In The Irish Times tomorrow, Anne Enright talks to me about her career as Attention: Writing on Life, Art and the world, a collection of her nonfiction, is published. David Gillick tells Laura Slattery about his book, The Race: The inside track on the ruthless world of elite athletics. And there is a Q&A with Elizabeth Day about her new book, One of Us, her Irish childhood and successful podcast series.
Reviews are Katy Hayward on For and Against a United Ireland by Fintan O’Toole and Sam McBride; Sinead O’Shea on A Mind of My Own by Kathy Burke; Pat Carty on Truly by Lionel Richie; Claire Hennessy on the best new YA; Micheál Martin on From Crown to Harp by David McCullagh; Ruby Eastwood on Flashlight by Susan Choi; Mei Chin on We Love You Bunny by Mona Awad; Kevin Gildea on Jesus Christ Kinski by Ben Myers; Naomi O’Leary on Finding My Way by Malala Yousafzai; Andrew Lynch on Lithuania: A History by Richard Butterwick; Ian Hughes on The Nuclear Age by Serhii Plokhy; and Declan Burke on the best new science fiction.
This weekend’s Irish Times Eason offer is The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware, just €5.99, a €6 saving.
The Booker Prize Foundation has announced the Children’s Booker Prize supported by AKO Foundation, the first prize for children’s fiction from the charity that awards the prestigious Booker Prize and International Booker Prize.
The £50,000 prize will be launched next year and be awarded annually from 2027, and will celebrate the best contemporary fiction for children aged eight to 12 years old, written in or translated into English and published in the UK and/or Ireland. The aim of the prize is to engage and grow a new generation of readers by recognising and championing the best children’s fiction from writers around the world.
The UK’s Children’s Laureate Frank Cottrell-Boyce will be the inaugural chair of judges for 2027. The winner will be selected by a combined panel of child and adult judges. At least 30,000 copies of the shortlisted and winning books will be gifted to ensure more children can own and read the world’s best fiction.
Former Booker Prize and Carnegie Medal-winning author Penelope Lively will give the keynote speech at the Booker Prize 2025 ceremony to celebrate the new prize. Welcoming the announcement, she said: “Those who write for children especially need this – and it is needed equally for the children who read the books.”
Gaby Wood, chief executive of the Booker Prize Foundation, said: “The Children’s Booker Prize is the most ambitious endeavour we’ve embarked on in 20 years – and we hope its impact will resonate for decades to come. It aims to be several things at once: an award that will champion future classics written for children; a social intervention designed to inspire more young people to read; and a seed from which we hope future generations of lifelong readers will grow.
“In other words, the Children’s Booker Prize is not just a prize – it’s part of a movement: a cause that children, parents, carers, teachers and everyone in the world of storytelling can get behind. We have been laying the groundwork for this prize for the past three years, and in that time we have been buoyed by many fruitful conversations with prospective partners: we could not do this alone. And we absolutely could not have launched it without the generosity of its founding partner and principal funder, AKO Foundation, to whom we are enormously grateful.
“We’re delighted that Frank Cottrell-Boyce, master storyteller and passionate advocate, will be the inaugural Chair of the judges. And we can’t wait to hear the views of the ultimate judges of the quality of children’s fiction: children themselves.”
Cottrell-Boyce, Waterstones Children’s Laureate 2024-2026 and chair of judges for the Children’s Booker Prize 2027, said: “Stories belong to everyone. Every child deserves the chance to experience the happiness that diving into a great book can bring. The Children’s Booker Prize will make it easier for children to find the best that current fiction can offer. To find the book that speaks to them. By inviting them to the judging table and by gifting copies of the nominated books it will bring thousands more children into the wonderful world of reading.
“I am absolutely buzzing about the news that I’m going to be chairing the judging panel. It’s going to be – as they say – absolute scenes in there. Let the yelling commence.”
The inaugural prize will open for submissions from publishers in spring 2026, when the remaining two adult judges will be made public. The shortlist of eight books – and the three child judges – will be announced in late November 2026, with the winner revealed at a high-profile event for young readers in February 2027. The eligibility period for the 2027 prize is November 1st, 2025 to October 31st, 2026.
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Now in its fourth year, Circling The Square, the poetry and music festival established to honour the enduring legacy of Thurles-born poet Dennis O’Driscoll, will once again take place at The Source Arts Centre in Thurles, Co Tipperary, from October 31st to November 2nd. Named after his autobiographical essay Circling The Square: A Thurles Prospect” – an excerpt from which will be read during the festival – the event reflects the late poet’s advocacy for outstanding poetry.
This year, the festival will remember Dennis’s friendship with Seamus Heaney (which led to the invaluable book Stepping Stones) through a discussion featuring Rosie Lavan and Bernard O’Donoghue, the editors of the newly published, definitive collection of Seamus Heaney’s poetry, The Poems of Seamus Heaney. The conversation, titled “Digging: The Poetry of Seamus Heaney, will be hosted by Dennis’s brother, Declan.
Fourteen poets, from Ireland and beyond, will read at The Source for this year’s Circling The Square, including Polina Cosgrave, Séan Lysaght, Moya Cannon, Joseph Bathanti, Mary O’Donnell, Amy Abdullah Barry, Michael Dooley, Charlotte Buckley, Laoighseach Ní Choistealbha, Eleanor Hooker, Mark Roper, Jane Clarke, Bernard O’Donoghue and Grace Wilentz.
While Circling The Square is primarily a celebration of poetry, there will also be a beguiling mixture of musical styles threaded through the readings. This year the festival will welcome uillean piper Brendan Collins, mezzo soprano Gina Oberoi; Hidden Highways (the duo of Tim V Smyth and Ann McGowan); jazz guitarist Hugh Buckley with Leslie Dowdall (of In Tua Nua); Emma Roche and Richard Angell of the Irish Chamber Orchestra, along with several others.
Further information about Circling The Square and details of booking can be seen here. Tickets can also be booked at The Source box office.
Listowel Writers’ Week has announced the appointment of Máire Logue as Literary Curator for its landmark 55th anniversary festival, taking place in May 2026.
Listowel Writers’ Week has been at the heart of the nation’s cultural life since the first festival in 1971, bringing together readers, writers, and thinkers in the historic North Kerry town long associated with literary greats such as John B. Keane, Bryan MacMahon, and Maurice Walsh.
Logue, a Listowel native and long-time contributor to the festival, said she was “honoured for the opportunity to curate such an important year for a festival that means so much to this town and to Ireland’s literary community.”
“Listowel Writers’ Week has always been about connection between words and people, between generations and ideas,” Logue said. “For 2026, we will celebrate that spirit while also looking forward, championing new voices, exploring how literature shapes our lives, and ensuring Listowel continues to be a welcoming home for creativity and conversation from across the world.”
Chairman Ned O’Sullivan said: “Máire’s deep community roots and artistic vision make her the ideal person to guide the festival into its next chapter. Our 55th anniversary is both a celebration of heritage and a statement of renewal, and under Máire’s curatorship, Listowel Writers’ Week will continue to thrive on the national and international stage of literature festivals.”
Listowel Writers’ Week 2026 will take place from May 27th – 31st.
Irish writer GM Forrest has won the £5,000 Bridport Prize Peggy Chapman-Andrews First Novel Award for her book, The Checkout Girl.
Established in 1973 by Arts Centre founder Peggy Chapman-Andrews, the Bridport Prize is a prestigious literary award recognising exceptional writing across multiple categories, including poetry, short stories, flash fiction, novels, and memoirs. It offers opportunities for aspiring writers to showcase their creativity and gain recognition in the literary world. Past winners include Kate Atkinson, Gail Honeyman and Kit de Waal. Judges have included Roger McGough, Monica Ali and Zoe Heller.
Forrest, who lives in Dublin with her husband and two children, was also shortlisted for The 2025 Cheshire Novel Award. Since winning the prize, she has signed with agent Marianne Gunn O’Connor.
The Checkout Girl is a mystery thriller with notes of domestic noir, tells the story of a young woman who develops an obsession with her beautiful, wealthy customer only to gain access to her life and discover that all is not all is as perfect as it seems ...
Judge Claire Fuller said of the winning entry: “This is a writer who knows exactly what they’re doing, which meant that from the very first paragraph I knew I was in safe hands. The Checkout Girl fits into a genre of messy girls coming out good (or bad) and this is a first-class example, which drew me in with assurance and skill. The story is charming but sinister, the writing is full of observant details without being overwritten, and a reread reveals all sorts of clues missed the first time around. And as the synopsis suggests this novel goes wonderfully dark, with a surprising twist at the end.”
Bestselling Irish author Cecelia Ahern is investigating the possibilities of children’s fiction after signing a three-book deal with HarperCollins Children’s Books for her new Detective Thingy Majiggy series.
Aimed at readers aged six and over, the series promises a warm, funny, and magical world brimming with originality, with the first title out next July and subsequent titles scheduled for release in 2027 and 2028. They will be illustrated throughout in black and white by Katie Saunders.
Detective Thingy Majiggy follows 10-year-old Mia, who has just moved into her new foster home with Detective Lucy. Mia harbours a unique secret: she has the extraordinary ability to communicate with inanimate objects. From hats to toasters and pens, Mia can understand them all. With the help of these everyday objects, Mia can solve mysteries, such as uncovering exactly how a fire started her new classroom.
Ahern said: “Detective Thingy Majiggy is a fun, emotional, magical story and I hope my new readers will welcome Mia Berry into their hearts.”
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Dr Christina McDonnell, a GP in Ennis, Co Clare, is opening a new children’s bookshop (one of only three children’s bookshops in the country) in the town this evening, Friday October 24th, from 5pm to 8pm, and it will be open to the public seven days a week from tomorrow.
Dr McDonnell already runs an online children’s bookstore, Genius Juniors, which raises funds for Irish children’s hospitals.
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On Saturday, November 29th, Kennys Bookshop will be open 85 years to the day and is hosting a gathering for friends and family in the bookshop that night in the shop in Liosbán, Tuam Road, Galway, to celebrate the landmark.
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Festival director Rosalind Mulholland has announced that the third Ballyscullion Park Book Festival will take place on May 16th and 17th, 2026 in Ballyscullion House in the heart of Seamus Heaney country, near Bellaghy, Co Derry. The Festival’s mission is to showcase and celebrate books, poetry, music and the arts with a particular focus on speakers and artists from throughout the island of Ireland, as well as from the across Britain and the wider world.
The festival will once again bring together some of the most compelling voices in literature, music, and the arts, alongside stimulating discussions on the issues that shape our world. In association with the Mitchell Institute at Queen’s University, we’re creating a programme that blends culture, conversation, and creativity.
Speakers will include Lionel Shriver, winner of the Orange Prize for Fiction for We Need to Talk about Kevin; Carlo Gébler; Martina Devlin; James Murphy; Kathy Clugston; Martin Doyle; Lyndsy Spence; Charlotte Blease; and Emma Heatherington.
Festival attendees choose from talks, readings and panel discussions over the two days of the Festival. Between sessions they can rub shoulders with their favourite writers in a relaxed and informal setting and enjoy live music, local food stalls, artisan market and an art exhibition.
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The RTÉ Short Story Competition Final Event – Live on RTÉ Radio 1’s Arena from the Pavilion Theatre in Dún Laoghaire – takes place this evening, Friday, October 24th, at 7pm.
The 10 finalist stories have been read by an ensemble of Irish actors on RTÉ Radio 1’s Late Date since October 13th.Rick O’Shea will host the event following the sad passing of Séan Rocks who was associated so closely with this competition.
The shortlisted authors are Angela Finn, Ian Feighery, Niall Ó Siadhail, Sinèad Troy, Sage Omar, Kevin McDermott, Mary O’Rourke, Jill Kenny, Lynda McCarthy and Peter McCauley.
The judges are Neil Hegarty, Jan Carson and Tristan Rosenstock.
The winning writer will receive €5,000, while the second and third placed writers will receive €4,000 and €3,000 respectively. All seven runners-up will receive €300 each.
Set up in 1986 to honour writer and broadcaster Francis MacManus, the RTÉ Short Story Competition has been a critically important launch pad for new and emerging writers in Ireland. Past winners and shortlisted writers include Claire Keegan, Molly McCloskey, Danielle McLaughlin, Anthony Glavin, Chris Binchy, Nuala O’Connor, Liz Nugent, Colin Walsh, Stephen Walsh, Austin Duffy and Sarah Gilmartin.
The RTÉ Short Story Competition is free to enter, and open to any writer over 18 living on the island of Ireland or living abroad who holds an Irish passport. For more on the RTÉ Short Story Competition, see rte.ie/writing.
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Slamovision, the international slam poetry competition for Unesco cities of literature, takes place on Thursday, November 6th, from 7pm to 9pm at Windmill Town Hall, Windmill Lane, Dublin.
It will be the biggest slam poetry competition yet featuring 17 poets from Melbourne to Reykjavik. While many poets will be performing online, Dublin will welcome poets from Bremen, Manchester, Reykjavik, Odesa, Vilnius, Exeter and Nottingham, performing live to an audience of loyal slam poet enthusiasts during this year’s Dublin Book Festival.
Rousing the audience and hosting this celebration of world slam poetry are Rising Tide, a trio of slam poetry curators who have been central to the local Dublin slam scene for many years.
Last year’s winner, Dubliner and bilingual poet, Cormac Mac Gearailt will lead the event and slam champion, Cat Brogan, will represent Dublin with her poem The House Martins.
Anne-Marie Kelly, of Dublin Unesco City of Literature said: “Dubliners are natural poets in their daily use of language, finding the most colourful way to communicate. A new collection of poetry is regularly launched at city bookstores each week while poetry enthusiasts anticipate the opening of Poetry Ireland’s renovated centre on Parnell Square.
“Our slam poetry scene is thriving across the city. We are thrilled to host this year’s Slamovision and hope you can tune in for an unforgettable evening.”
To join via live-stream please visit this link.
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The Diceplayers are hosting a one-day writing workshop on November 22nd, focused on the craft of writing and finding your niche as a writer.
The workshop features Kevin Curran, followed by a conversation with Paul Howard and Christine Dwyer Hickey. Attendees will gain expert insights and have the opportunity to ask questions.
Full-day attendance, including lunch and talks, is €130, or €20 for the talks only. The day will conclude with a book signing by the authors.
For bookings, please contact diceplayers@gmail.com or call 085 2550344.
