Seven Irish books nominated by libraries around the world for €100k award

Works by a number of Irish writers have been longlisted for the world’s most valuable annual literary prize for a single work of fiction published in English.

Organised by Dublin City Council, the 2017 Award was launched today by Lord Mayor, Brendan Carr, Patron of the Award, who praised the International DUBLIN Literary Award for its promotion of excellence in world literature as well as for the opportunity to promote Irish writing internationally.

"Like every year", he said, "readers will find new books and new authors through the Award, and they can pit themselves against the international panel of judges and pick their own favourite novel, before I announce the winner on 21st June next year."

Longlist announced for @DublinLitAward today #dublitaward. 7 Irish Authors - 3 here @oneilllo @tramp press (Sara baume) @nualanic pic.twitter.com/tjLO7I1jao

— Dublin City Council (@DubCityCouncil) November 21, 2016

Nominations include 43 novels in translation with works by 43 American, 23 British, 14 Canadian, 10 Australian, 5 New Zealander and 4 Dutch authors.

The Irish titles nominated for 2017 are: The Blue Guitar by John Banville; Beatlebone by Kevin Barry; Spill Simmer Falter Wither by Sara Baume; The Green Road by Anne Enright; The Little Red Chairs by Edna O’Brien; Miss Emily by Nuala O’Connor; and Asking For It by Irish Examiner columnist Louise O’Neill.

Other novels nominated for the 2017 Award include The Sellout by Paul Beatty, winner of the 2016 Man Booker Prize; A God in Ruins by Kate Atkinson, winner of the 2015 Costa Prize; The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen, winner of the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, Hope Farm by Peggy Frew, Salt Creek by Lucy Treleor and The Natural Way of Things by Charlotte Wood, finalists for the 2016 Miles Franklin Award.

The book that received most nominations this year is Kate Atkinson’s   A God in Ruins, chosen by 9 libraries in Australia, Canada, England, Greece, New Zealand, Norway, Scotland and Spain.

Congrats to all Irish authors nominated for 2017 @DublinLitAward - 3 of them are here today Sara Baume @oneilllo & @NualaNiC pic.twitter.com/gYSOQ4saNu

— Dublin UNESCO (@DublinCityofLit) November 21, 2016

Margaret Hayes, Dublin City Librarian, announced that the 147 books eligible for the 2017 award were nominated by libraries in 109 cities and 40 countries worldwide. Of the books, 43 are titles in translation, spanning 19 languages and 30 are first novels.

"This great prize demonstrates Dublin’s international support for contemporary writers and gives tangible expression to Dublin as A City of Words, an active member of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, a UNESCO City of Literature," Hayes said.

"It also brings readers together in an unparalleled international book club connected through their local public libraries."

The full list of 146 titles is available on www.dublinliteraryaward.ie.  The shortlist will be published on April 11 2017 and the Lord Mayor will announce the winner on June 21.