Limerick-born author Kevin Barry, whose novel City of Bohane scooped the world’s most valuable literary prize, said the importance of the Impac award was that it kept books at the centre of life in Ireland.

An Irish novel is among the 10 shortlisted for the international IMPAC Dublin Literary Award.

An Irish author has been shortlisted for the world’s richest literary prize.

DUBLIN’S €100,000 International IMPAC is the largest literary award for a single work of fiction in the English language.