Prestigious prize rewards authors writing as Gaeilge

EIGHT Irish-language books have been shortlisted for a national literary prize.

The Oireachtas na Gaeilge Irish Language Book of the Year awards feature five adult and three children’s titles. The prestigious competition plays a key role in encouraging publishers and writers to produce Irish-language books. About 200 new titles are printed in Irish every year, with annual sales worth about €1.3 million.

The shortlisted works feature a collection of short stories and poetry, theadventures of three teenagers, a bilingual phrasebook for parents and a novel about an 18th century manuscript.