’s Prize for Fiction (then the Orange Prize) in 2007. Set in Nigeria during the Biafran War, the novel is about the end of colonialism, ethnic allegiances, class, race and female empowerment – and how love can complicate all of these things.
Adichie said: ‘I’m especially moved to be voted ‘Winner of Winners’ because this is the Prize that first brought a wide readership to my work – and has also introduced me to the work of many talented writers.”
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Award-winning authors John Banville, Roddy Doyle, Colum McCann and Emma Donoghue will take part in London’s Irish Cultural Centre’s new ICC Digital Literary Festival.
A celebration of contemporary Irish writing, the festival will showcase 10 stars of Irish literature over five weeks, starting with Roddy Doyle on Sunday, November 15th. Other writers appearing are Liz Nugent, Donal Ryan, Dermot Bolger, Sinéad Gleeson, Carlo Gébler and Michelle Gallen.
Each author will discuss their recent books with interviewers including writer and broadcaster Carlo Gébler, writer Dermot Bolger, Irish journalist Anne Flaherty and Oxford-based academic Dr Keith Hopper.
The events will be streamed each Sunday and Wednesday, free of charge, as 10 individual interviews, followed by a final panel discussion.
Dr Anne Goudsmit, member of the. ICC’s board said: “We are delighted to welcome this exceptional line-up of Irish writers and their interviewers. The range and quality of the writing is impressive. From a novel dealing with the Middle East, to another about post-Troubles, to conversations about literary crime, historical fiction, and three collections of short stories, these stimulating and thought-provoking interviews reflect the lively and varied quality of contemporary Irish writing.”
To view go to irishculturalcentre.co.uk
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A Whole New Story, an online literary and musical event curated by Owen Roe and Bert Wright, professionally filmed without a live audience at the Pavilion Theatre, Dún Laoghaire can be viewed on Friday, November 13th, at 8pm.
Hosted by actor Owen Roe, this unique event will feature authors Hilary Fannin, Paul Howard, Liz Nugent, Donal Ryan and Michèle Forbes reading from their latest work with musical interludes from Ellen Cranitch and Conor Linehan. Tickets are €12 per device and can be booked frpopom the box-oficed on 01-231 2929 or via paviliontheatre.ie
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The National Library of Ireland has partnered with Yeats Society Sligo to host a special virtual event to mark the 100th anniversary of The Second Coming by poet WB Yeats, which will take place via Zoom on Friday, 13th November at 7pm.
Those taking par tinclude Daniel Mulhall, , Ambassador to the United States and honorary president of Yeats Society Sligo; Susan O'Keeffe, its director; poet in residence, Jessica Traynor; actors Sam and Barry McGovern; and Director of the National Library of Ireland, Dr Sandra Collins. This Zoom event is free but booking is essential via Eventbrite.
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Ireland's biggest arts festival for Young Adults, in association with Listowel Writers Week, is set to go online on November 24th, 25th & 26th, with an exciting line-up of poets, motivational speakers, fiction writers, singers, film-makers and journalists sharing the best of literature across secondary schools nationwide. All events are free on its website yabookfest.ie.
Taking part are Bernard Brogan, Pulitzer Prize winner Malachy Browne, Senator Lynn Ruane, Dub-sub confidential John Leonard, Young Adult writers Dave Rudden and Sarah Crossan, film-makers Jon-Hozier Byrne and Patrick Ryan. Poets and singers Ciara Ní É, Lorraine Nash, Frank the Rapper and Seamus Harty will perform and talk about their craft.
There are two educational presentations on Leaving Cert Paper One from English teaching experts Frances Rocks and Kevin Mc Dermott. One of the highlights is an address from President Michael D Higgins. The programme also includes advice on creativity from Young Offenders star Shane Casey and Minister for Education Norma Foley. “We are proud to be at the forefront of arts education in Ireland with this one of a kind, stimulating online festival,”, said Listowel Writers’ Week chairperson Catherine Moylan.
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Dublin Art Book Fair marks its tenth anniversary with a host of talks with leading art and design experts and an online marketplace. An initiative of Temple Bar Gallery + Studios, the theme of this year's Fair is Design as an Attitude. It will take place online from November 23rd to December 6th.
Guest curated by world renowned design critic and author Alice Rawsthorn, highlights include Rawsthorn exploring the ingenuity of design application to the most urgent issues of our time; Hans Ulrich Obrist, artistic director of the Serpentine Gallery in London, discussing the work and life of poet and philosopher Édouard Glissant; artist Sarah Pierce speaks to US artists, Tammy Rae Cartland and Kathy Slade, on self-publishing, dissemination and activism in design; and an online art book fair, featuring 70 limited edition artist books made especially for the Fair by participating contemporary artists.
Cliodhna Shaffrey, director of Temple Bar Gallery + Studios, said: “We’re delighted to be celebrating 10 years of Dublin Art Book Fair, albeit in different circumstances than anticipated. More than a Fair, we are excited to have programmed such a resonant and arresting line-up of talks and discussions with international speakers, such as our guest curator, Alice Rawsthorn, as well as many artists and others, from here and elsewhere.
