Louise Nealon won the Sunday Independent Newcomer of the Year for her debut novel Snowflake

Published in May by Bonnier Books UK Snowflake became a number bestseller in Ireland while enjoying widespread critical acclaim. Endorsed by Roddy Doyle and Marian Keyes Snowflake is an affecting coming-of-age story about eighteen year old Debbie White who lives on a dairy farm with her mother and who is about to step into life as a student at Trinity College Dublin and navigate a world that constantly challenges her sense of self.

Published by Harper Collins in the US in September People Magazine selected Snowflake as a People’s Pick in their October 4th issue. Snowflake was also an Amazon US spotlight Pick For The Month Of September As Featured Debut, selected among Bustle’s Most Anticipated Books of the Month and picked as one of Shondaland 5 Best Books for September. Snowflake was also chosen by  The Nervous Book Club (TNB) as their September book.

‘Wonderful and mad' 

Roddy Doyle

Sinead Moriarty won the Teen / Young Adult Book of the Year for The New Girl

Published by Gill Books in September The New Girl  charted in the children’s best sellers list. The book tells the story of Ruby and Safa. At school, Ruby is the odd one out. Although Denise and Clara are her friends, they are each other’s best friend and she is the ‘other’ friend. So when new girl Safa, a refugee who has just arrived in Ireland from Syria, joins the class, she is put sitting beside Ruby. Safa and Ruby realise that their lives are very different. But as they get to know each other they soon discover that they have more in common than they might think.

Sinéad Moriarty is the much-loved author of 15 novels, and her books have been translated into 25 languages. She hopes The New Girl will inspire a new generation of readers.

"A story about friendship, hope and courage … I loved it and couldn’t put it down!" 

Christy Lefteri, The Beekeeper of Aleppo

“The New Girl is a thoughtful and powerful book for young people and a great addition to any school library and curriculum.” 

Irish Refugee Council

Maureen Gaffney won the RTÉ Audience Choice Award for Your One Wild And Precious Life An Inspiring Guide to Becoming Your Best Self At Any Age

Published by Penguin in September Your One Wild and Precious Life: An Inspiring Guide to Becoming Your Best Self At Any Age topped the Irish bestseller list for paperback nonfiction for five weeks since its publication. The book offers a framework for embracing middle age and beyond – from acclaimed psychologist and No 1 bestselling author of Flourishing.

“No matter where you locate yourself in this book there’s an energy to the prose that makes it a fascinating read… This book is a powerful reminder that history does not have to dictate our future”

The Irish Times

About the awards...

Exclusively Irish, inclusive in every other sense, the An Post Irish Book Awards brings together the entire literary community – readers, authors, booksellers, publishers and librarians  to join in a celebrating Irish writing.

Founded in 2007 The An Post Irish Book Awards are a set of industry-recognition awards set up by a coalition of Irish booksellers. The awards are owned by Irish Book Awards Ltd, a not-for-profit company presided over by a board comprising of Executive Director: Alastair Giles, Maria Dickenson, Larry Mac Hale, Brendan Corbett, and John Treacy. These individuals also attend an advisory board along with representatives from publishers and partners.

Thousands of ordinary readers vote to select the winners every year. Libraries and bookshops showcase the best books of the year in the critical sales period of the fourth quarter. The Awards Dinner has become the major event in the literary calendar with Taoisigh and Presidents as guests of honour. Since 2011, highlights of the awards have been shown on RTÉ television. The winners were announced in a virtual ceremony this year on https://www.rte.ie/culture/2021/1123/1262663-an-post-irish-book-awards-watch-the-ceremony-live/