Nineteen categories span Irish writing
The An Post Irish Book Awards announced their 2026 shortlists on 22 October, naming writers and illustrators across nineteen categories. The awards, in their twenty-first year, bring established authors and emerging writers into the same programme.[1], [2]
Maggie O’Farrell, Louise Kennedy, Donal Ryan, Colm Tóibín and Sally Hayden are among the shortlisted names. Other nominees include Djamel White, Nikita Hand, Vincent Browne, Liz Nugent and Ciara Mageean. The categories cover novels, history, biography, crime fiction, non-fiction, sport and Irish-language books. Children’s writing has separate junior and senior categories, alongside teen and young-adult literature.[1]