Limerick-based author wins An Post Irish Book of the Year award
Donal Ryan lives in Castletroy and his novel 'Heart, Be at Peace' scooped te top prize
HEART, Be at Peace’ by Limerick author Donal Ryan has been announced as the overall ‘An Post Irish Book of the Year 2024.’
Donal’s book was unveiled as the overall winner during a one-hour special television show aired on RTÉ one last Thursday hosted by broadcaster Oliver Callan. He was up against the following five titles for the award: Fia and the Last Snow Deer – Eilish Fisher, illustrated by Dermot Flynn, Frankie – Graham Norton, A Stranger in the Family – Jane Casey, Obsessed: The Autobiography – Johnny Sexton with Peter O’Reilly and Nature Boy: A Journey of Birdsong and Belonging.
Described by the Irish Times as an “absorbing, emphatic story of a community in trouble”, Donal's Heart, Be at Peace received a host of positive reviews upon publication. Told in twenty-one voices, the heartfelt, lyrical novel delves into themes of grief, healing, and the complexities of human emotions. Spinning Heart.’
Maria Dickenson, Chair of the Judging Panel, said:
“Heart, Be at Peace was the unanimous choice of the judges from among the fantastic array of titles shortlisted this year. Donal Ryan’s writing has earned him a place among the greatest names in Irish literature and this lyrical novel speaks to the very heart of modern Irish society. Weaving twenty one voices together, Ryan portrays the passions, frailties and sorrows of one Irish town with compassion and clarity. Heart, Be at Peace is a masterful achievement and we congratulate Donal warmly on winning this award.”