The novel, which follows the story of a wild child with a ferocious imagination who will stop at nothing to protect his family, was published in February 2025 to rave reviews and was nominated for the Sunday Independent Newcomer Of The Year at The An Post Irish Book Awards 2025.

The judges describe the book as “a remarkable novel for the ways in which it captures a family dynamic not often represented so intelligently and with such compassion for all involved. Set in rural Co Meath some 40 years ago, the voice of the unnamed boy who narrates much of the novel is brilliant: always compelling, sometimes concerning, and very funny. His mother and sister, meanwhile, are painfully and delightfully familiar by turns. And Jerry Drain, a local farmer, though we see him for himself only fleetingly, is nevertheless fully rounded and, on occasion, utterly devastating.”

Prof Pete Shirlow, director of Liverpool’s Institute of Irish Studies, said: “Perhaps the most striking thing about this year’s shortlist is that all three of the books are the product of Irish publishing houses: Tramp Press, New Island Books and Stinging Fly Press. This facet is a first for our prize and is testament to a remarkably healthy literary scene on the island.”

Now in its seventh year, the prize has a formidable list of past winners: Adrian Duncan for Love Notes from a German Building Site; Hilary Fannin for The Weight of Love; Louise Kennedy for The End of the World is a Cul de Sac; Aingeala Flannery for The Amusements; Michael Magee for Close to Home; and Anna Fitzgerald for Girl in the Making.

A record 25 entries were adjudicated upon by the shortlisting committee of Prof Dame Janet Beer, former vice-chancellor of the University of Liverpool; Dr Eleanor Lybeck, senior lecturer in literature at the Department of English and Institute of Irish Studies, University of Liverpool; and Frank Shovlin, Professor of Irish Literature, University of Liverpool.

Prof Shovlin said: “Another notably strong field made choosing three titles for shortlisting more difficult than ever, but we feel we have come up with a terrific and representative list of two novels and one collection of short stories. As in previous years, Colm Tóibín will have the unenviable task of choosing an overall winner, expected to be announced in September in advance of the annual prizegiving at the Liverpool Literary Festival on the weekend of October 16th-18th.”