Five Irish writers shortlisted for Kerry Group Irish Novel of the Year Award worth €20k

Kerry Group Irish Novel of the Year Award 2023 shortlist has been announced with the winner to be named in May

The shortlist for the much sought-after Kerry Group Irish Novel of the Year Award has been revealed, with five Irish authors in with the chance of claiming the prestigious prize.

With over 50 novels originally submitted for the awards, just a handful of Irish novels have made their way onto the shortlist. The Colony by Audrey Magee and The Geometer Lobachevsky by Adrian Duncan are among those shortlisted as well as Trespasses by Louise Kennedy, The Amusements by Aingeala Flannery and The Witches of Vardo by Anya Bergman.

The novels span a variety of different genres and include various portrayals of Ireland and Irish life.

Adjudicators Manveen Rana and Patrick Gale were tasked with whittling the submissions down to a shortlist of five novels on behalf of Listowel Writers' Week.

“From an overflowing laundry basket of goodies we hope we’ve settled on a shortlist that represents the vitality and variety of this year’s submissions," said Patrick Gale of the shortlisted novels.

From an erotically charged take on the Troubles to an invigoratingly feminist one on witch-hunts, the shortlist has it all.

“Here, too, are two brilliant portrayals of Ireland through the eyes of rank outsiders and a third which anatomises the conflicts of small-town Irish life with an insider’s merciless eye for detail," Gale added.

The overall winner of the €20,000 prize is set to be announced on Wednesday, May 31.

Catherine Keogh, Chief Corporate Affairs and Brand Officer, Kerry Group, congratulated the five authors.

"At Kerry Group, we are proud to continue our long association with Listowel Writers Week, a celebration of the written word that inspires creativity, ignites imagination and fosters a sense of community,” she said. “We believe that great stories can change the world and we are honoured to play a part in bringing those stories to life.” 

Established in 1995, the Kerry Group Irish Novel of the Year Awards is an annual event for Irish fiction authors. Last year, Claire Keegan won the award for her novel, Small Things Like These.