In The Irish Times this Saturday, there is an essay by Audrey Molloy about her new poetry collection, Fallen. Ben Elton talks to Paul Howard about his memoir, What Have I Done? Jung Chang tells Denis Staunton why she cannot return to her native country under Xi Jinping, how her view of Mao changed, and why she does not see the Communist Party as a monolith. There is a Q&A with Anna McPartlin about her latest crme novel, The Silent Ones. Claire-Louise Bennett tells Edel Coffey about her new novel, Big Kiss, Bye-Bye. There is an extract from Midwinter: A Journey Through a Season by Michael Harding. And children’s author and illustrator Oliver Jeffers discusses his Irish identity.
Reviews are Colm Tóibín on the Complete Poems of Seamus Heaney; Roe McDermott on Femonomics by Corinne Low; Catherine Taylor on the best new fiction in translation; Michael Cronin on Big Kiss, Bye-Bye by Claire-Louise Bennett; Ruby Eastwood on Buckeye by Patrick Ryan; Sinéad Gibney on Homesick by Peter Apps; Barra Roantree on The Bailout Babies: How Ireland’s Financial Crash Reshaped the Next Generation – and What It Means for the Future by Adam Maguire; Éilís Ní Dhuibhne on Midwinter by Michael Harding; John O’Donnell on Cloud Nine by Conor Murray; NJ McGarrigle on Old Parish by Ciaran Murphy; Andrew Lynch on Guinness: A Family Succession by Arthur Edward Guinness; Oliver Farry on Fractured France by Andrew Hussey; and Peter Murphy on Berghain Nights: A Journey Through Techno and Berlin Club Culture by Liam Cagney.
This weekend’s Irish Times Eason offer is Time of the Child by Niall Williams, just €5.99, a €6 saving.
Eason offer
Bloomsbury is to publish Stations, a new novel by Louise Kennedy, author of the Women’s Prize shortlisted novel Trespasses, next September as part of a two-book deal.
Kennedy said: ‘Writing Stations took me on an all-consuming and profoundly affecting journey, one powered by the belief and energy of Alexis Kirschbaum, my extraordinary editor at Bloomsbury. I’m so excited for readers to meet Róisín, Red and their companions.
“Stations opens in a small town in the Irish midlands in 1982, when teenagers Róisín and Red strike up an unlikely but ardent friendship. The book follows them to London, a journey many of us made then, where they eventually take very different paths. Spanning twenty-five years, it’s about love and loyalty and the choices we blithely make when we are young, unaware that the consequences will reverberate through our lives. The novel has been more than three years in the making and the sweeping temporal frame and changes of location challenged me in the best ways.
“Meanwhile, Trespasses is still taking me on a wild trip. A four-part series made by the most brilliant bunch of women imaginable will be premiering on Channel 4 in November, starring Lola Petticrew, Gillian Anderson and Tom Cullen. There is a tie-in edition of the book on the way too. I’m a lucky article.”
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An Post has renewed its headline sponsorship agreement of the annual Irish Book Awards. First partnering with the initiative in 2018, this new agreement extends the sponsorship through to 2027, marking a decade of support from An Post for Irish literature and the awards.
Now celebrating its 20th year, the awards feature a diverse mix of exceptional writing from new and established writers across 18 categories, including Novel of the Year, Children, History, Crime Fiction, Popular Fiction, Non-fiction, Sports, Lifestyle, Short Story, Irish language, Poem, Newcomer, Teen and Young Adult, Irish Published and Biography.
David McRedmond, CEO at An Post, said: “We are proud to renew An Post’s sponsorship of the Irish Book Awards, marking a decade of support for Ireland’s world-leading literary community. The elevation of excellence, and acting for the common good are core to An Post’s mission, and there is no more fitting alignment than with Ireland’s great authors, publishers, and booksellers.”
The full shortlist for the An Post Irish Book Awards 2025 will be announced on October 22nd, while the winners will be presented with their trophies at the An Post Irish Book Awards event in the Convention Centre Dublin, on November 27th.. A television programme will be broadcast on RTÉ One television in December, culminating in one of the 2025 winning titles being announced as the An Post Irish Book of the Year 2025.
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Arlen House, founded by Catherine Rose in Galway in 1975 as Ireland’s first arts organisation focused on equality and diversity, marks its 50th anniversary with four gala celebrations this autumn, in Cork, Galway, London and Africa.
This Saturday, October 11th, at 2.30pm in Cork City Library, Washing Windows V will be launched, with special guest Catherine Rose, Ireland’s first feminist publisher, and readings by many of the contributing poets, plus a celebration of Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin’s Irish Women: Image and Achievement (Arlen House, 1985), the first Irish women’s studies book, launched in Cork City Library in 1985. Readers will include Kerry Hardie, Eibhlís Carcione, Virginia Keane Brownlow and Tara Newley Arkle. Readers can book here.
On Sunday, October 26th, at 6pm in Charlie Byrne’s, Galway ‒ on the same street that Catherine Rose launched the first Arlen House book 50 years ago ‒ Arlen House celebrates new collections by Geraldine Mills, Tanya Farrelly and Michéal Ó Conghaile, alongside Washing Windows readings by Eva Bourke and Noelle Lynskey among others.
On Tuesday, November 25th, in London, with the Irish Literary Society, we launch Nuala O’Connor’s Menagerie alongside a group reading from Washing Windows V. The celebrations culminate in North Africa, with readings in Rabat and Casablanca between December 8th and 12th from Nuala O’Connor, Nessa O’Mahony, Helena Nolan and Luke Morgan.
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The judges for next year’s Women’s Prizes have been announced, including Irish author and DJ Annie Macmanus. The Women’s Prize for Fiction’s 2026 chair Julia Gillard, the former prime minister of Australia, is joined by Mona Arshi, poet, novelist and essayist, Salma El-Wardany, author, presenter, poet and speaker, Cariad Lloyd, writer, podcaster, actor and comedian, and Annie Macmanus, author, broadcaster and DJ.
The Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction celebrates narrative non-fiction written by female thought-leaders, changemakers and experts. The 2026 chair Baroness Thangam Debbonaire is joined by Roma Agrawal, engineer, author and broadcaster, Nicola Elliott, founder of NEOM, Nina Stibbe, novelist and memoirist, and Nicola Williams, Crown Court judge and thriller author.
The Women’s Prize for Fiction longlist will be announced on March 4th, and the shortlist on April 22nd. The 2026 Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction longlist will be announced on February 11th, and the shortlist on March 25th. Winners of both prizes will be revealed on June 11th.
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The judges for the Nero Book Awards 2025, the leading multi-category awards celebrating the craft of great writing and the joy of reading, are announced today. Consisting of experts from the world of books – including award-winning writers, renowned booksellers and industry professionals – the line-up includes Paterson Joseph, Sinéad Gleeson, Edmund Gordon and Sharna Jackson.
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Paper Lanterns is the only literary journal in Ireland publishing work by as well as for teens and young adults. We’re now in our fifth year and our latest issue launches on 11th October.
Issue 16 contains art, photography, creative writing and features from teens all over Ireland and around the world, as well as work by adults writing with young readers in mind. It also includes book reviews written by young readers. The cover art is by 17-year-old artist Patrick Delaney.
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The Cundill History Prize, the world’s leading prize for a work of history written or translated into English, has today announced its three finalists for 2025. Marlene L. Daut, Lyndal Roper, and Sophia Rosenfeld have been selected by an international jury of leading historians and writers, chaired by Ada Ferrer. Each finalist receives $10,000, and is now in the running for the grand prize of US$75,000. The winner will be announced on Thursday, October 30 as part of the Cundill History Prize Festival in Montreal.
From revolutions that changed the world, to the fight for justice and equality, to the rise of personal choice as a cornerstone of modern life, these three books offer profound insights into how human beings have defined themselves through freedom and independence. The three finalists are: The First and Last King of Haiti: The Rise and Fall of Henry Christophe by Marlene L Daut; Summer of Fire and Blood: The German Peasants’ War by Lyndal Roper; and The Age of Choice: A History of Freedom in Modern Life by Sophia Rosenfeld.
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Poetry Ireland presents an evening with one of our generation’s most-loved poets, former US poet laureate, Billy Collins. The event will take place in Findlater’s Church (The Abbey), Parnell Square, Dublin, on October 21st at 7pm. Tickets are available to purchase via the Poetry Ireland website. Billy will read work from across his career, including his upcoming collection Dog Show.
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The Leaves Festival 2025 brings the best of Irish writing and music to Co Laois this November 4th-8th. Highlights include an evening that celebrates the life of Mary Lavin; with contributions from her granddaughters Alice Ryan and Kathleen McMahon.
Róisín O’Donnell is this year’s One County One Books novelist; her packed programme of events will culminate in an interview with Lisa Harding facilitated by Miriam O’Callaghan and music by Steve Wickham. The acclaimed RTE Spoken Stories series will be presented with a distinct Laois flavour as well-known Laois voices that include Claire Byrne and Evelyn Cusack will take to the stage to read from these stories. Acclaimed musicians Keith Donald and Don Baker will come together for a conversation about Keith’s recent memoir and to play a few tunes. Mike McCormack and Mary O’Donnell will discuss the short story with Christine Dwyer Hickey. Catherine Ryan Howard, Catherine Kirwan and Andrew Carter will talk crime. leavesfestival.ie