Children’s writers take top awards

Meath writers won both prizes in the children’s section of the An Post Irish Book Awards held virtually on rte.ie/culture on Thursday evening, with Navan activist and writer, Sinead Burke, and Gormanston farmer, Darragh McCullough, taking the senior and junior awards, joining the late Keelin Shanley, Graham Norton, and Professor Luke O’Neill. Doireann Ní Ghríofa, Dara McAnulty and Burke all claimed victory with their debut books, while the Eason Novel of the Year Award was won by Donal Ryan.

This year’s awards attracted a record number of votes from the Irish public, and audiences around the world were able to watch the An Post Irish Book Awards ceremony as it happened on rte.ie/culture.

First awarded in 2006, the An Post Irish Book Awards showcase a diverse mix of exceptional writing from new and established writers across sixteen categories, with this year’s awards ceremony taking place online due to the global pandemic. The awards are Ireland’s biggest literary celebration, championing everything from novels and non-fiction to poetry, short stories and the Irish language.

This year’s awards ceremony was hosted by Evelyn O’Rourke, while the overall winner of the ‘An Post Irish Book of the Year,’ will be unveiled in a television programme, presented by Miriam O'Callaghan, on RTÉ One at 10.15pm on Thursday 10th December.

Afterwards, Sinead Burke said of her win with 'Break the Mould': "I wanted to write a book that would encourage children, parents and adults to be proud to be themselves and to realise that they have the power to design a world that is accessible and equitable. A place where people feel safe to be who they are - whatever their identity. When I was writing, there were questions about whether or not children were too young to talk about poverty, to give them a script as to how to rise up against homophobia in the yard in school, and to encourage them to have big ambitions and enormous dreams. #BreakTheMould is a manifesto of all of the things that I believe in and dream for the future.

"I didn’t know how children would react, if my experiences of being a disabled woman would echo their experiences. But, tonight, at the An Post Irish Book Awards, Break the Mould was awarded the Specsavers Ireland Children’s Book of the Year (Senior). In an era where identity is often posed as a debate, it makes me feel hopeful for the future."