No less than eight Irish authors are in with a chance of taking home the International Impac Dublin Literary Award which is worth a whopping €100,000.
The prize, which is organised by Dublin City Public Libraries, invites nominations from public libraries based on borrowing figures and public feedback.
In April a judging panel will cut the list from 154 to 10, out of which the winner will be picked next June.
Irish authors Colm Toibín with The Master and Colum McCann with Let The Great World Spin have both won the prize before.
Colm Toibín won the literary award back in 2006 with his novel, The Master.
Among the eight Irish nominees for the coming year are Kevin Barry (City of Bohane), Sebastian Barry (On Canaan’s Side), John Boyne (The Absolutist), Paul Callan (The Dulang Washer), Dermot Healy (Long Time, No see), Christine Dwyer Hickey (Cold Eye of Heaven), Margaret Mazzantini (Twice Born) and Patrick Warner (Double Talk).
Speaking about the fact that there are so many Irish authors on the lastest list, Dublin City librarian Margaret Hayes told the Irish Examiner: “It says a lot for the high quality of writing coming from Irish writers currently and it reinforces Dublin’s status as Unesco City of Literature.”
