'A powerful advocate for Irish women': Vicky Phelan memoir voted Irish Book of the Year

Vicky Phelan’s memoir about her remarkable personal story has been voted the ‘An Post Irish Book of the Year’ for 2019.

‘Overcoming’, written by the patient rights advocate and campaigner together with Naomi Linehan, won the accolade following a a public vote.

Previous winners of the esteemed award include ‘Notes to Self’ by Emilie Pine, ‘The Spinning Heart’ by Donal Ryan and ‘Asking For It’ by Louise O’Neill.

“I could not have done this without my wonderful ghostwriter, Naomi Linehan, who brought life to my story on the page in a way that I did not think was possible,” Ms Phelan said.

“To my publisher, Hachette, thank you for taking a chance on me and to all the booksellers, thank you for championing my book.

"Finally, a huge thank you to the public, for whom I wrote this book, who supported and voted for me.”

Chairwoman of the An Post Irish Book Awards, Maria Dickenson, said: “The entire book trade rose to its feet for a lengthy and moving standing ovation when Overcoming won the RTÉ Listener’s Choice award at the An Post Irish Book Awards.”

“Vicky is an absolute inspiration and a powerful advocate for Irish women, and along with Naomi Linehan she has written a book that perfectly expresses her strength, her warmth and her legacy. A thoroughly deserving Book of the Year.”

Published by Hachette Books Ireland, ‘Overcoming’ tells the story of one of the biggest medical and political scandals of our times — Vicky and 220 other women who were diagnosed with cervical cancer were not informed with the crucial information that a clinical audit had revised their earlier, negative smear tests in which their cancers could possibly have been preventable.