Every One Still Here by Liadan Ní Chuinn has been shortlisted for the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction, worth £5,000, previously won by fellow Belfast author Anna Burns for Milkman and Claire Keegan for Small Things Like These.
Their debut collection, it was published last year by Stinging Fly Press in Ireland and by Granta in Britain, and was also shortlisted for the Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year and Newcomer of the Year at the Irish Book Awards.
“I was gripped by this collection of stories in which the political past and political present are interwoven to produce an atmosphere charged with grief and meaning,” judge Scarlett Baron said. “I loved the daring of its wrought metaphors; its taut, pitch-perfect dialogue; its haunting attention to the power of silence and of things left unsaid. I especially admired the ways in which each individual story conjures a highly distinctive but often elusive voice, involving the reader in the attempt to make sense of each character’s personal and familial histories – histories which emerge as subtly political even when they are not outrightly, traumatically so.’
Kevin Power, revieiwng it in The Irish Times, wrote: “First, foremost: this is a brilliant and remarkable book, a collection of six short stories by a debut writer that immediately asks to be considered among this island’s signal 21st-century literary achievements.”
The Orwell Foundation’s other Political Fiction finalists are: Tahmima Anam, who follows a group of enslaved women who ignite a rebellion on a sinking island in Uprising; whilst Flashlight by Susan Choi unravels the disappearance of a father across continents and decades. I.O. Echerun blends myth and science in the story of a gifted Nigerian physicist haunted by visions in The Comfort of Distant Stars; while Ben Lerner’s Transcription explores the human reliance on technology. This Is Where the Serpent Lives by Daniyal Mueenuddin paints a vivid portrait of caste, capital and survival in Pakistan. Douglas Stuart’s John of John uncovers the corrosive effects of living a secret life and A Private Man by Stephanie Sy-Quia explores forbidden love and faith in 1950s England.
The 2026 Political Writing finalists are: The Escape from Kabul by Karen Bartlett, which recounts the rescue of Afghan women judges after the Taliban’s return to power. Omer Bartov’s Israel: What Went Wrong? interrogates the transformation of Zionism and the violence shaping Israel/Palestine. Shattered Lands by Sam Dalrymple traces how the Indian Empire fractured into today’s South Asian nations. The list also includes frontline testimony from Iran’s Woman, Life, Freedom movement in For the Sun After Long Nights by Nilo Tabrizy & Fatemeh Jamalpour; Andrey Kurkov’s war diaries from Ukraine in Three Years on Fire; Yi-Ling Liu’s portrait of life behind China’s Great Firewall in The Wall Dancers. Nicolas Niarchos investigates the global battery-metals race in The Elements of Power and Antonia Senior re-examines the infamous Cambridge Five in Stalin’s Apostles.
The winners will be revealed on June 25th at Bloomsbury Theatre, London.
Author and illustrator Chris Haughton is the eighth Laureate na nÓg, Ireland’s Children’s Literature Laureate.
He was appointed at a ceremony hosted in The Ark on behalf of the Arts Council attended by President Catherine Connolly.
From Wicklow and now based in London, Haughton will hold the title until 2029, succeeding Patricia Forde. His books have been translated into more than 30 languages and have won awards in more than a dozen countries.
Haughton’s goal as Laureate na nÓg is to open a wider world of stories to young readers and showcase the many ways to tell a story, inspired by illustrated books from all around the globe.
President Connolly, said: “The Laureate na nÓg holds a special place in the cultural life of our country. Reading during childhood opens doors. Through books, children encounter new ideas, new emotions and new perspectives, finding, in a story, the language for something they had felt but could not yet name.
“Chris joins a distinguished lineage of writers and illustrators who have strengthened Ireland’s reputation in children’s literature and I know that he will continue that vital work of inspiring young readers, supporting emerging writers and advocating for the central place of stories in every child’s life. May I also thank the Arts Council for their steadfast support of children’s literature and in ensuring that the children of Ireland continue to find companionship and courage in books.”
Haughton said: “I am absolutely thrilled and honoured to be the eighth Laureate na nÓg. As a child I always loved drawing and reading and creating stories with my friends. That has never left me, and it has led me to become an illustrator. Now in this new role as Laureate, I hope to share that same love of creating stories to a new generation of children.”
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In The Irish Times tomorrow, Sally Hayden explains why she wrote her new book, This is Also a Love Story: Searching for Good in a Divided World; Doireann Ní Ghríofa tells me about Said the Dead, her follow-up to her award-winning prose debut, A Ghost in the Throat; Sarah Gilmartin discusses her new novel, Little Vanities; and there is a Q&A with Sue Divin about her third YA novel, Runaway Road.
Reviews are Christopher Kissane on Europe: A New History by Roderick Beaton; Diarmaid Ferriter on Belfastmen: An Intimate History of Life before Gay Liberation by Tom Hulme; Julian Girdham on C.S. Lewis by David Clare; Declan Burke n the best new crime fiction; Nicholas Allen on Wild Iris by Ruth McKee; John Boyne on T Kira Madden’s Whidbey; Alice Blackhurst on Ambivalence by Brian Dillon; Paul D’Alton on You’ve Changed: The Promise and Price of Self-Transformation by Benoit Denizet-Lewis; Mei Chin on Somewhere by Jessamine O’Connor; Seoirse Swanton on Auden by Peter Ackroyd; Kristen Poli on No Ghosts by Max Lury; Colm McKenna on Light and Thread Han Kang, translated by Maya West, e yaewon and Paige Aniyah Morris; Andrew Lynch on The Powerful Primate by Roland Ennos; Adam Wyeth on The Steps by Juliano Zaffino; and Catherine Higgins-Moore on Other People’s Lives by Kathleen MacMahon.
The Hinterland Festival of Literature & Arts will return to Kells, Co Meath, from June 25th to 28th with a programme of more than 70 events spanning literature, history, journalism, music, comedy and the visual arts. Now in its 14th year, the festival will feature contributors including Kirsty Wark, Larry Lamb, Liz Nugent, Katriona O’Sullivan, Doireann Ní Ghríofa, Miriam O’Callaghan, Dermot Bannon, and Sarah Breen and Emer McLysaght.
This year’s history strand, Hindsight@Hinterland, explores America250 and will examine themes ranging from the Vietnam War and Maga to the sexual revolution of the 1960s and the experiences of African, Native and Irish Americans. Festival favourites including the Hinterland TypeTrail and Lit Crawl also return.
Hinterland’s dedicated children’s programme – the only one of its kind at an Irish literature festival – will feature storytelling sessions, workshops, illustration events and family activities throughout the weekend. The full programme is available at hinterland.ie.
The British Book Awards 2026 celebrated women’s stories and the power of books to bring silenced voices to the fore. Nobody’s Girl by Virginia Roberts Giuffre, co-written by Amy Wallace, was awarded Overall Book of the Year and Non-Fiction: Narrative Book of the Year. Roisín O’Donnell won the first BBC Radio 2 Book Club Award for Nesting, judged by Sara Cox and a panel of librarians. Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams was awarded Audiobook: Non-Fiction Book of the Year.
On a landmark night for children’s publishing, Skandar series creator AF Steadman won Author of the Year, Dog Man writer and illustrator Dav Pilkey won Illustrator of the Year, and Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury won Children’s Non-Fiction Illustrated, following Rosen’s 80th birthday celebrations.
Shortlisted in 2013 and 2024, Philippa Gregory won Fiction Book of the Year for Boleyn Traitor, triumphing over Phillip Pullman; Romance authors who sadly passed in 2025, Jilly Cooper, Joanna Trollope and Sophie Kinsella, commemorated with special award, The British Book Award for Excellence in Romantic Fiction, whilst Emily Henry announced as first winner of Romantic Fiction.
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The KPMG Children’s Books Ireland Awards - part of the International Literature Festival Dublin - will take place on Monday, May 18th in Merrion Square Park.
10 shortlisted titles will compete for 6 awards, which include the prestigious KPMG Children’s Books Ireland Book of the Year, categories celebrating excellence in fiction and illustration, and the highly coveted Junior Juries’ Award, which is selected by young readers from across the island of Ireland.
Also awarded on the day is the Reading Hero Award, recognising young people who have shown exceptional passion for reading and have inspired others to do likewise.
To learn more about the KMPG Children’s Books Awards, the 10 shortlisted titles, and the work of Children’s Books Ireland, visit www.childrensbooksireland.ie.
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Vivienne McKechnie’s second poetry collection Shades of Red, published by Revival Press, was recently launched in Limerick by Donal Ryan. The Dublin launch by Éilís Ní Dhuibhne, the Laureate for Irish Fiction, will take place in the Royal Hibernian Academy at 6pm on June 4th.
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Sheep’s Clothing by Donna Fisher has won the inaugural Libraro Prize and the £50,000 prize package.
Joanne Harris, Chair of Judges, said: “Sheep’s Clothing is a remarkably assured and engaging novel of the post #MeToo era. Reminiscent of Daisy Jones and the Six, it is well-written, provocative and timely. The judges commented on its originality, its well-drawn characters, its compulsive, page-turning quality and its strong narrative voice. We all thought it was an exceptional book, and a worthy winner for this inaugural Libraro prize.”
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One day, you are getting ready to celebrate the end of secondary school; the next, you wake up in agony, strapped to a Stryker hospital bed frame.
At 18, Tracy Martin’s life changed in an instant when a car accident left her paralysed. Nearly four decades later, she has transformed that experience into her debut novel, So Not Me (Orla Kelly Publishing), a moving and deeply personal story about grief, resilience, and rebuilding a life when everything you once took for granted is wiped out in an instant.
Set in rural Ireland in the late 1980s, the novel follows 18-year-old Faye Mahoney as she struggles with paralysis and deep loss. Told through three voices, including Faye’s higher self, it explores heartbreak, spirituality and the process of finding hope again.
Martin is also an artist and says, “It is the book I wish I had read all those years ago.” Her story is a powerful reminder that even when life takes an unexpected and devastating turn, you can still shape how your story unfolds and create a new chapter.
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The Irish Jewish Museum takes part in the first ever Jewish Culture Month organised by the Board of Deputies of British Jews with London-based playwright Seamus Finnegan’s presentation From Belfast to Tel Aviv on Sunday May 24th at 3pm.
It is a fascinating story of a playwright’s journey to the heart of Israel which is reflected in his work in plays such as Shalom Belfast and James Joyce and the Israelites. Seamus will be joined by Dr Cecil Bates in conversation following the talk. Please email events@jewishmuseum.ie to reserve a place.
As conversations around children’s screen habits continue, Irish Ferries is leaning into creativity and curiosity with an initiative centred on storytelling and travel.
Limericks for Kids invites children across the UK and Ireland, aged 15 and under, to submit a self-penned limerick on the theme, A Ferry Good Holiday, for a chance to win from a prize pot worth more than €10,000.
Budding young writers and poets have an opportunity of winning an overall prize of a €2,000 Irish Ferries family holiday vouchers, while two runners-up will each take home an Irish Ferries travel voucher to the value of €800. There are monthly prizes worth €400 for each of the two age categories (<9 years and 10-15 years), together with books to celebrate the joy of reading.
Entries, comprising a five-line poem on the theme of holidays or travel, can be submitted on the Irish Ferries new mobile app, on irishferries.com/limerick or by email to limericks@irishferries.com until October 31st.
