Liz Nugent Wins Double at An Post Irish Book Awards!

This year's Irish Book Awards ceremony on the 27th November In the Clayton Hotel was the glitzy culmination of the first year of An Post as the award sponsors, and if the first year is anything to go by, the sponsorship will be a very positive one indeed. I was lucky to be there on the night, and it was one of the best awards nights I have ever attended.

Also notable on the night, were the many female winners of awards. This shouldn't be unusual, after all, there are a lot of us around, and certainly the Irish Crime Fiction Award has reflected this trend for the last few years. But all in all it was a great night in the celebration of Irish writing which is alive and very much kicking!

Liz Nugent, picked up two awards on the night for her latest novel SKIN DEEP. The first for Best Irish Crime Novel of the Year, and the second, for the Ryan Tubridy Listeners Choice Award. If you want to find a positive writing community, then look no further than the Irish Crime Writing scene, with Liz being a really popular and gracious winner on the night. The standard this year in the Irish crime writing section was phenomenal, and of the six books shortlisted in the Ryan Tubridy Listeners Choice, four were crime novels. Another reflection of how popular crime writing continues to be.

You can see the Awards Night on RTE on Thursday the 29th November, or catch it on RTE Real Player.

So, all that is left are some pics from the night to give you a flavour of the atmosphere and glamour!! 

All images copyright writing.ie and Ger Holland Photography

Pic:1 Liz Nugent Winner of Best Irish Crime Novel and RTE Ryan Tubridy Listener Choice Award
Pic:2 Irish Crime Writer Jo Spain nominated in Best Irish Crime Novel of the Year
Pic:3 Emilie Pine Winner of Sunday Independent Newcomer of the Year for Notes to Self
Pic:4 Andrea Mara nominated in Best Irish Crime Novel of the Year & Patricia Gibney nominated in RTE Ryan Tubridy Listeners Choice Award
Pic:5 Keelin Shanley and Evelyn O Rourke presenters for the awards
Pic:6 Short story award presented by Vanessa O Loughlin of writing.ie to Roisin O Donnell for her winning story How to Build a Space Rocket
Pic:7 Myself, (aka Louise Phillips crime fiction author) Marie Brennan and Niamh Brennan crime author
Pic:10 Sally Rooney - Winner of Easons Book Club Novel of the Year for Normal People
Pic:11 Alex Barclay Irish Crime Author
Pic:12 Cathy Kelly paying tribute to the late Emma Hannigan AN POST Special Award Winner