Irish Book of the Decade shortlist drawn

Eliot Rosewater

50 book shortlist for the best Irish book of the "noughties"!

The diverse shortlist includes John McGahern, two Booker Prize winners, Cecelia Ahern, Ross O'Carroll Kelly, Bill Cullen, Roy Keane and plenty of other authors from all kinds of genres.

The winner is decided by public vote on the official website: www.irishbookawards.ie. (you could win €250 worth of book vouchers if you pick the winner).


The prize is meaningless on a number of grounds but what the hell! I'll be voting for That They May Face The Rising Sun by John McGahern because I think it's a smashing book and, besides, it's the only book on the list that I've read.

DonnieScribbles

Only read a handful of them myself, that list reminded me of books I still have yet to read more than anything! William Trevor has been recommended to me a number of times...

I voted for Tatty by Christine O'Dwyer Hickey because it's excellent.

Thanks for the link.

Denerick

I voted for Judging Dev by Ferriter.

eclectichoney

I voted for Walk the Blue Fields by Claire keegan

Kalimah

I'd second Walk the Blue Fields. If The Star of the Sea wins I'll be happy too. I've read 10 of the list.

lemon_sherbert

I went for Star of the Sea, but it comprises of a great collection of books, hard enough to decide and I hadn't read very many.

sxt

Ross O'Carroll Kelly,Ahern,Cullen,keane nominated for best irish book of the decade...was is that bad a decade for irish writers?

Monkeybonkers

Anyone any idea what the criteria for nomination was?
Was it sales or just the opinions of the panel?

VinLieger

sxt wrote: »

Ross O'Carroll Kelly,Ahern,Cullen,keane nominated for best irish book of the decade...was is that bad a decade for irish writers?

Ross o carrol kelly deffinitely deserves to be there, its a popular series that unlike the others you mentioned isnt trying to be something its not. Its funny writing and just because its not your cup of tea doesnt mean it doesnt deserve to be there.
And lets be honest what are the chances of it winning, most of the people who are gonna vote for this would most likely be people like yourself

sxt

VinLieger wrote: »

Ross o carrol kelly deffinitely deserves to be there, its a popular series that unlike the others you mentioned isnt trying to be something its not. Its funny writing and just because its not your cup of tea doesnt mean it doesnt deserve to be there.
And lets be honest what are the chances of it winning, most of the people who are gonna vote for this would most likely be people like yourself

Sorry,didn't mean to offend at all- It may well be very deserving,these were the authors highlighted for attention on that blurb,presumedly because they are most well known- I have not read a tonne of irish writers so i would not know who should be on any list.I think even if there were no other worthy irish written books this decade, some of them could have been replaced with some up and coming irish writers for example,who may or may not have been more deserving,but could have benifited more with the attention than a Keane or Cullen etc...

Denerick

Love him or loathe him, O'Carroll Kelly certainly grabbed the zeitgeist by the ear. He deserves a place on the list.

Plowman

This post has been deleted.

pog it

Really hope John Banville wins this with 'The Sea'.

Just finishing it now. Magnificent book, one of the best I have ever read

Monkeybonkers

Monkeybonkers wrote: »

Anyone any idea what the criteria for nomination was?
Was it sales or just the opinions of the panel?

Anyone got an answer to this question?

Spanish Eyes

Monkeybonkers wrote: »

Anyone got an answer to this question?

The Publishers?????

Eliot Rosewater

I couldn't imagine it to have been chosen by a panel. I'm thinking: what sort of panel (ie a limited group of individuals) would choose such an eclectic mix spanning various genres?

A publishers list sounds about right, much like the Booker list.

jackthelad321

John McGahern, Memoir. Incredible. It is exceptional. I can't imagine anyone not moved after reading it. The finest Irish writer in terms of portraying and conveying a honest, poetic sense of Irishness.

Sergeant

jackthelad321 wrote: »

John McGahern, Memoir. Incredible. It is exceptional. I can't imagine anyone not moved after reading it. The finest Irish writer in terms of portraying and conveying a honest, poetic sense of Irishness.

Absolutely. This is my choice from the list. Makes 50's rural life come alive.

As for Ross O'Carroll Kelly, I cannot see why they shouldn't be on the list, they capture the Zeitgeist, the shallowness, the excesses of the period better than anything else I have read.

VinLieger

Sergeant wrote: »

Absolutely. This is my choice from the list. Makes 50's rural life come alive.

As for Ross O'Carroll Kelly, I cannot see why they shouldn't be on the list, they capture the Zeitgeist, the shallowness, the excesses of the period better than anything else I have read.

Plus they are very funny. Also it is a book that is so Irish that it can only be successful in Ireland, the humour just cannot translate in another country