Author Sally Rooney’s best-selling book Beautiful World, Where Are You has been announced as Novel of the Year at the Dalkey Literary Awards.
Described by the judges as “the most ambitious” of her books so far, the Normal People author will receive €20,000 in prize money. It follows after her best-selling novel Conversations With Friends was also recently adapted for a tv show starring Joe Alwyn, Sasha Lane, Jemima Kirke, and Alison Oliver.
Kerry-based poet Victoria Kennefick won this year’s Emerging Writer Award for her stunning collection Eat Or We Both Starve, and she will be awarded €10,000.
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This is the third year of the Dalkey Literary Awards and with a total prize fund of €30,000 they are the biggest prize value awards solely for Irish writers.
Each category had three judges who each reviewed the five shortlisted authors and selected one overall winner.
The Judging Panels for this year’s Dalkey Literary Awards were: Frederick Studemann, Elaine Feeney and Willie White for Novel of the Year, and Madeleine Keane, Martina Devlin and Hugh Linehan for Emerging Writer.
The winners were announced on Saturday evening as part of this year’s Dalkey Book Festival which takes place this weekend in the popular seaside town
Sian Smyth, Director of the Dalkey Book Festival said: “It’s wonderful to include the Dalkey Literary Awards in this year’s Dalkey Book Festival. With a virtual event last year, it’s very important for us to bring the much-loved weekend festival back to life this year, and the Awards are a key part of that.
"We’re proud to play a part in recognising some of the best literary talent, thanks to our sponsors Zurich Insurance plc and the time and dedication of our wonderful judges. It’s such a joy to see all ten authors recognised and shortlisted for these important awards.”
Neil Freshwater, CEO Zurich Insurance plc said: “ Congratulations to Sally and Victoria and to all the shortlisted authors this year. Thank you to the judges who had the difficult task of selecting the winners from an incredibly talented collection of authors.
"Zurich is proud to support writers and literature in Ireland through its sponsorship of the Dalkey Literary Awards and the Dalkey Book Festival.”
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