Monday, 21 December 2020

An Post Irish Book of the Year 2020 winner – the Clare connection

The AN POST Irish Book of the Year for 2020 has been awarded to Doireann Ní Ghríofa for her book A Ghost in the Throat. The book was also named as the Foyles Non-Fiction Book of the Year 2020 and the Hodges Figgis Irish Book of the Year.

The book, a combination of essay and autobiographical fiction, is the acclaimed bilingual poet’s prose debut. It has received widespread praise for its use of language and original approach as it weaves two stories together: the narrator’s own relationship with pregnancy and motherhood and the life of 18th-century poet Eibhlín Dubh Ní Chonaill.

Doireann was born in Galway, grew up in Clare and now lives in Cork. A former Gaelcholáiste an Chláir student, she still has family in Kilnamona and Doolin and says that much of her writing is inspired by and based in Clare. She beat off competition from winners in 13 other categories for the top prize, which was chosen from an online public vote.

The category award winners are:
Old Ireland in Colour by John Breslin and Sarah-Anne Buckley
Break the Mould by Sinéad Burke
Cnámh by Eoghan Mac Giolla Bhríde
Neven Maguire’s Midweek Meals in Minutes by Neven Maguire
Diary of a Young Naturalist by Dara McAnulty
The Great Irish Farm Book by Darragh McCullough
Home Stretch by Graham Norton
After the Silence by Louise O’Neill
Never Mind the B#ll*cks, Here’s the Science by Luke O’Neill
Strange Flowers by Donal Ryan
A Light That Never Goes Out by Keelin Shanley
Savage Her Reply by Deirdre Sullivan
Champagne Football by Mark Tighe and Paul Rowan

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