EASON NOVEL OF THE YEAR:

Other People’s Lives

by Kathleen MacMahon (Sandycove)

‘Marriage was the biggest decision of their lives and yet they made it so lightly it was barely a decision at all’

As schoolgirls, Justine and her best friend Iseult dreamed of a future that revolved around marriage. They saw it as a happy ending, never imagining for a moment that the reality would be more complicated.

Coming up to fifty, they're still best friends. Justine has been married to Iseult’s brother for twenty-five years and lives in her childhood home. Iseult has spent her adult life abroad, her marriage clearly unhappy for reasons she won't discuss.

When Justine’s daughter suddenly announces her engagement, Justine is thrown into planning a big family wedding. Afraid that her daughter is making a mistake, she finds herself questioning the choices she and Iseult made decades earlier. This crisis of confidence tests Justine in new and unexpected ways.

From the Women’s Prize longlisted author of Nothing But Blue Sky and The Home Scar, Other People’s Lives is a captivating story about the decisions we make in a heartbeat, and their lifelong consequences.

IRISH BOOK WEEK NON-FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR:

A Sheepdog Named Oscar

by Dara Waldron (Simon & Schuster)

The New York Times and Irish Times bestseller

After the sudden death of his father, Dara Waldron became disoriented in a world that had once filled him with wonder. A year later, he meets an abandoned border collie called Oscar hiding on a derelict farm in County Clare. When Dara brings him home, he believes he’s committing an act of rescue.

Oscar’s submissive behaviour hints at a difficult upbringing and, determined to earn his trust, Dara cares for him, walks with him and learns all he can about one of Ireland’s most beloved working breeds. As their unexpected companionship brings comfort to their troubled lives, Dara realises that Oscar might be the one doing the rescuing.

Set against the beauty of rural Ireland, A Sheepdog Named Oscar is a moving memoir about grief, healing and the incredible bond between humans and dogs. Beautifully written and rich with Waldron’s experience, Dara blends nature writing with a deeply personal story of recovery, revealing how small acts of loyalty can lead us back from darkness into life.

A Hosting: Interviews with Irish Writers 1991– 2026

by Martin Doyle (The Lilliput Press)

Martin Doyle, Books Editor of The Irish Times, has been an arts journalist for more than 35 years and in that time has interviewed many of the most talented and successful Irish writers at different stages of their careers.

This selection of his journalism offers a kaleidoscopic portrait of the Irish literary world as it has evolved in the past four decades. It provides booklovers with a privileged insight into the creative processes of many of their favourite writers, while serving as an appetiser for some of the greatest works of modern Irish fiction and nonfiction, both prizewinning titles and some overlooked gems which deserve to be rediscovered.

Writers interviewed include: Sally Rooney, Anne Enright, Claire Keegan, Roddy Doyle, Colm Tóibín, Claire Kilroy, Donal Ryan, Alice Taylor, Paul Murray.

LIBRARY ASSOCIATION OF IRELAND AUTHOR / ILLUSTRATOR OF THE YEAR

&

THE BOOK CENTRE CRIME FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE IRISH INDEPENDENT

Liz Nugent for The Truth About Ruby Cooper (Sandycove)

If my sister hadn’t been beautiful, none of it would have happened.

Ruby Cooper and her sister, Erin, live an idyllic life in their close-knit church community in Boston. But when Ruby is sixteen, she is involved in an incident that causes her family’s world to implode.

Across decades, the fallout leaves a wake of destruction behind Ruby in Dublin and Erin in Boston.

Not that Ruby wants to think about the past.

But it can’t stay a secret forever.

SUNDAY INDEPENDENT NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR:

Esther is Now Following You

by Tanya Sweeney (Bantam)

You're the love of Esther's life. You just don't know it yet...

Esther first sees Ted walking in a park in London. They lock eyes and for a fraction of a second, she feels something she’s never felt before.

She starts by reading up about his life in Canada and his work as an actor. Then she watches every interview with him online. It isn’t long before she’s joined Ted’s fan site online where her and the ‘Tedettes’ stalk his every move.

When Ted gets a new celebrity girlfriend, Esther decides that things have gone far enough. She leaves her husband, takes all their savings, and buys a one-way ticket to Canada.

After all, Ted might not know it yet, but they are meant to be together – he just needs a little bit of persuading...

THE BOOK CENTRE CRIME FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE IRISH INDEPENDENT

In Glass Houses

by Edel Coffey (Sphere)

Twenty years ago, Eddie's career as a journalist was destroyed by the Juliet Fox case.

Juliet was young and beautiful, born into the privileged world of the Manhattan elite. Pulled into their orbit by her investigation, Eddie discovered how far the rich and powerful are prepared to go when their way of life is threatened . . .

Eddie has always known that the wrong man was made the scapegoat for Juliet's murder. So when a new luxury sky-rise is opened by Juliet's father, just metres from where her body was discovered two decades before, Eddie can't resist finding her way in, back into a world where dangerous people operate in the shadows, and anyone might kill to keep a secret safe.

WHSMITH POPULAR FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR IN ASSOCIATION WITH IRELAND AM

The Mini Breakers

by Lucy Kennedy (Eriu)

Five women.
Twenty-two years of friendship.
One annual holiday that promises escape, connection and chaos in equal measure.

No matter how hectic their careers, relationships or family lives become, they keep their tradition alive: one week away together EVERY year. This time, the Mini Breakers are heading to Portugal.

But as the sun comes out, so do the secrets.

Between complicated love lives and the messy realities of middle age, this getaway might just be their most dramatic yet.

Scandals, revelations and questionable decisions are guaranteed when this group of gloriously imperfect, perimenopausal and fun-loving friends reunite.

CHILDREN’S BOOK OF THE YEAR – SENIOR

Minotaur Boy

by Shane Hegarty, illustrated by Ruby Fresson (DK Books)

A hilarious, heartwarming twist on Greek mythology, perfect for anyone who has ever felt a little bit different.

Alex is like any other twelve-year-old: he’s trying to survive school, navigate awkward body changes, and avoid his parents’ embarrassing “talks”. But Alex is hiding a secret...

Alex is part-minotaur. You read that right – part-boy, part-bull. Instead of just battling with spots the size of Mars (thanks, puberty) and the looming school musical, he also has to worry about horns, hooves, and seriously hairy toes! And Alex soon learns that he isn’t the only monster in town. Every creature of myth has a legendary destiny and Alex is about to find out his…

With heart, humour, and a lot of mythological chaos, Shane Hegarty's Minotaur Boy is a fantastical twist on the everyday embarrassments of growing up and the struggle to fit in.

This myth-inspired middle-grade adventure for children 8-12 will resonate with and inspire anyone who’s ever felt different… or anyone who has ever been hunted by a demi-god!