From left to right: Nicky Ryan, Christine Bohan, and Sean Murray. An Post Irish Book Awards / Patrick Bolger An Post Irish Book Awards / Patrick Bolger / Patrick Bolger

AUTHORS FROM THE Journal and The 42 are among nominees for this year’s An Post Irish Book Awards.

Deputy Editor Christine Bohan and Senior Media Producer Nicky Ryan’s bestselling non-fiction book The Last Disco has been nominated for The Last Word Listeners’ Choice Award.

Written alongside co-author Sean Murray from the Irish Examiner and published by Eriu, the book delves into the story of the 1981 Stardust nightclub fire, from how the night of the blaze unfolded to the decades long fight for truth and closure.

It received praise from critics for putting “families and survivors centre stage, treating them with compassion and respect, relaying and validating their truth with empathy and humanity”.

The book has its roots a 2019 award-winning documentary podcast by The Journal.

Also on the shortlist is Conor Niland’s book The Racket (Sandycove, Penguin) which was written in collaboration with The 42′s Gavin Cooney.

The memoir tells the insider account of what life is really like on tour and away from the limelight for 99% of professional tennis players.

Cooney and Niland’s work features in Eason Sports Book of the Year and The Last Word Listeners’ Choice Award categories.

The Listeners’ Choice Award is decided by public vote. All voters will be entered into a prize draw to win one of five €100 National Book Tokens vouchers. Voting closes 14 November at 5pm.

Click here to cast your vote for The Last Disco or The Racket.

The Irish Book Awards is now in its 19th year and aims to “celebrate and promote Irish writing to the widest range of readers possible”.

Also returning this year is the category Best Irish-Published Book of the Year, sponsored by The Journal.

“The shortlist for this year’s An Post Irish Book Awards is, once again, remarkable, showcasing the immense talent of Irish writers and the strength of our literary community,” Larry Mac Hale, chairperson of the An Post Irish Book Awards, said in a statement.

“Each category highlights exceptional writing, with well deserving authors, publishers, illustrators, and booksellers being recognised.”

“The An Post Irish Book Awards is a key event in the literary calendar, and it is wonderful to see the growing enthusiasm for this initiative. I would like to wish all the nominees the very best of luck and look forward to celebrating the winners on the 27th November.”

TheJournal.ie Best Irish-Published Book of the Year

• The Enchanted Bay: Tales and Legends from Ernie O’Malley’s Irish Folklore Collection – Cormac K. H. O’Malley and Patrick J. Mahoney (Merrion Press)
• Atlas of the Irish Civil War: New Perspectives – Hélène O’Keeffe, John Crowley, Donal Ó Drisceoil, John Borgonovo and Mike Murphy (Cork University Press)
• The Irish Words You Should Know – Hector Ó hEochagáin (Gill Books)
• Irish Food History: A Companion – Máirtín Mac Con Iomaire & Dorothy Cashman (Royal Irish Academy)
• 1588, The Spanish Armada and the 24 Ships Lost on Ireland’s Shores – Michael B. Barry (Andalus Press)
• Reeling in the Queers: Tales of Ireland’s LGBTQ Past – Páraic Kerrigan (New Island Books)

Dubray Biography of the Year

• This Boy’s Heart: Scenes from an Irish childhood – John Creedon (Gill Books)
• Finding Mangan: The Lives and Afterlives of Ireland’s National Poet – Bridget Hourican (Gill Books)
• American Mother – Colum McCann with Diane Foley (Bloomsbury Publishing)
• Well, Holy God: My Life as an Irish, Catholic, Agnostic Correspondent – Patsy McGarry (Merrion Press)
• Leaning on Gates – Seamus O’Rourke (Gill Books)
• Nature Boy: A journey of birdsong and belonging – Seán Ronayne (Hachette Books Ireland)

Hodges Figgis History Book of the Year

• Hotel Lux: An Intimate History of Communism’s Forgotten Radicals – Maurice J. Casey (Footnote Press)
• Revolutionary Times – Ireland 1913-23: The Forging of a Nation – Mike Cronin and Mark Duncan (Merrion Press)
• Land Is All That Matters: The Struggle That Shaped Irish History – Myles Dungan (Apollo, Head of Zeus)
• The Revelation of Ireland: 1995-2020 – Diarmaid Ferriter (Profile Books)
• A History of Ireland in Ten Body Parts – Dr Ian Miller (Gill Books)
• Atlas of the Irish Civil War: New Perspectives – Hélène O’Keeffe, John Crowley, Donal Ó Drisceoil, John Borgonovo and Mike Murphy (Cork University Press)

WHSmith Non-Fiction Book of the Year

• Who Killed Una Lynskey?: A True Story of Murder, Vigilante Justice and the Garda ‘Heavy Gang’ – Mick Clifford (Sandycove, Penguin)
• Twelve Sheep: Life lessons from a lambing season – John Connell (Allen & Unwin)
• The Magic of an Irish Rainforest: A Visual Journey – Eoghan Daltun (Hachette Books Ireland)
• Murder at Lordship: Inside the Hunt for a Detective’s Killer – Pat Marry and Robin Schiller (Allen & Unwin)
• Money: A Story of Humanity – David McWilliams (Simon & Schuster)
• Missing Persons, Or My Grandmother’s Secrets – Clair Wills (Allen Lane)

Eason Novel of the Year

• Wild Houses – Colin Barrett (Jonathan Cape, Vintage)
• The Heart in Winter – Kevin Barry (Canongate Books)
• The Woman Behind the Door – Roddy Doyle (Jonathan Cape, Vintage)
• Our London Lives – Christine Dwyer Hickey (Atlantic Books)
• Seaborne – Nuala O’Connor (New Island Books)
• Intermezzo – Sally Rooney (Faber & Faber)
• Heart, Be at Peace – Donal Ryan (Doubleday, Penguin Random House)
• Long Island – Colm Tóibín (Picador, Pan Macmillan)

Bookselling Ireland Food & Drink Book of the Year

• Sprout & Co Saladology: Fresh Ideas for Delicious Salads – Theo Kirwan (Mitchel Beazley, Octopus Books)
• Irish Food History: A Companion – Máirtín Mac Con Iomaire & Dorothy Cashman (Royal Irish Academy)
• Eat Out at Home – Neven Maguire (Gill Books)
• Season: Master the elements of amazing taste – Mark Moriarty (Gill Books)
• The Home Sommelier: Your down-to-earth guide to choosing good wine – Brigid O’Hora (Hachette Books Ireland)
• Dad Food – Dylan McGrath (Gill Books)

Bookstation Lifestyle Book of the Year

• What We Know Now – Jenny Kelly and Mairéad Ronan (Gill Books)
• It’s All Too Much: Practical ways to pause panic attacks, reduce overwhelm and anxiety, and rediscover everyday joy – Allison Keating (Gill Books)
• The Complete Book of Wild Swimming in Ireland – Maureen McCoy and Paul McCambridge (Gill Books)
• Gaeilge i Mo Chroí – Irish In My Heart: Your Guide to Loving and Living the Irish Language – Molly Nic Céile (Hachette Books Ireland)
• Some of Our Parts: Why we are more than the labels we live by – Laura Kennedy (Eriu)
• The Hike Life: 50 More to Explore – Rozanna Purcell (Black & White Publishing)

Library Association of Ireland Author of the Year

• Sally Rooney
• Donal Ryan
• Colm Tóibín
• Sheila O’Flanagan
• Eoin Colfer
• Jo Spain

Eason Sports Book of the Year

• Joe Canning: My Story – Joe Canning with Vincent Hogan (Gill Books)
• Unladylike: A History of Ladies Gaelic Football – Hayley Kilgallon (New Island Books)
• The Racket: On Tour with Tennis’s Golden Generation – and the other 99% – Conor Niland (Sandycove, Penguin)
• Blood and Thunder: Rugby and Irish Life: A History – Liam O’Callaghan (Sandycove, Penguin)
• My Autobiography – Davy Russell with Donn McClean (Eriu)
• Obsessed: The Autobiography – Johnny Sexton (Sandycove, Penguin)

Gradam Love Leabhar Gaeilge Leabhar Ficsin Gaeilge na Bliana

• Geansaithe Móra – Gearóidín Nic Cárthaigh (LeabhairCOMHAR)
• Saighdiúir – Cathal Ó Searcaigh (Leabhar Breac)
• Flaitheas – Proinsias Mac a’ Bhaird (Leabhar Breac)
• Mná – Daithí Ó Muirí (Cló Iar-Chonnacht)
• Cuimhní Poircealláin agus Scéalta Eile – Majella Ní Dhomhnaill  (Cló Iar-Chonnacht)
• Súile Éisc agus Scéalta Eile – Michelle Nic Pháidín (Cló Iar-Chonnacht)

Specsavers Children’s Book of the Year – Junior

• Beanie the Bansheenie – Eoin Colfer, illustrated by Steve McCarthy (Walker Books)
• The Golden Hare – Paddy Donnelly (The O’Brien Press)
• The Great Discovery – Peter Donnelly (Gill Books)
• Where to Hide a Star – Oliver Jeffers (HarperCollins Children’s Books)
• Evil Duck and the Feather of Fortune – Chris Judge (Gill Books)
• Over the Red-Brick Chimney – Una Leavy, illustrated by Shannon Bergin (The O’Brien Press)

Specsavers Children’s Book of the Year – Senior

• Nina Peanut Is Amazing – Sarah Bowie (Scholastic)
• Fia and the Last Snow Deer – Eilish Fisher, illustrated by Dermot Flynn (Puffin, Penguin Random House Children’s)
• Milly McCarthy and the Sports Day Shambles – Leona Forde, illustrated by Karen Harte (Gill Books)
• The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Irish Lighthouses – David Hare, illustrated by Linda Fährlin (Gill Books)
• The History of Information – Chris Haughton with Loonie Park (DK Children’s)
• Fixing Mum and Dad – Sinéad Moriarty (Gill Books)
• Molly Malone & Bram Stoker in The Riddle of the Disappearing Dickens – Alan Nolan (The O’Brien Press)
• The Weather Girls – Sarah Webb (The O’Brien Press)

International Education Services Teen & Young Adult Book of the Year, in honour of John Treacy

• Something’s About to Blow Up – Sam Blake (Gill Books)
• Braids Take a Day – Zainab Boladale (The O’Brien Press)
• The Traitor in the Game – Triona Campbell (Scholastic)
• Where the Heart Should Be – Sarah Crossan (Bloomsbury YA)
• The Dagger and the Flame – Catherine Doyle (Simon & Schuster Children’s Books)
• Sisters of the Moon – Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick (Faber & Faber) 

Irish Independent Crime Fiction Book of the Year

• A Stranger in the Family – Jane Casey (Hemlock Press)
• Witness 8 – Steve Cavanagh (Headline)
• Where They Lie – Claire Coughlan (Simon & Schuster)
• Someone in the Attic – Andrea Mara (Bantam, Transworld)
• Somebody Knows – Michelle McDonagh (Hachette Books Ireland)
• When We Were Silent – Fiona McPhillips (Bantam, Transworld)

Sunday Independent Newcomer of the Year

• Old Romantics – Maggie Armstrong (Tramp Press)
• Spirit Level – Richy Craven (Eriu)
• Evenings and Weekends – Oisín McKenna (4th Estate)
• The Amendments – Niamh Mulvey (Picador, Pan Macmillan)
• The Coast Road – Alan Murrin (Bloomsbury Circus)
• Glorious Exploits – Ferdia Lennon (Fig Tree)

Ireland AM Popular Fiction Book of the Year

• Into the Storm – Cecelia Ahern (HarperCollins)
• Whatever Happened to Birdy Troy? – Rachael English (Hachette Books Ireland)
• The Bookshop Ladies – Faith Hogan (Aria)
• My Favourite Mistake – Marian Keyes (Michael Joseph, Penguin)
• Frankie – Graham Norton (Coronet)
• Don’t Look Back in Ongar – Ross O’Carroll Kelly (Sandycove, Penguin)

The Last Word Listeners’ Choice Award

• The Heart in Winter – Kevin Barry (Canongate Books)
• In Her Place – Edel Coffey (Sphere, Little, Brown Book Group)
• The Alternatives – Caoilinn Hughes (Oneworld Publications)
• The Last Disco: The Story of the Stardust Tragedy – Sean Murray, Christine Bohan and Nicky Ryan (Eriu).
• he Racket: On Tour with Tennis’s Golden Generation – and the other 99% – Conor Niland (Sandycove, Penguin)
• Long Island – Colm Tóibín (Picador, Pan Macmillan)

New Irish Writing Best Short Story in association with the Irish Independent

• Growth – Margaret Cahill
• Valentine’s Day – Kathleen Macadam
• Estepona – Dónal O’Sullivan
• Night Shift – Stephen Brophy
• Stick Shift – Claire Bamber
• Everything is in Place – David O’Neill

New Irish Writing Best Poetry in association with the Irish Independent

• ‘It’s Hard to Burn a Word’ and ‘Herding’ – Bill Richardson
• ‘Dream of an Atrocity’ – Féilim James
• ‘Pravda’ – Eoin Devereux
• ‘Typewriter’ and ‘Provence’ – Agnieszka Filipek
• ‘Maure ‘Soshin’ O’Hallroan’ and ‘Halo’ – Colette Colfer
• ‘Onionskin’ – Eilín de Paor

An Post Bookshop of the Year

• Bridge Books, Dromore, Down
• Liber, Sligo
• Little Acorns Bookstore, Derry
• O’Mahony’s Booksellers, Limerick
• Tales for Tadpoles, Bray, Wicklow
• The Company of Books, Ranelagh, Dublin