Local writers nominated for Bord Gáis Energy Irish Book Awards

LOCAL writers Donal Ryan and Julian Gough are among those shortlisted for honours in this year's Bord Gáis Energy Irish Book Awards.

 

Newtown born Donal Ryan – whose debut novel 'The Spinning Heart was Bord Gáis Book of the Year in 2012 – is up for the Eason-sponsored Novel of the Year award for his latest work, 'All We Shall Know'. Donal's powerful story about a teacher made pregnant by one of her students has also been shortlisted for the RTÉ Radio One Ryan Tubridy Show Listener’s Choice.

 

Meanwhile Julian Gough's new book 'Rabbit and Bear: Rabbit’s Bad Habits' is in the running for the Specsavers Children’s Book of the Year. Son of Richard and Betty Gough of Knockalton, Julian has already written several fiction books and a play. He won the 2007 BBC National Short Story Award for a Tipp-based tale about his character 'Jude'.

 

Living in Germany for the last few years, Julian was inspired to write a children's story when his daughter Sophie was given a book by a relative.

 

“The book was the most boring thing I had ever read. So I started to mess around with it, and my daughter joined in and started suggesting ways to make it better,” Julian said.

 

“By the time we'd finished, we had invented a whole new book, with avalanches, and a mean Rabbit who stole food from Bear while Bear was asleep, and a Wolf who nearly ate Rabbit, and it was a tremendous adventure.

 

“And I thought, this is a great story. I should write it down. So I did.”

 

Eventually, with the help of his daughter and gifted artist Jim Field for illustrations, Julian pieced together the 'Rabbit and Bear' story.

 

“It's amazing seeing our bedtime story shortisted for an Irish Book of the Year Award,” he said. “It's funny; you start off thinking you're going to be James Joyce, and years later your masterpiece ends up being a story about a rabbit eating his own poo. Writing is great!”

 

Noting that we could have two Irish Book of the Year awards from the Nenagh area in 2016, Julian encouraged local people to get online and cast their vote.

 

Son of Donie and Anne Ryan of St Conlon's Road, Nenagh, Donal Ryan has taken the literary world by storm again with his third novel. 'All We Shall Know' is the harrowing account of a teacher who splits from her cheating husband after he learns that she has been made pregnant by a teenage Traveller. Told through the eyes of teacher Melody, the book charts her pregnancy from beginning to end and the turmoil she endures in trying to find redemption.

 

As with previous books 'The Spinning Heart' and 'The Thing About December', Donal's new novel is a hard-hitting drama set in Tipperary, and it has found favour with the critics.

 

This is the eleventh year of the national book awards and the winners will be announced at a gala ceremony in Dublin on November 16th. Public votes can be made online at http://www.irishbookawards.irish/vote2016/.

 

Voting closes at midnight on Friday November 11th.