Author Hugo Hamilton was today inducted into the Hennessy Literary Awards Hall of Fame.
The Dublin born best-selling writer was honoured at a ceremony at the Four Seasons Hotel today.
Newcomer David Mohan was also bestowed with the prestigious 2008 Hennessy X.O New Irish Writer Award for his poem, Runaway; The Prodigy.
Now in its 38th year, the unique event gives undiscovered writers and poets the opportunity to break through the barriers to see their work published.
Previous recipients include Man Booker prize winner Anne Enright, Joseph O’Connor, Colum McCann, Frank McGuinness, Pat McCabe and Marina Carr.
Tipperary-born Eimear Ryan won best first fiction writer for her short story Caterpillar, while Kevin Power, from Dublin, was awarded best emerging fiction for his short story T he American Girl.
The judging panel, which included award-winning authors John Boyne and Sally Nicholl, chose the winners of the three categories from a shortlist of 19 writers.
Hamilton, one of Ireland's most prominent writers, is the acclaimed author of five novels including the best-selling The Speckled People, a German-Irish memoir which has been translated into 15 languages.
His unique experience of growing up in Dublin during the 1950s, with a fervent Irish nationalist father and German mother who came to Ireland in the aftermath of World War II, has found resonance right across the globe.
His latest novel is entitled Disguise.