Books

Shaking Bog Festival; Eason book offer; Women’s Prize odds; Michel Déon Prize

A preview of Saturday’s pages and a round-up of the latest literary news

Thu Sep 2 2021 - 15:30

This weekend’s Irish Times Eason book offer is The Gift by Edith Eger, which you can buy with your paper at any branch for €4.99, a saving of €5.

Saturday’s books coverage features an interview with Sally Rooney by Róisín Ingle; and Lara Marlowe on the latest, posthumous controversy to surround Céline. Reviews are Fintan O’Toole on Sally Rooney’s Beautiful World, Where Are You; Sarah Gilmarton on Index, A History of the by Dennis Duncan; Claire Hennessy on the best new YA; Helen Cullen on Magpie by Elizabeth Day; Nicholas Allen on The Letters of John McGahern, edited by Frank Shovlin; Laura Slattery on All in by Billie Jean King; Becky Long on Hell of a Book by Jason Mott; Adrian Duncan on Defects by Eoin Ó Broin; and Matthew O’Toole on Albert Reynolds: Risktaker for Peace by Conor Lenihan.

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The Library Association of Ireland Author of the Year has today been unveiled as a new category for the An Post Irish Book Awards 2021, the annual highlight of the Irish literary calendar that celebrates and promotes the very best of Irish writing talent.

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The category is designed to acknowledge an Irish author whose work has contributed significantly to the reader experience and enjoyment of Irish books during 2021. Nominations are uniquely open to librarians and library book club members nationwide to acknowledge their dedication, passion, and commitment to the literary community in Ireland.

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The Royal Irish Academy has welcomed confirmation from the Department of Foreign Affairs of funding for the Michel Déon Prize until 2025. The announcement was made to coincide with last week’s visit of President Emmanuel Macron to Ireland.

The Michel Déon Prize was founded in 2018 in memory of the French writer who made the West of Ireland his home. It is a joint prize awarded in alternate years by the Royal Irish Academy and the Académie Française in France. The winning author gets a prize of €10,000 and the honour of visiting the other country to deliver the Michel Déon Lecture the following year. The Royal Irish Academy will next award the Michel Déon Prize for non-fiction in 2022.

Poetry Ireland and Trócaire have announced the winners of the 2021 poetry competition, which this year had the theme Pathways to Peace.

Attracta Fahy won the Adult Published Category, whose runners-up were Mary Turley-McGrath and Jean O’Brien. Sinéad Griffin won the Adult Unpublished Category, whose runners-up were Gormfhlaith Ní Shíocháin Ní Bheoláin and Caroline Bracken.

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A literary magazine providing an opportunity for international writers of short stories was recently launched by David Gardner author of the novel “Engineering Paradise” set in 1960s Belfast. “Personal Bests” features writers from several countries, including Irish authors Tom Tierney and John McKeon and a story from Richard Rose co-author of the play about Joyce’s daughter “Letters to Lucia”. The latest edition contains an eclectic mix of 33 engaging stories and has already attracted some of the best authors writing in this genre. I look forward to reading future stories from Ireland and around the world in forthcoming editions.

The expanding genre of nature writing got a boost during the Covid-19 pandemic as people explored their local natural spaces with new vigour and interest. And, as arts and cultural events retreated online, cultural festivals such as The Shaking Bog recorded podcasts celebrating creativity through the seasons. Now happy to welcome back live audiences, the Shaking Bog will hold conversations with writers, nature walks and workshops from September 10-12 in the Glencree Valley near Enniskerry, Co Wicklow.

Novelist and nature writer, Melissa Harrison, whose podcast The Stubborn Light of Things was published in book form in November 2020 – will be there. Kerri ní Dochartaigh, whose book, Thin Places, was shortlisted for the Wainwright Prize for Nature Writing will also be there as will Wainwright prize winner, Dara McAnulty, English poet, Alice Oswald, Belfast poet, Michael Longley and Dublin writer, Roddy Doyle. Check out full programme on shakingbog.ie @theshakingbog

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Susanna Clarke is the bookies’ favourite to win the £30,000 Women’s Prize for Fiction, with the latest odds from Coral placing Piranesi (Bloomsbury Publishing) at 5/2.The winner will be announced at a ceremony next Wednesday.

US novelist Brit Bennett is at 7/2 for her second novel, The Vanishing Half (Dialogue Books). American/ Ghanaian author Yaa Gyasi is third favourite at 4/1 for Transcendent Kingdom (Viking). British author Claire Fuller is at 5/1 for Unsettled Ground (Fig Tree), her fourth novel, while at 6/1 are Barbadian author Cherie Jones for How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House (Tinder Press) and American writer Patricia Lockwood for No One Is Talking About This (Bloomsbury Circus).

Since the shortlist was announced on April 28th, the six shortlisted books have sold 130,000 copies in the UK, taking £1.1million. The Vanishing Half, boosted by the release of the paperback edition in the week it was shortlisted, is the clear sales leader. It has sold 105,000 copies since it was shortlisted and is currently selling about 4,000 copies a week. Transcendent Kingdom and Piranesi have been the second and third most popular titles since the shortlist was announced, selling 6,200 and 6,100 copies respectively.