Barry, Allen and O'Gara shortlisted for book awards

Novelist Sebastian Barry, TV chef Rachel Allen and rugby star Ronan O’Gara are among the eclectic list of authors and celebrities who have been shortlisted for this year’s Irish Book Awards.

Shortlists for the nine categories, which were compiled from a ballot of 400 booksellers and local libraries across the country, were announced today in Dublin’s Westbury Hotel.

The winner in each category will be chosen for the first time by a public vote on the Irish Book Awards website www.irishbookawards.ie and through RTÉ Radio 1's The Tubridy Showwebsite and TV3's Ireland AMwebsite

Barry's much-acclaimed novel The Secret Scripture, which won the Costa Book of the Year in January, will vie with David Park's The Truth Commissioner, Joseph O'Neill's Netherlandand Hugo Hamilton's Disguisefor the Hughes & Hughes Irish Novel of the Year.

The Argosy Irish Non-Fiction category reflects the diversity of the awards, pitting Allen's popular Ballymaloe cookery tome Bakeagainst Dr Ivor Browne's diatribe against the psychiatry establishment Music and Madness.

The non-fiction shortlist also includes The Buildersby Irish Times journalists Frank McDonald and Kathy Sheridan which charts the fortunes of several of the country's top developers, and Stepping Stones- Denis O'Driscoll's interviews with poet Seamus Heaney.

The highs and lows of O’Gara glittering rugby career with Ireland and Munster is a the strong contender for the Energise Sport Irish Sports Book of the Year.

The other shortlisted titles for the sports category include Ex-Olympian Eamon Coughlan's Chairman of the Boards, Better than Sex: My Autobiographyby Mick Fitzgerald & Donn McClean and Crashed and Byrned: The Greatest Racing Driver You Never Sawby Tommy Byrne and Mark Hughes.

Paul Howard, who won the popular fiction award in 2007, was again shortlisted for Ross O'Carroll-Kelly's Mr S and the Secrets of Andorra's Boxin the competitive popular fiction category which includes the latest offerings from best-selling authors Cathy Kelly, Maeve Binchy, Cecelia Ahern, Patricia Scanlan and Marian Keyes.

This year’s awards will see the introduction of a new category for best Irish crime fiction to reflect the growing popularity of the genre.

Chairman of the awards Fergal Stanley said the shortlists showcase "a rich and diverse selection" of Irish writing.

"Even in these difficult times, nothing represents value for money better than a book and we're more than pleased to say that a recession doesn't stop Irish authors writing great books," he said.

A special lifetime achievement in Irish literature award, to be decided by the Irish Literary Academy, will also be announced with the other category winners at a gala event in the Round Room of the Mansion House on May 6th.

Last year the lifetime achievement award went to novelist and short-story writer William Trevor.

Director of the awards Alastair Giles said: "The cornerstones of the Irish Book Awards are diversity and exclusivity. Authors, publishers, booksellers, librarians, and now general readers all make important contributions in helping to select the best Irish books of the year.

"More than ever before, Irish writing boasts tremendous strength-in-depth across the genres," he added.