This year’s Dalkey Book Festival has been replaced by the inaugural Dalkey Literary Awards, proudly launched by the Dalkey Book Festival in conjunction with Zurich Insurance. The Dalkey Book Festival was originally due to take place next June but has been cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Rather than leave a vacuum, Dalkey Book Festival has instead launched the Dalkey Literary Awards. The shortlist has been announced and the digital award ceremony will take place on 20 June. With a total prize fund of €30,000, the Dalkey Literary Awards will be the most lucrative in the Irish literary calendar.
The shortlisted books and writers are:
Novel of the Year: https://www.zurich.ie/dalkey-literary-awards/2020/novel-of-the-year/shortlist/
- The Narrow Land by Christine Dwyer Hickey
- Girl by Edna O’Brien
- The Fire Starters by Jan Carson
- Shadowplay by Joseph O’Connor
- Night Boat to Tangier by Kevin Barry
- The River Capture by Mary Costello
Emerging Writer : https://www.zurich.ie/dalkey-literary-awards/2020/emerging-writer/shortlist/
- Adrian Duncan for Loves Notes from A German Building Site
- Eleanor Fitzsimons for The Life & Loves of E. Nesbit
- Lucy Sweeney Byrne for Paris Syndrome
- Nicole Flattery for Show Them A Good Time
- Rónán Hession for Leonard and Hungry Paul
- Sinéad Gleeson for Constellations
