The lrish literati were out in full force this morning for the announcement of the 2014 Bord Gáis Energy Irish Book Awards shortlist. With 60 books shortlisted in 12 categories, a host of well-known faces attended the event at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre.
Winner of last year's Book of the Year award, Michael Harding is shortlisted again this year in the non-fiction category for his recently published memoir Hanging with the Elephant. Although delighted to be nominated, Harding said he was most excited on hearing that the poet Paul Durcan would be given the Lifetime Achievement Award: "That's made me happiest, and the fact that they're commemorating Dermot Healy. That's where the emotion comes into it for me." After selling out his event at the Peacock Theatre last week to mark the publication of the memoir, Harding could be set for another award.
Being shortlisted for an award on the morning of her book launch had Mary Costello conceding that this was "a big day". The Galway author's debut novel Academy Street is shortlisted for the Eason Novel of the Year award, along with books by Colm Toibín, John Kelly, John Boyne, David Mitchell and Joseph O'Connor. "I'm thrilled to be among such respected authors," Costello said.
The only woman to be nominated in this category, Costello didn’t think it reflected a gender bias, rather “the year that’s in it in terms of what’s been published.”
Bert Wright, administrator for the awards, agreed: "We're always conscious about such things but it comes down to what's been published. There were more male authors under consideration this year. Audrey Magee's The Undertaking was a contender, but it also qualified for the Newcomer award and was shortlisted as part of that."
At the other end of the scale was this year’s shortlist for the Ireland AM Crime Fiction Award, which sees Northern Irish author Stuart Neville set beside five female authors: Tana French, Louise Phillips, Sinéad Crowley, Liz Nugent and Jane Casey.
Phillips, who won the award last year for her novel The Doll's House, said it showed how the traditional view of crime fiction as a male-dominated genre had changed. "There was a time when having a female name attached to a crime book wasn't good, but that's gone; 70% of readers are women so it's no surprise that female voices are finding their place. Crime isn't about blood and guts. It's a great backdrop to reflect life. The genre has gone beyond gender biases."
Sinéad Crowley, nominated for her debut novel Can Anybody Help Me?, noted the rise of "domestic noir", books that are interested in the psychology and relationships behind the crime. "The personal lives of the characters have become much more important," she said. "The idea that the danger comes from within or from those around you." Crowley is currently working on a sequel.
Another category dominated by female writers was the Popular Fiction Book of the Year. Sinéad Moriarty, shortlisted for her book The Secrets Sisters Keep, had just finished the first draft of her new book. "It still needs a lot of work," she said. "But there's a great sense of relief getting to the end of a first draft. It's a love story with a twist. The husband character is a doctor working in Africa who disappears and is presumed dead."
Standing beside his fellow nominee Louise O'Neill, debut novelist Rob Doyle said he might "consider an assassination attempt" before the morning was over. Doyle is working on his second book This is the Ritual, a collection of short fictions to be published by Bloomsbury in 2016. O'Neill is nominated for her young adult novel Only Ever Yours. Acknowledging the strength of this year's shortlist, she said she had hoped for a nomination in the young adult category but was thrilled to be included in the newcomer award.
Kevin Dundon and Lynda Booth were celebrating their nominations in the Avonmore Cookbook of the Year. Dundon said Back to Basics was "the hardest but best book I've ever put together. It's a progression of recipes for the reader. They can learn how to crack an egg, right up to making a soufflé." Booth, who self-published From Lynda's Table, was involved in every step of the book's publication, from writing to food styling for photographs. "It's a documentation of my food travels and how they've influenced me," she said. "The book is as much about the stories behind the food as the recipes themselves."
Nominated in three separate categories, Tramp Press has had a great first year in business. "We're delighted at the way the Irish publishing industry has embraced us," said Lisa Coen, co-founder of Tramp. "We're particularly pleased for Oona Frawley as she struggled to find a publisher for her debut novel Flight and we really believed it was a great piece of writing. It's gratifying to see our belief bolstered by a major awards ceremony like this."
