Fintan O’Toole and Sam McBride have won the 29th Christopher Ewart-Biggs Literary Prize, worth £7,500, for their book For and Against a United Ireland, published by the Royal Irish Academy.
The prize was founded by Jane Ewart-Biggs in memory of her husband Christopher Ewart-Biggs, the British ambassador to Ireland who was killed by the IRA in 1976. It aims to promote peace and reconciliation in Ireland, encourage greater understanding between the peoples of Britain and Ireland, and support closer co-operation between European partners.
A special prize for a body of work reflecting these ideals was also awarded to the poet Tom Paulin.
Accepting the award, McBride said: “This award means a great deal not only because it comes from such a distinguished panel of judges but because the ethos of this prize mirrors our motivation for this book. We were seeking not to change people’s minds, but to open them. Respecting our neighbours in this divided island means accepting that they are not necessarily stupid people who rely on limp arguments. In today’s hyper-polarised world, this is increasingly countercultural.
“I am exceptionally humbled at this honour. The list of past winners represents a who’s who of my journalistic and literary heroes who wrote about Ireland – David McKittrick, Dervla Murphy, ATQ Stewart, Fergal Keane, Michael Longley and so many others. I feel very small in such sagacious company.”
O’Toole added: “I vividly remember the horror of the murder of Christopher Ewart-Biggs 50 years ago and the pall of despair it left over us. The Ewart-Biggs Prize has always seemed to me a particularly graceful refusal of despair. It insists on the possibilities of both rational engagement with, and imaginative transcendence of, our shared dilemmas.
“I am both moved and honoured to be listed among the brilliant people who have won it in the past and among the shortlisted writers who would have been equally worthy winners this year. Sam and I have hoped in a small way to reject the relentless polarisation of contemporary politics and to show that even on highly emotive topics it is possible to have respectful discussions that acknowledge that those with whom one disagrees might have things to say that are worth listening to.”
Speaking for the judges, Prof Roy Foster said: “We shortlisted an impressive range of works which contribute in their different ways to increasing understanding; Trevor Birney’s investigation into the murky background of the Loughinisland murders of 1994; Edward Burke’s history of politics in Monaghan, Cavan and Donegal after Partition; Cormac Moore’s analysis of the Boundary Commission; Eoin McNamee’s novel about criminal life on the Border; and Clair Wills’s family memoir about hidden histories. But overall we felt that Fintan O’Toole’s and Sam McBride’s book crucially achieved what the prize tries to reward; it takes an open-eyed and analytical view of a subject too often taken for granted, clarifying the issues involved on both sides, and making the reader re-examine expectations and opinions too often adopted unthinkingly.”
Presenting the special prize to Tom Paulin, Kate Ewart-Biggs drew attention to the breadth, originality and eloquence of his output in poetry, drama, criticism, and his unwavering commitment to the causes of justice, freedom and knowledge, in Northern Ireland and elsewhere.
The 2026 prize was presented by literary critic Edna Longley at the Seamus Heaney Centre at Queen’s University Belfast. The authors were unable to attend due to their current US book tour. The award was accepted by Sam’s wife, Anna McBride, and Janice Carruthers, representing Fintan and the Royal Irish Academy.
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In The Irish Times tomorrow, Tana French tells Peter Murphy about her new novel, The Keeper; Louise Nealon discusses her new novel, Everything That Is Beautiful, with Nadine O’Regan; and there is a Q&A with Sheila O’Flanagan about her latest novel, Secrets Between Friends.
Reviews are Terence Killeen on James Joyce: A Political Life by Frank Callanan; Mark Hennessy on Our Martin by Jim McVeigh and All the Dead Voices by Dany Morrison; Ian Hughes on Muskism by Quinn Slobodian and Ben Tarnoff; Frank Wynne on the best new fiction in translation; Michael Cronin on The News from Dublin by Colm Toibin; NJ McGarrigle on We Need to Talk about Roy by Dave Hannigan; Sinead Gibney on Elemental by Arthur Snell; Kevin Power on Nonesuch by Francis Spufford; Julian Girdham on What We Tried to Bury Grows Here by Julian Zabalbeascoa; Elizabeth Mannion on All Them Dogs by Djamel White; Brigid O’Dea on The Visit by Neil Tully; and Nicholas Allen on Among Communists by Sinead Morrissey.
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The European Parliament Liaison Office in Ireland’s season of Spring Talks, curated by Catriona Crowe, concludes next Tuesday, March 31st, at 6pm at Europe House, 5 Balfe Street, Dublin with “Europa: Quo Vadis?” Reflections on Ireland’s Place in a Changing Europe by Fintan O’Toole.
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Huw Aaron has been named Overall Winner of the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize for his picture book Sleep Tight, Disgusting Blob, as voted for by Waterstones booksellers.
The prize, now in its 22nd year, consists of £5,000 and the promise of ongoing commitment to the winner’s writing and illustrating career, making it one of the most valuable and prestigious children’s book awards in the UK.
Last year’s winner, The Café at the Edge of the Woods by Mikey Please, went on to be named Waterstones Children’s Book of the Year in December, finishing the year as our bestselling picture book of 2025.
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Dubray presents its Read Irish Women live event, with bestselling authors Louise Nealon, Jan Carson, Edel Coffey and Charleen Hurtubise, in conversation with Irish Times journalist Nadine O’Regan, at The Pavilion Theatre, Dun Laoghaire on Friday, April 10th, at 8pm. Now in its third year, the evening brings together readers and writers in an engaging and fun stage event, followed by an opportunity to meet the authors and get a book signed. For more information, visit paviliontheatre.ie.
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Despite digital distractions, reading culture remains strong in Irish homes. New Eason-commissioned research reveals that a significant 80 per cent of families identify as moderate or avid readers. Reading is a valued daily habit, maintained through simple routines and child-led book choices.
However, challenges persist, with 41 per cent of parents citing “too many distractions” and 28 per cent point to lack of time as primary barriers to consistent reading engagement. The research also highlights that nearly three in ten children spend two hours or more on screens daily, impacting reading routines, particularly at bedtime, with engagement often declining during secondary school years.
Crucially, 7 in 10 parents say letting children choose their own books is one of the most effective ways to keep them engaged. To support families, Eason offers curated children’s book recommendations, in-store guidance, and a new Children’s Reading Hub. This hub provides age-based suggestions, interest-led curations, and practical advice.
Patricia Forde, Laureate na nÓg, emphasises the profound benefits: “Children who read for pleasure will do better in school, do better in life and be happier,” a sentiment Eason aims to reinforce by making reading accessible and enjoyable.
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Irish children’s book publisher Little Island Books has announced a new sales partnership with fellow multi-generational family publisher the O’Brien Press. Commencing in August, The O’Brien Press will represent Little Island across the island of Ireland for all trade sales, including titles from Northern Irish indie Bad Book Press, which are already distributed via Little Island.
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The An Post Irish Book Awards, one of Ireland’s most distinguished and popular literary events, is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year with the release of a curated list featuring 60 of the best books from category winners over the past two decades.
Selected through the votes from leading booksellers nationwide, the list comprises 20 Fiction, 20 Non-Fiction and 20 Children’s titles drawn from An Post Irish Book Awards winners since the ceremony first began in 2006.
Books by a wide range of celebrated authors including Seán Ronayne, Emilie Pine, Joseph O’Connor, Emma Donoghue, Peter Donnelly and Catherine Ryan Howard feature on the list, which has been carefully curated to reflect the breadth and impact of Irish writing over the past 20 years. The full list of 60 titles can be found at anpostirishbookawards.ie
The public is now invited to vote for their favourite titles from the Top 60 list. Voting will close at 6pm on April 13th. The final Top 20 Favourite Irish Books of the past 20 years will then be revealed on April 19th.
Everyone who votes will be entered into a prize draw, with a range of prizes on offer, including €100 in National Book Tokens, a selection of books from the list, and tickets to the An Post Irish Book Awards 2026 ceremony.
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Boy Dancer will be launched on April 11th at 2.30pm at Solstice Arts Centre in Navan, Meath. Featuring poetry by Annemarie Ní Churreáin & drawings by visual artist Niamh McCann. The book will also be accompanied by an exhibition and a live conversation hosted by Gerard Smyth. All welcome.
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Debut author Harry Shukman has won the £10,000 Sunday Times Charlotte Aitken Young Writer of the Year Award, the most influential prize for young writers in the UK and Ireland, for Year of the Rat.
A shocking, eye-opening account of his time spent infiltrating British far-right groups, Shukman reveals how they operate, who they are and how they normalise extreme ideologies.
Judges Caleb Femi, Esther Freud, Graham Norton, Sathnam Sanghera and Lea Ypi joined chair of judges, Johanna Thomas-Corr, who said: “Year of the Rat is that rare thing: investigative journalism with the nerve of a thriller and the wit of a great piece of reportage. By going undercover among Britain’s far-right networks, Harry Shukman reveals a world that is by turns sinister, absurd and frighteningly close to the mainstream. It’s courageous, sharply observed and very timely — exactly the kind of bold work the prize exists to celebrate."
A former news reporter, Harry Shukman is now a researcher at Hope not Hate, an anti-fascist organisation. From canvassing with Britain First to befriending Holocaust deniers, neo-Nazis and a Silicon Valley-backed race-science organisation, Shukman again and again risked his safety and sanity to remove the far right’s terrifyingly everyday mask. Judge Esther Freud said: “Year of the Rat reads like the perfect thriller. Nail bitingly tense, darkly funny, unexpectedly compassionate and urgently important.”
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Join University of Limerick creative writing leader Joseph O’Connor and Prof Sarah Moore in conversation with UL MA Creative Writing graduate Neil Tully to celebrate the launch of his remarkable debut novel The Visit, at O’Mahony’s, O’Connell Street, Limerick, on Tuesday, April 14th, at 6.45 pm. The novel, which began its life as part of Neil’s coursework for his UL Creative Writing MA, is garnering international praise ahead of its launch next month. His former tutor Joseph O’Connor said: ‘The Visit will be on many people’s Books of the Year list.’
