News 2022 DUBLIN Literary Award Longlist Announced

Four novels from Ireland are among the 79 books nominated by libraries around the world for the 2022 DUBLIN Literary Award, which is sponsored by Dublin City Council. Now in its 27th year, this award is the world’s most valuable annual prize for a single work of fiction published in English, worth €100,000 to the winner.

Nominations include 30 novels in translation, spanning 19 languages, with works nominated by 94 libraries from 40 countries across Africa, Europe, Asia, the US & Canada, South America and Australia & New Zealand. 16 are debut novels. If the winning book has been translated, the author receives €75,000 and the translator receives €25,000.

The Irish titles nominated for the 2022 Award are:

• Here is the Beehive by Sarah Crossan, published by Bloomsbury Circus and nominated by Tartu Public Library, Estonia
• The Art of Falling by Danielle McLaughlin, published by John Murray and nominated by Cork City Libraries, Ireland
• Acts of Desperation by Megan Nolan, published by Jonathan Cape and nominated by Waterford City and County Libraries, Ireland and Chicago Public Library, USA
• Strange Flowers by Donal Ryan, published by Doubleday and nominated by Limerick Libraries, Ireland

The shortlist will be unveiled on 22nd March and the winner will be announced by Lord Mayor of Dublin, Alison Gilliland, on 19th May 2022, as part of the opening day of International Literature Festival Dublin, which is also funded by Dublin City Council.

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

Speaking at the launch of the longlist, Patron of the Award, Lord Mayor of Dublin Alison Gilliland, commended the Award for its promotion of excellence in world literature and the opportunity it provides to promote Irish writing internationally:

‘Our city with its rich literary heritage and thriving contemporary scene has created a bridge between world cultures through the Dublin Literary Award.  As someone who enjoys a great book, I can’t wait to be tempted by the longlist which will eventually, no doubt reveal a hidden diamond.’

The international panel of judges who will select the shortlist and winner, features Dubliner Sinéad Moriarty, a writer and books ambassador for Eason’s Must Reads book club; Alvin Pang, from Singapore, is a poet, writer, editor, anthologist, translator and researcher; Cork-born, Clíona Ní Ríordáin lives in Paris and is a Professor of English at Université de la Sorbonne Nouvelle; Professor Emmanuel Dandaura is a creative writer, literary critic, festival curator, scholar, and multiple award winning playwright based in Abuja, Nigeria and Victoria White, a graduate with an MLitt in English Literature of Trinity College Dublin, who has worked as a writer and journalist with the Irish Times and the Irish Examiner.

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