The International Fiction Prize is for work written in English and published in Ireland, the UK or the US between July 31st, 1999 and August 1st, 2001.
The four Irish Literature Prizes are for fiction, poetry, non-fiction in English, and for a work in any of these categories in the Irish language.
The Irish Times literature prizes were first presented in 1989 and, since 1995, have been presented biennially. The last prizes, presented two years ago, were won by US writer Lorrie Moore for her collection Birds of America, Seamus Heaney for Opened Ground, Neil Belton for The Good Listener, Antonia Logue for Shadow-box and Mβirin Nic Eoin for B'ait Leo Bean.
Other previous winners include Don DeLillo, E. Annie Proulx, A. S. Byatt, John McGahern, Patrick McCabe, J. M. Coetzee, Paul Muldoon, Colm T≤ib∅n, Derek Mahon and Seamus Deane.
The International Fiction prize is worth £7,500, and the winners of the Irish Literature prizes will each receive £5,000. The winning authors will be presented with their prizes by the President, Mrs McAleese, at a ceremony in Dublin on November 15th. Readings by both the winners and shortlisted authors will take place in the Irish Film Centre in Dublin on November 14th. Further details of this event will be published in The Irish Times.