There's a Monster Behind the Door by Gaëlle Bélem longlisted for the International Booker Prize

There’s a Monster Behind the Door by Gaëlle Bélem (Bullaun Press) is the first time an Irish published book has been longlisted for the International Booker Prize

There’s a Monster Behind the Door by Gaëlle Bélem, translated from French by Karen Fleetwood and Laëtitia Saint-Loubert, and published by Bullaun Press, is one of 13 titles longlisted for this year’s International Booker Prize.

Bélem’s debut There’s a Monster Behind the Door first came out with Éditions Gallimard in France in 2020, and was the fourth book published by the Sligo press, the first Irish publisher dedicated exclusively to literature in translation into English.

Translators Karen Fleetwood and Laëtitia Saint-Loubert with author Gaëlle Bélem, Céline Place, ambassador of France in Ireland and Bridget Farrell of Bullaun Press. Photograph: Cécile Baquey

Author Gaëlle Bélem said that she thought the jury had made a mistake and mixed up the lists of those authors rejected and those selected.

‘Afterwards, there was silence, amazement, thrill, in other words boundless happiness, tears of joy, my heart a-dance … I thank each member of the jury for opening this door, reading my little monster. I’m amazed at the trust they have put in me. I will always love them, I will never forget this moment.’

It is the first time an Irish publisher has had a title longlisted for the International Booker Prize. In 2018 the Booker Prize Foundation revised their eligibility criteria to allow Irish publishers, alongside UK publishers, to submit their titles for the Booker Prize.

Publisher Bridget Farrell said that There’s a Monster Behind the Door is a very special book from a remarkable author. ‘All credit is due to the translators for championing this novel and bringing it to our attention. None of this would have been possible without the Arts Council, which has supported us in commissioning and publishing international titles since 2022.

‘We are a very small collaborative enterprise. Every part of the process of bringing this book into the hands of an English-language readership has been rewarding. Huge thanks are also due to Literature Ireland, the Centre National du Livre, and the Institut Français for funding as well as to the reviewers and booksellers who got behind the title. The Embassy of France in Ireland supported Bélem’s visit to Ireland for the launch last October in Books Upstairs, Dublin. We all join in offering her our heartfelt congratulations on this memorable occasion.’