Winner of Kerry Group Irish novel of year announced in Listowel
Aingeala Flannery is the winner of the Kerry Group Irish Novel of the Year Award, with a prize of €20,000. Picture: Domnick Walsh
Aingeala Flannery’s first novel, The Amusements, has been named as the winner of the Kerry Group Irish novel of the year.
The winner of the prestigious award and €20,000 prize was announced at an awards ceremony that marked the opening of the 2023 Listowel Writers’ Week, which is the country’s oldest literary festival.
Over 50 novels were originally submitted for the much sought after award with just five making it onto the shortlist including The Colony by Audrey Magee and The Geometer Lobachevsky by Adrian Duncan, as well as Trespasses by Louise Kennedy and The Witches of Vardo by Anya Bergman.
From an erotically charged take on the Troubles to an invigoratingly feminist one on witch-hunts, the shortlist had it all but it was Flannery’s debut that took home the prize.
Published by Sandycove, Penguin Random House, The Amusements is the Waterford-born author's first novel and was partly inspired by summers spent in Tramore. Judges Patrick Gale and Manveen Rana described Flannery’s work as “painfully funny” and “arrestingly original in its layered portrayal of a community at once tight and divided”.
Catherine Keogh, chief corporate affairs and brand officer of Kerry Group presented the award to Flannery. Commenting on her win, Keogh said: “We wish to extend our congratulations to Aingeala and all the authors shortlisted for this prestigious award. This year’s shortlist was exceptional and we at Kerry are proud to work with Listowel Writers’ Week to celebrate this extraordinary talent.”
Meanwhile, the Pigott Poetry Prize was awarded to Tom French for his book, Company which is published by Gallery Books. The John B. Keane Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Stephen Rea.
Taking place now until June 4, Listowel Writers’ Week bring writers, artists and poets together. This year, Pulitzer Prize-winners Richard Ford and Paul Muldoon will feature prominently.
Richard Ford will be in conversation with Sean Carlson on the afternoon of Sunday June 3, while Paul Muldoon will be in conversation with Paul Brady who recently published his autobiography, Crazy Dreams.
- For more, see writersweek.ie
