An Post Irish Book Awards 2024

First established in 2006, the An Post Irish Book Awards bring together a vast community passionate about books – readers, authors, booksellers, publishers and librarians – to recognise the very best of new and established Irish writing talent.

Check out the winners below – all of which are available to borrow from your local library.

Borrow or reserve TODAY

A Stranger in the Family – Jane Casey

When nine-year-old Rosalie Marshall vanished from her bed one summer night, her disappearance tore her family apart. Now, sixteen years later, her mother Helena is found dead, her husband by her side. It looks like a straightforward murder-suicide but DS Maeve Kerrigan and DI Josh Derwent soon discover nothing about this case is straightforward.

The Coast Road – Alan Murrin

It’s 1994 in County Donegal, Ireland, and everyone is talking about Colette Crowley – the writer, the bohemian, the woman who left her husband and sons to pursue a relationship with a married man in Dublin. But now Colette is back, and nobody knows why.

Heart, Be at Peace – Donal Ryan

Told in twenty-one voices, Heart, be at Peace is a heartfelt, lyrical novel that can be read independently, or as a companion to Donal Ryan’s multi-award-winning novel, The Spinning Heart,

Frankie – Graham Norton

Always on the periphery, looking on, young Frankie Howe was never quite sure enough of herself to take centre stage – after all, life had already judged her harshly. Now old, Frankie finds it easier to forget the life that came before. Then Damian, a young Irish carer, arrives at her London flat, there to keep an eye on her as she recovers from a fall. A memory is sparked, and the past crackles into life as Damian listens to the story Frankie has kept stored away all these years.

The Last Disco: The story of the Stardust tragedy – Sean Murray, Christine Bohan & Nicky Ryan

Through the eyes of the survivors, the families and investigators, compiled with meticulous research and compassionate portrayals of their voices, this poignant book honours the memories of those who were lost, while shedding light on the tragedy that still shocks the nation to this day.

Nature Boy: A journey of birdsong and belonging – Seán Ronayne

Here, Seán takes us on his journey. From his adventures in the Sahara Desert, the jungles of Nepal and the streets of Thailand, to discovering the night sounds of Catalunya, and his mission to sound record all the regularly occurring bird species in Ireland, Nature Boy is an inspiring story of love, connection and the healing power of nature.

Irish Food History: A Companion – Máirtín Mac Con Iomaire & Dorothy Cashman

Whether you are a seasoned ‘foodie’ or a novice in the kitchen, a keen historian or merely curious about life, Irish Food History offers a glimpse at horizons old and new, unfurling a complex culinary history and revealing nuances of our cultural heritage.

Gaeilge i Mo Chroí – Irish In My Heart: Your Guide to Loving and Living the Irish Language – Molly Nic Céile

Using seanfhocail agus scéalta, proverbs and stories, and with plenty of craic along the way, this book offers guidance on bringing Irish into our everyday lives, supported by useful word and phrase glossaries throughout.

Obsessed: The Autobiography – Johnny Sexton & Peter O'Reilly

Obsessed is more than just a brilliantly detailed account of a legendary playing career. It is also a work of deep self-exploration, tracing the psychological arc of a player who almost always felt embattled, who struggled with self-doubt, and who was still learning new lessons about being a team-mate and a leader into his late thirties.

The Golden Hare – Paddy Donnelly

From Paddy Donnelly, a beautiful picture book story about the magic and wonder of nature that is all around us, inspired by the real, but very rare golden hare of Rathlin Island, near Paddy’s hometown in Co. Antrim.

Fia and the Last Snow Deer – Eilish Fisher & Dermot Flynn

A truly timeless verse novel set in snowy pre-historic Ireland, about hope, kindness and the power of friendship, from exceptional new writing talent, Eilish Fisher, brought to life with stunning illustrations from Dermot Flynn.

The Irish Words You Should Know: and how to use them every day – Hector Ó hEochagáin

When you speak in Irish, every word is a tiny poem that reveals a new perspective. The Irish language is our inheritance. It lives underneath us in the soil, it blows through the leaves on trees and rises from the roots. Hector Ó hEochagáin is on a mission to help us reclaim that inheritance.

Missing Persons, Or My Grandmother’s Secrets – Clair Wills

How could a whole family – a whole country – abandon unmarried mothers and their children, erasing them from history? What began as an effort to piece together the facts became an act of decoding the most unreliable of evidence – stories, secrets, silences. The result is a moving, exquisitely told story of the secrets families keep, and the violence carried out in their name.

Atlas of the Irish Civil War: New Perspectives – Hélène O’Keeffe, John Crowley, Donal Ó Drisceoil, John Borgonovo & Mike Murphy

This new volume in the award-winning Atlas Series presents fresh perspectives on, and a nuanced understanding of, the history of the Irish Civil War (1922–3). Featuring contributions from over ninety leading scholars from a range of disciplines, this book provides new insights into the conflict’s regional, national and international dimensions.

Geansaithe Móra – Gearóidín Nic Cárthaigh

Ceithre splancscéal is tríocha atá sa chnuasach seo, iad go léir faoi bhun 1,000 focal. Pléann siad le réimse mór téamaí i saol na mban, idir chumha is ghrá, idir uaigneas is dóchas.

This collection comprises of thirty four flash fiction stories, all of them under 1,000 words. They look at a wide range of themes in women’s lives, from sadness to love, from loneliness to hope.

Something’s About To Blow Up – Sam Blake

When an explosion rips through the chemistry lab at Raven’s Hill School and six girls are injured, the first thought is that it’s an experiment gone wrong. Then the Gardaí start investigating and suspect a bomb. But who could it have been targeting, and why?