Paul Murray's The Bee Sting wins Novel of the Year at An Post Irish Book Awards

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Paul Murray pictured in 2015.

winner

The awards were held this evening at the Convention Centre in Dublin.

BOOKER PRIZE SHORTLISTED author Paul Murray has won Novel of the Year for his book The Bee Sting at this year’s An Post Irish Book Awards.

The annual awards ceremony was held this year at the Convention Centre in Dublin, and was attended by many well known Irish writers.

Among the winners of awards were Liz Nugent, Mark Moriarty, Róise Ní Bhaoill, Roz Purcell, Mark O’Connell, Sophie White, Katriona O’Sullivan, Colin Walsh and Sarah Binchy.

TheJournal sponsors the Irish-Published Book of the Year Award, which this year went to Sunday Miscellany: A Selection 2018 – 2023, which was edited by Sarah Binchy.

A public portion of the vote was sponsored by National Book Tokens.

Murray picked up the Eason Novel of the Year Award for The Bee Sting, a multifaceted work that follows the lives of the four members of the well-to-do Barnes family. The novel has also been shortlisted for the prestigious Booker Prize alongside fellow Irish author Paul Lynch’s Prophet Song.

The An Post Irish Book Awards has been running since 2006, and aims to celebrate and promote Irish writing. As well as the winning entries, Professor Roy Foster was also presented with the Bob Hughes Lifetime Achievement Award.

Foster has published a number of significant works on Irish history and has taught at many of the world’s most prestigious universities.

Brenden Corbett, Chairperson of the awards, said in a statement:

“The An Post Irish Book Awards has established itself as a highlight of the Irish literary calendar and we are immensely proud of what we’ve achieved through a broad coalition of readers, writers, publishers, sponsors, booksellers and librarians.

Many Irish books have been published during the last year, not only by established writers but also by a number of incredibly talented newcomers who are a wonderful addition to the Irish literary scene. We are delighted to congratulate all of this year’s winners of the An Post Irish Book Awards.

The full list of winners is printed below:

Eason Novel of the Year

The Bee Sting – Paul Murray (Hamish Hamilton, Penguin Random House)

TheJournal.ie Best Irish-Published Book of the Year

Sunday Miscellany: A Selection 2018 – 2023 – Edited by Sarah Binchy (New Island Books)

Bookselling Ireland Biography of the Year

Poor – Katriona O’Sullivan (Sandycove)

Cookbook of the Year

Flavour – Mark Moriarty, photography by Cliodhna Prendergast (Gill Books)

Bookstation Lifestyle Book of the Year

The Hike Life – Roz Purcell (Black and White Publishing)

Dubray Non-Fiction Book of the Year

A Thread of Violence – Mark O’Connell (Granta Books)

Eason Sports Book of the Year in association with Ireland AM

The Grass Ceiling – Eimear Ryan (Sandycove)

Library Association of Ireland Author of the Year

Claire Keegan (Faber and Faber)

Irish Independent Crime Fiction Book of the Year

Strange Sally Diamond – Liz Nugent (Sandycove)

Sunday Independent Newcomer of the Year

Kala – Colin Walsh (Atlantic Books)

National Book Tokens Popular Fiction Book of the Year

My Hot Friend – Sophie White (Hachette Books Ireland)

Foras na Gaeilge Irish Language Fiction Book of the Year Award

Imram agus Scéalta Eile – Róise Ní Bhaoill (Éabhlóid)

The Last Word Listeners’ Choice Award

Poor – Katriona O’Sullivan (Sandycove)

New Voices: The An Post Writing Prize

The Border / Кордон – Valeriia Shmyrova

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

Black and Irish: Legends, Trailblazers and Everyday Heroes – Leon Diop and Briana Fitzsimons, illustrated by Jessica Louis (Little Island Books and Black and Irish)

Specsavers Children’s Book of the Year – Junior

The President’s Dog – Peter Donnelly (Gill Books)

Specsavers Children’s Book of the Year – Senior

I Am The Wind: Irish Poems for Children Everywhere – Edited by Lucinda Jacob and Sarah Webb, illustrated by Ashwin Chacko (Little Island Books)

Writing.ie Short Story of the Year

Such A Pretty Face – Moïra Fowley (Eyes Guts Throat Bones, Orion)

Listowel Writers’ Week Poem of the Year

Vectors in Kabul – Mary O’Donnell

An Post Bookshop of the Year

Halfway up the Stairs – Greystones, Co. Wicklow

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