Longlist for the 2025 Dublin Literary Award is Revealed

Celebrating 30 years of excellence in world literature, The Dublin Literary Award is the world’s most valuable annual prize for a single work of fiction published in English, worth €100,000 to the winner.  

Tuesday 14th January 2025: This year’s longlist of 71 books nominated by libraries in 34 countries includes 7 novels by Irish authors in the running for the Dublin Literary Award prize sponsored by Dublin City Council.

The longlist has the best in fiction choices from Africa, Europe, Asia, the US, Canada, South America, Australia, and New Zealand, reflecting diversity of language and form and contains 16 debut novels.  If the winning book has been translated, the author receives €75,000 and the translator receives €25,000. 

26 books are translated into English and include translations from Korean, Farsi, Icelandic and Slovenian.

Titles by Irish authors for the 2025 Award are:

• Wild Houses by Colin Barrett, published by Jonathan Cape, and nominated by Limerick City and County Libraries
• Water by John Boyne, published by Doubleday, and nominated by Waterford City and Council Libraries
• Hagstone by Sinéad Gleeson, published by 4th Estate, and nominated by Galway Public Libraries
• Prophet Song by Paul Lynch, published by Oneworld Publications, and nominated by Jamaica Library Service
• Seaborne by Nuala O’Connor, published by New Island Books, and nominated by Openbare Bibliotheek Brugge (Bruges Public Library)
• Christ on a Bike by Orla Owen, published by Bluemoose Books, and nominated by Norfolk Library and Information Service
• Long Island by Colm Tóibín, published by Scribner, and nominated by Bibliotheca Alexandrina and Libraries NI (Northern Ireland)

The shortlist will be announced on 25th March 2025 and the winner will be announced by the Lord Mayor of Dublin Emma Blain on 22nd May 2025, as part of the International Literature Festival Dublin, which is also funded by Dublin City Council. 

The nominated novels will be available for readers to borrow from Dublin City Libraries and from public libraries around Ireland, and some can be borrowed as eBooks and eAudiobooks on the free Borrowbox app, available to all public library users.

Download the 2025 longlisted titles here

Download a collage image of the 2025 longlisted titles here

Download the Dublin Literary Award 2025 Longlist Brochure here

Speaking at the launch of the longlist, Patron of the Award, the Lord Mayor of Dublin Emma Blain said 

“For over 30 years The Dublin Literary Award has connected readers through the best of fiction from around the world. I am delighted to see that this year’s longlist continues to reflect the breadth of imagination we associate with the award showcasing cultures, traditions and unique perspectives.”

The international panel of Judges features Gerbrand Bakker, Dutch author and winner of the Dublin Literary Award in 2010; Martina Devlin, award winning Irish author and newspaper columnist; Fiona Sze-Lorrain, writer, poet, translator, musician and editor based in Paris; Leonard Cassuto, professor of American literature at Fordham University, freelance literary journalist, columnist, editor and author; and Nidhi Zak/Aria Eipe, poet, pacifist and editor based in Dublin. 

The non-voting Chairperson is Professor Chris Morash, the Seamus Heaney Professor of Irish Writing at Trinity College Dublin.

“A special commitment is required to judge the Dublin Literary Award with its eclectic range of books nominated from libraries across the world. I commend the dedication and expertise of this year’s judging panel with a special thanks to the chair, Professor Chris Morash”, commented Dublin City Librarian, Mairead Owens.

News 14012025. No Repro Fee.
Pictured from left are, Chairperson of the judging panel, Professor Chris Morash, Lord Mayor of Dublin Emma Blain, Dublin City Libraries Chief Librarian, Mairead Owens and Dublin City Council Chief Executive, Richard Shakespeare, with the 71 titles announced today as the longlist for Dublin Literary Award 2025, the world’s most valuable annual prize for a single work of fiction published in English, worth 100,000 euro to the winner. Sponsored by Dublin City Council, this year’s longlist was nominated by libraries in 34 countries and includes 7 novels by Irish authors as well as titles from Africa, Europe, Asia, the US, Canada, South America, Australia, and New Zealand. The winning title will be announced in May at the 30th anniversary ceremony. Dublinliteraryaward.ie
Photo Chris Bellew / Fennell Photography.