From Colum McCann and Hilary Mantel to Nick Hornby and Rachael English, there are plenty interesting reads on the way over the next few months, writes Marjorie Brennan.

It’s a full decade since Hilary Mantel won her first Booker prize with Wolf Hall. In that epic Mantel took 650 pages to, through Thomas Cromwell, describe the tortuous efforts of England’s King Henry VIII to rid himself of his first wife Katherine of Aragon.

Anna Burns has become the first Northern Irish winner of the Man Booker Prize for her experimental tale of sexual coercion, Milkman.

Marian Keyes, Eimear McBride, and Edna O’Brien join JK Rowling and Harper Lee on a list of the 100 essential books by female writers from the past 100 years, according to a new poll.

Novelist Sebastian Barry has won the prestigious Walter Scott literary prize for a second time.

Hannah Stephenson grills industry experts about the hotly-tipped new titles for 2017.

Kya deLongchamps takes a wincing look at the most peculiar protuberance of male attire which thankfully wilted in the age of Shakespeare’s ‘A Mid-Summer Night’s Dream’.

FLETCHER, a historian specialising in the Renaissance and whose work has been praised by Hilary Mantel, here excavates the intriguing figure of Florence’s first Medici Duke, born a bastard and possibly of mixed race origin.

Hollywood actors Benedict Cumberbatch, Patrick Stewart, Bill Nighy, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Keira Knightley and Kristin Scott Thomas are among leading figures from the arts world backing a vote to remain in the EU.

We have an awful lot of little princesses in this country, and they should hold their tiaras high, because there are many who would prefer to see a world full of scaredy-cat women, writes Clodagh Finn

Limerick-born author Kevin Barry will read at Cork City Library on Tuesday, April 19, as part of Cork World Book Fest. He will read his ‘Cork’ story from Winter Pages, the first volume of the arts anthology he put together with Olivia Smith.

The daughter of a journalist, brought up in a house full of books, Fiona always loved writing.

Rose Martin suggests a return ticket stocking-filler to see one of the glories of the Tudor Age and a house of two sides, Hampton Court Palace.

Madeleine D’Arcy’s first short story won an award. Her first collection may too says Colette Sheridan.

As a child, Carole wrote long diary entries and letters to anyone who would reply, and as a teenager she wrote short stories. Some were published, and others shortlisted in competitions. 

The TV-adaptation of Mantel’s novels excelled, but steadily lost viewing figures,, writes Richard Fitzpatrick.

Check out our guide to what to watch on TV tonight.

What should you watch tonight?

Madeline’s life is torn apart on her 14th birthday. Having moved to an island with her overbearing, God-fearing father and submissive mother, Madeline spends her days searching for God and playing with her dog. 

Forget about The Tudors. A new series captures what it was really like in the era of Henry VIII, writes

Hilary Mantel

READING a Sunday paper last weekend I discover I belong to a demographic known as Endies – Employed No Disposable Income or Savings.

Alan began to write in his late teens, starting with poetry, songs and short stories, He worked as an architect, in Dublin, then Edinburgh, returning to Ireland in 2009, when he became ill.

A novel by Irish author Colm Toibin has made the final Man Booker Prize shortlist.

She transformed herself effortlessly from ordinary Kate Middleton into a future queen — but for Britain’s most famous new mother, the work has just begun.

Home, 8pm. My husband and I are sitting in the conservatory.

Miranda Richardson has taken a swipe at Britain’s “hideous” approach to success as the actress turned literary judge announced that Hilary Mantel has been shortlisted for another major book prize.

Novelist Hilary Mantel could become the first person to win all three major book prizes after Bring Up The Bodies was nominated for the Women’s Prize For Fiction.

As the debate raged on, Kate Midleton took it all in her stride.

Kate Middleton, aka Britain's Duchess of Cambridge, confessed today that she is nervous about giving birth as she came under scathing attack from novelist Hilary Mantel.

Award-winning novelist Hilary Mantel has attacked the Duchess of Cambridge as a “shop-window mannequin” with no personality, whose only purpose is to breed.

EL James's bestselling sensation 'Fifty Shades Of Grey' has been named one of the books of the year at a literary awards ceremony.

HarperCollins owner News Corporation is reportedly readying a £1bn (€1.24bn) offer for Penguin in an attempt to scupper plans for a new publishing giant.

Hilary Mantel said she was left “weak at the knees” after becoming the first British writer to win the Man Booker Prize for Fiction twice after her novel Bring up the Bodies was named the best book of the year.

Hilary Mantel is no stranger to the Man Booker Prize.

An author who was turned down by traditional publishers has been pitted against previous winner Hilary Mantel for this year’s Man Booker Prize.

Hilary Mantel’s Booker Prize-winning novel ‘Wolf Hall’ is being adapted for BBC Two.

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The novelist’s life changed when she won the Man Booker prize.

Four Irish novels have been nominated for the world’s richest literary prize, it was revealed today.

FOUR Irish novels have been nominated for the 2011 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award.

Australian novelist Peter Carey could become the first author to win the Man Booker Prize three times after it was announced he was on this year’s shortlist.