The four category winners in the Nero Book Awards 2024 have been announced—find them all here
The winners of the Nero Book Awards 2024 have been announced, celebrating outstanding writing from the UK and Ireland across four categories. The winners were chosen by expert judging panels made up of authors, booksellers and journalists who selected their best books of the year. The full list of judges can be found here. These four exceptional books were selected out of hundreds of books reviewed. Find them here at Irish book shops or in your local bookstore.
2024 CATEGORY WINNER – DEBUT FICTION
Wild Houses, by Colin Barrett (Vintage)
As Ballina prepares for its biggest weekend of the year, the simmering feud between small-time dealer, Cillian English, and County Mayo’s fraternal enforcers, Gabe and Sketch Ferdia, spills over into violence and an ugly ultimatum.
2024 CATEGORY WINNER – FICTION
Lost in the Garden, by Adam S Leslie (Dead Ink)
Heather, Rachel and Antonia are going to Almanby. Heather needs to find her boyfriend who, like so many, went and never came back. Rachel has a mysterious package to deliver. And lovestruck Antonia just wants to spend the day with Heather. Creepy, dreamlike, unsettling and unforgettable, this is the story of why we don’t go to Almanby.
2024 CATEGORY WINNER – NON-FICTION
Maurice and Maralyn, by Sophie Elmhirst (Vintage)
An extraordinary true story of shipwreck, survival and love. Bored of 1970s suburban life, Maurice and Maralyn plan their escape: sell the house, build a boat, set sail for New Zealand. Then, halfway around the world, their beloved boat is struck by a whale and the pair are cast adrift. Alone on a tiny raft, their love is put to the test.
2024 CATEGORY WINNER – CHILDREN’S FICTION
The Twelve, by Liz Hyder, illustrated by Tom de Freston (Pushkin)
From the author of Bearmouth, a captivating teen fantasy that explores the power of love and friendship in the face of ecological turmoil, set against the mystical backdrop of the Pembrokeshire coast.
