April 25th, 2008
2008 Irish Book Award winners & Hennessy Hall of Fame
The third Irish Book Awards were held last night, and there were some very worthy winners. Anne Enright picked up Novel of the Year for The Gathering and I was delighted to see Julia Kelly win Best Newcomer for her book With My Lazy Eye. Dermot Ferriter picked up three gongs for his book, Judging Dev, and William Trevor was deservedly awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award.
Link: Irish Book Awards
Update: This week, Anne Enright was also entered into the Hennessy Literary Awards Hall of Fame. The winners of this year’s Hennessy New Writing Award for short story and poetry were announced last Monday at the same ceremony - not that anyone would know as they’re so badly publicised. Emerging Writer was on the shortlist and has a list (and some links to) the winners.
April 25th, 2008 at 9:17 am
[…] Update: Sinéad has list of adult winners. […]
April 27th, 2008 at 12:52 am
I have this book next on my pile to read. I’d heard a couple of mixed reader comments about it from people who usually have very similar tastes. It won the Booker and now the Irish Book Award but didn’t make the Orange Short List so I’m intrigued to find out what turned people on about it, what turned others off, and where I fall myself. It’s sometimes fun to start a book with questions although it’s also possible to lose something for doing that.
Off to check out the full list of winners. Cheers for the link.
April 28th, 2008 at 9:36 am
Sam, The Gathering seems to be one of those ‘no grey area’ books. People are really polarised by it. I know a lot of people who didn’t like it at all, but even if you hate the story, the themes and plot, it’s hard to ignore the quality of her writing.
Let me know how you get on if you get around to reading it.
April 28th, 2008 at 12:23 pm
I was really surprised that “The Gathering” won the Booker prize with “On Chesil Beach” by Ian McEwan on the short list. I know it is all very subjective but the latter was one of the best books I have ever read while “The Gathering” left me very underwhelmed.
I love your blog, by the way.