Prof C\u00f3il\u00edn Parsons of Georgetown University, chair of the judging panel, said: \u201cIn an astonishingly wide-ranging but tightly argued cultural history, Connolly makes a definitive case for the Irish romantic moment (in a broad sense) as dynamic, politically engaged and experimental. Irish Romanticism covers much ground \u2013 gardens, graves, seas, coasts, the material book, demography, fashion, and more \u2013 and makes a convincing argument that romanticism in Ireland sets an aesthetic and political agenda that will last for centuries. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt is both a sweeping and a precise book, with granular close readings, a deep understanding of European romanticism more generally, and a keen ear for the traces of contemporary critical concerns in distant conversations. Irish Romanticism represents the very best of literary scholarship in the field of Irish Studies.\u201d<\/p>\n
Professor Connolly said: \u201cBooks matter a lot to those of us working in the arts and humanities. It is a tremendous relief to complete one and to see it in the world and an unexpected joy to receive such recognition. My sincere thanks to the judging panel of the Robert Rhodes prize for reading and engaging with Irish Romanticism in such detail and for their lending their authority to its cultural and historical argument.\u201d<\/p>\n
Prof John O\u2019Halloran, President of UCC, said: \u201cCongratulations to Prof Claire Connolly on this outstanding achievement. The Robert Rhodes Prize recognises scholarship of the highest calibre, and Prof Connolly is a most deserving recipient. A landmark work of literary scholarship, Irish Romanticism: A Literary History has reshaped our understanding of Irish literary history. This award is a fitting tribute to Prof Connolly\u2019s exceptional contribution to Irish Studies and to her standing as one of the leading literary scholars in the field.\u201d<\/p>\n
*<\/p>\n
In The Irish Times tomorrow, Sara Baume tells Sin\u00e9ad Gleeson about her new book, Opening Night; Sheila Armstrong talks to John Self about her second novel, The Red Mouth; and there are Q&As with Claire Gleeson, author of Show Me Where It Hurts, and with Dermot Bolger about his career and his latest short story collection.<\/p>\n
Reviews are Christopher Kissane on Presence: A Hidden History of the Female Body by Erin Maglaque; Jenny McAuley on This Dark Night: A Life of Emily Bront\u00eb by Deborah Lutz; Mei Chin on The Devoted by Catherine Cho; M\u00edche\u00e1l McCann on the best new poetry; Dean Van Nguyen on Imitation Games by Darragh McGee; Charles Lysaght on Full Circle: A History of Cricket by Richard Heller and Peter Oborne; Sin\u00e9ad Gibney on The Blind Spot by Jeffrey Winters; Lucy Sweeney Byrne on Scotland, edited by Kathleen Jamie & Don Paterson; Helen Cullen on Villa Coco by Andrew Sean Greer; Sarah Byrne on Collapse by \u00c9douard Louis; Roe McDermott on Flick: A History of Female Pleasure by Dr Kate Lister; Richard Horan on When the Revolution Comes: A Fight for the Future of the Working Class by Chris Smalls; and Sara Keating on children\u2019s fiction.<\/p>\n
*<\/p>\n
Writer and journalist Karen Bartlett has won The Orwell Prize for Political Writing for her searing chronicle of Afghan women judges under Taliban rule in The Escape From Kabul. American poet and novelist Ben Lerner won the Prize for Political Fiction with his exploration of truth, memory and the politics of the digital age in Transcription. <\/p>\n
Chair of Judges for The Orwell Prize for Political Writing, Rohan Silva, said: \u201cOne of the reasons George Orwell is still massively relevant today is that there are so many different aspects of his writing you can hone in on. For this year\u2019s prize, we especially looked for books that honour Orwell\u2019s commitment to lucid language and intellectual honesty.<\/p>\n
By both of these standards, The Escape from Kabul smashes it out of the park. It\u2019s taut and crisp, and shines a light on a story that deserves attention. The plight of Afghanistan\u2019s immensely brave woman judges in the face of Islamic fundamentalism is a gripping tale \u2013 and Karen Bartlett tells it with deep reserves of empathy and compassion. The book is truly Orwellian in the most positive sense, and a richly merited winner of the 2026 Political Writing prize.\u201d<\/p>\n
Chair of Judges for The Orwell Prize for Political Fiction, Fiammetta Rocco, said: \u201cIn reading, and rereading, for this year\u2019s Orwell Prize for Political Fiction, the judges were seeking a book that spoke to the head as well as the heart. To our experience as citizens, parents, children who\u2019ve now grown up. Our shortlist is full of books which explore the world we know and look towards the world we want to see \u2013 our winning book needed to encompass both. <\/p>\n
\u201cFor a book so slim, Transcription by Ben Lerner does so much. A forensic study of our insatiable appetite for new technology, it explores the unreliable stories we tell ourselves about hunger, love and connection. It is about dying with dignity and growing up in a new world. It\u2019s funny, brainy and timely. Lerner deserves to be a household name.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Prof](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/QSQE7RUHXNFJ7EGAZ3K4FWTAXY.jpg\")
Prof Leontia Flynn, Prof Nick Laird, Dean Browne and Karen Solie. Photograph: Press Eye. <\/p>\n
Dean Browne has won the Seamus Heaney First Collection Poetry Prize 2026, organised by The Seamus Heaney Centre at Queen\u2019s University Belfast, for his debut collection, After Party, published by Picador. <\/p>\n
Browne is from Tipperary and lives in Cork. He received the Geoffrey Dearmer Prize in 2021 and his pamphlet, Kitchens at Night, was a winner of the Poetry Business International Pamphlet Competition; it was published by Smith|Doorstop in 2022. <\/p>\n
Browne said: \u201cI was lucky enough to receive an encouraging letter from Seamus Heaney as a teenager in response to one I\u2019d written him. The magnanimity of that gesture meant a lot to me then, for its kind perceptiveness and wisdom, and I\u2019m extremely grateful to be recognised with this award for my first collection now \u2013 it is a very meaningful honour. Thanks to my brilliant fellow nominees and to the judges at the Seamus Heaney Centre. That the three judges are poets I admire makes it all the more special. I guess the only thing to do now is let it go to my head.\u201d <\/p>\n
This year\u2019s judges were Leontia Flynn, Nick Laird and Karen Solie. Speaking about the winning collection, Prof Nick Laird said: \u201cWe liked the imagination in After Party, the sense of voice and surprise, the sensibility and variety of forms. We admired how the poems created a feeling of a perception of place in time triggered by a detail or idea, while attending to line, music, and structure, and how the poems, like spells, invoked weird parallel worlds. It\u2019s a worthy winner.\u201d <\/p>\n
The shortlist included: Chaotic Good by Isabelle Baafi (Faber); Joy Is My Middle Name by Sasha Debvec-McKenny; Heirloom by Catherine-Esther Cowie (Carcanet Press); and The Storm\u2019s Flora by Laura Wainwright (Seren).<\/p>\n
The prize is awarded annually to a writer whose first full collection has been published in the preceding year, by a UK or Ireland-based publisher. The winning writer receives \u00a35,000 and is invited to participate in the Seamus Heaney Centre\u2019s busy calendar of literary events. <\/p>\n
*<\/p>\n
Eason has announced a partnership with Macmillan Children\u2019s Books and Children\u2019s Books Ireland to launch a \u201cBuy One, Gift One\u201d campaign, aimed at nurturing a love of reading in children across the Republic.<\/p>\n
From June 29th, for 12 months, for every Gruffalo book sold by Eason in the Republic of Ireland, Macmillan Children\u2019s Books will donate a copy of Gruffalo Granny to national charity Children\u2019s Books Ireland to gift a child in need. This initiative aims to gift up to 20,000 books, ensuring more children experience the joy of owning their own story.<\/p>\n
To celebrate the launch and bring the beloved character to life, The Gruffalo will be embarking on a special tour, visiting Eason stores around the country during the first two weeks of July. Families will have a unique opportunity to meet their favourite character at 11am in the following locations:<\/p>\n
Friday, July 3rd: Eason Dundrum, DublinSaturday, July 4th: Eason Tallaght, DublinSunday, July 5th: Eason Blanchardstown, DublinMonday, July 6th: Eason Arnotts, DublinTuesday 7th: Eason Newbridge, Co. KildareSaturday 11th: Eason Mahon Point, CorkSunday 12th: Eason Douglas, CorkWednesday 15th: Eason Crescent Shopping Centre, Limerick<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are incredibly excited to partner with Macmillan Children\u2019s Books and Children\u2019s Books Ireland on this vital initiative,\u201d said Lisa O\u2019Brien, Group Head of ecommerce and Marketing at Eason. \u201cAt Eason, we believe in the power of stories to inspire, educate, and entertain. The partnership allows our customers to not only enjoy a beloved Gruffalo tale but also to directly contribute to spreading that joy to children who might otherwise miss out. We are committed to making a real difference in communities across Ireland by nurturing a love of reading.\u201d<\/p>\n
*<\/p>\n
In June the Women\u2019s Podcast book club gathered for a live event in Chapters Bookstore in Dublin to discuss what books they\u2019ll be packing with them on their summer holidays.<\/p>\n
Claire Keegan was the special guest who joined book clubbers R\u00f3is\u00edn Ingle, Bernice Harrison, Ann Ingle and Niamh Towey for the event, alongside a packed audience of podcast listeners.<\/p>\n
After the main event there was a lively Q&A session; the questions from the audience were so thought provoking and Claire\u2019s answers so insightful \u2013 it felt to the book clubbers like a writing masterclass \u2013 so the podcast producer Suzanne Brennan decided to release it as a bonus episode.<\/p>\n
Like all Irish Times podcasts the two book club summer books podcasts are available free to listen on irishtimes.com or wherever you get your podcasts. <\/p>\n
Or follow these links <\/p>\n
https:\/\/www.irishtimes.com\/podcasts\/the-womens-podcast\/the-womens-podcast-book-club-summer-reading-recommendations-with-claire-keegan\/<\/a><\/p>\n https:\/\/www.irishtimes.com\/podcasts\/the-womens-podcast\/claire-keegan-i-failed-english-in-the-leaving-cert\/<\/a><\/p>\n *<\/p>\n Waterford Libraries is running a series of free writing workshops for the people of Waterford, in partnership with the Munster Literature Centre and the Irish Writers Centre with funding from Creative Ireland and D\u00fan Garbh\u00e1n Le Gaeilge.<\/p>\n The programme runs from mid-July to late October and gives participants an opportunity to attend courses in both Irish and English with experienced, well-established writers. The workshops take place online or in Waterford Library branches. <\/p>\n The workshops are:<\/p>\n Fundamentals of Fiction with William Ryan, starting July 14th, 6-8.30pm, four weeks on Tuesdays, Online.<\/p>\n How to Plan a Murder, a One-day Crime Novel Course with William Ryan, August 1st, 10am-4.30pm. Online.<\/p>\n A Voyage Around Travel Writing, a one-day masterclass with Madeleine Keane, August 22nd, 10am-4.30pm. Central Library. <\/p>\n Creative Non-Fiction and Arts Reportage with Peter Murphy,\u00a0 starts September 5th, 11am- 1pm, four weeks on Saturdays, Central Library.<\/p>\n As I Recall \u2013 writing workshop with Aingeala Flannery, starts September 8th, 6-8pm. Tuesdays, Tramore Library.<\/p>\n Fil\u00edocht le Joanne McCarthy (Poetry (in Irish) with Joanne McCarthy),\u00a0 19\u00fa Me\u00e1n Fomhair, L\u00e1 amhain (One day), 10rn-4.30in.\u00a0Leabharlann Dh\u00fan Garbh\u00e1n (Dungarvan Library).<\/p>\n Poetry for beginners with Conor O\u2019Callaghan, starts September 17th, 6pm-8pm, four weeks on Thursdays, Online.<\/p>\n Dilemma and Delusion: How to write a short story with Niamh Mulvey, starts October 3rd, 2.30pm \u2013 4.30pm, four weeks on Saturdays, Central Library.<\/p>\n The courses are free of charge and open to people over 18 years resident in Waterford. Application forms can be found here<\/a>.<\/p>\n *<\/p>\n Hachette Books Ireland is raising funds for Children\u2019s Book Ireland as part of its Raising Readers Campaign to improve public awareness of the crisis in children\u2019s reading for pleasure and the impact this is having on society now and will have in the future. <\/p>\n Hachette has been running an online campaign to celebrate the children\u2019s stories that inspire a lifelong love of reading and aims to raise awareness about the importance of encouraging children to read. As part of the campaign, it is asking asked authors and book lovers to record a short video sharing the childhood book that first made them a reader\/ the story that stayed with them and sparked their love of reading.<\/p>\n Its Dublin team will also be taking part in a sponsored walk through the Phoenix Park on July 9th, dressing up as their favourite childhood book characters, with all donations going to Children\u2019s Books Ireland. You can donate here<\/a>.<\/p>\n *<\/p>\n West Cork Literary Festival comes to Bantry from July 10th \u2013 17th.<\/p>\n Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, Patrick O\u2019Donovan TD, will launch this year\u2019s event. He said: \u201cI am delighted to officially open the 2026 West Cork Literary Festival. Each year, the festival brings together an outstanding mix of Irish and international writers in the beautiful setting of Bantry, creating a unique opportunity for audiences to engage with literature, ideas and storytelling. I look forward to joining everyone in West Cork this July for what promises to be another exceptional programme.\u201d<\/p>\n This year\u2019s programme features an outstanding line-up including Sara Baume, Margaret Busby, Jonathan Coe, Elaine Feeney, Karl Henry, Anton Hur, Charlie Mackesy, Dearbhla Mescal, Andrew Miller, Miriam O\u2019Callaghan, Ian Rankin, Catherine Ryan Howard, Jessica Traynor, Djamel White, Nussaibah Younis, Emer McLysaght and Sarah Breen.<\/p>\n Full details here<\/a>.<\/p>\n *<\/p>\n Cork-based novelist Susan Lanigan has been longlisted in the Novel category of the CAP Awards 2026 for The Planter\u2019s Daughter, her fourth published novel, along with 15 other authors. The CAP Awards recognise excellence in independent publishing, and the shortlist will be announced in mid-August, with winners revealed at a ceremony at Chapters Bookstore, Dublin, on October 9th.<\/p>\n The Planter\u2019s Daughter follows Detective Inspector Rosa Keane as she investigates the death of Sadhbh Drummond, an Anglo-Irish landowner and climate activist whose body is found in a forestry plantation. The investigation uncovers resentments dating back to the War of Independence, while Rosa privately confronts questions about her own gender identity. <\/p>\n *<\/p>\n Echoes will be returning to Dalkey Caste & Heritage Centre from the 2nd \u2013 4th October. Opening with a tribute to Gordon Snell, Echoes promises to be a wonderful day of conversations, interviews and readings. Author John Boyne will be in conversation with Ryan Tubridy, while acclaimed Scottish television presenter, journalist and author Lorraine Kelly will be in conversation with Miriam O\u2019Callaghan. The line-up also features Sarah Binchy, Dermot Bolger, Rory Carroll, Sin\u00e9ad Crowley, Martina Devlin, Caroline Erskine, Neil Hegarty, Faith Hogan, Margaret Kelleher, Julia Kelly, Catriona Lally, Niall MacMonagle, Chris Morash, Vicki Notaro, Doireann N\u00ed Ghr\u00edofa and John O\u2019Donnell. There will also be a performance of Elizabeth Moynihan\u2019s Happiness Then and a Marvellously Maeve Guided Walk from Dalkey Castle. Full programme and booking at echoes.ie<\/a> & dalkeycastle.com.<\/p>\n *<\/p>\n Drawing on David M. Eagleman\u2019s famous reflection that the third death is \u201cthat moment, sometime in the future, when your name is spoken for the last time\u201d, the fourth annual Thomas MacDonagh Hedge School (16\u201319September) will explore the themes of memory and legacy.<\/p>\n Over four days, from Wednesday 16 to Saturday 19 September, the Thomas MacDonagh Museum in Cloughjordan will host a programme of talks featuring historian and broadcaster Turtle Bunbury, archivist Zo\u00eb Reid, Keeper of Manuscripts at the National Archives, and members of Thomas MacDonagh\u2019s family, including Dr Joe MacDonagh, who will be in conversation with Pat Leahy, Political Editor of The Irish Times and a long-time friend of the MacDonagh family.<\/p>\n Through the perspectives of historians and descendants of Thomas MacDonagh, the programme will explore the enduring legacy of the revolutionary generation and how their lives continue to shape our understanding of Ireland\u2019s past and present.<\/p>\n Tickets for events are now available \u20ac15 \/ \u20ac40 via Eventbrite<\/a>.<\/p>\n