McGrath scores with biography at book awards

PAUL McGrath, John Boyne, Patrick McCabe and Paul Howard, aka Ross O’Carroll Kelly, were among the winners at the prestigious Irish Book Awards 2007 announced at a glittering ceremony in Trinity College last night.

Ten winners in nine categories were announced at the black-tie gala event in the college’s Banqueting Hall, which was attended by a variety of well-known personalities, including popular fiction writer Cecelia Ahern, Fair City actress and youngest person to have a number one bestseller Ruth Gilligan, columnist David McWilliams and broadcaster Ryan Tubridy.

The overall winners in seven of the nine categories were chosen through a voting process by the newly established Irish Literary Academy; which consisted of a panel of approximately 60 individuals including literature enthusiasts, publishing executives, retailers, literary journalists and previously shortlisted authors.

The winners of The Tubridy Show Listeners’ Choice Award and the Galaxy Irish Popular Fiction Book of the Year were decided by a public vote.

The Bob Hughes Lifetime Achievement Award was posthumously awarded to John McGahern for his distinguished contribution to Irish literature.

The Irish Book Awards 2007 were open to all Irish authors who had a book published over the past 12 months. The event now incorporates the entire book trade in Ireland, making it the first industry-wide event of its kind in the history of the Irish book sector. So far, the Irish Book Awards have received a fantastic reception from both the public and the literary community as a whole, according to executive director Alastair Giles.

“The Irish Book Awards serve to honour the writing of Irish authors and to highlight the depth and experience of their work. The public vote categories received a superb response with thousands of votes received via ballot boxes, online voting and a dedicated phone line. We very much look forward to using the fantastic success of this year’s event as a springboard to make the Irish Book Awards even bigger and better next year,” he said.

Derek Hughes, founder of the Irish Book Awards and executive chairman of Hughes & Hughes said the event was a very special one for the Irish book industry, and one which should be grasped by the industry as a whole.

A special award for distinguished contribution to Irish children’s book illustration went to PJ Lynch, while The Bob Hughes Lifetime Achievement Award was posthumously awarded to John McGahern for his distinguished contribution to Irish literature.