Killybegs author features in New Voices 20 Best New Irish Writers list

A Killybegs native is one of 20 Irish fiction authors featured in an initiative from the An Post Irish Book Awards called ‘New Voices 20 Best New Irish Writers’.

Alan Murrin is a fiction writer, currently based in Berlin. In 2021 he won the Bournemouth Writing Prize for his short story The Wake, which was later shortlisted for Short Story of the Year at the Irish Book Awards. He is a graduate of the prose fiction masters at the University of East Anglia and also writes for the Irish Times, Times Literary Supplement and Spectator.

Focused on showcasing a new generation of incredible Irish writers who are reshaping the literary landscape with their fresh perspectives and captivating storytelling, the list was curated through nominations from publishers, booksellers and librarians nationwide.

This new wave of Irish writers infuses the literary landscape with vibrant voices that blend tradition with modernity. Their sharp, insightful prose has garnered much acclaim, resonating with both Irish and global audiences. This new literary talent is not only preserving Ireland's rich storytelling heritage but also pushing its boundaries, making contemporary Irish literature even more dynamic and globally relevant than ever before.

The nominated authors could be working in any genre of fiction, must have had no more than two books published over the past decade, and be Irish by birth, citizenship or long-term residence. A panel of literary experts then selected the 20 authors, highlighting some of the most exciting new talents in contemporary literature.

The list, of which there is no overall winner, will also be promoted nationwide in bookshops and libraries during September to celebrate the 20 authors ahead of the An Post Irish Book Awards 2024 campaign.

Now in its 19th year, the An Post Irish Book Awards celebrate and promote Irish writing to the widest range of readers possible. The initiative brings together a vast community passionate about books – readers, authors, booksellers, publishers and librarians – to recognise the very best of new and established Irish writing talent and 2024 will be no different.

Categories in the An Post Irish Book Awards include Novel of the Year, Children’s (Junior and Senior), Cookery, Crime Fiction, Popular Fiction, Non-fiction, Sports, Short Story, Poetry, Teen and Young Adult and Irish Language.

The shortlist for this year’s An Post Irish Book Awards will be announced in late October, with the awards ceremony taking place on November 27. A television programme will be broadcast on RTÉ One television in December, culminating in one of the 2024 winning titles being announced as the ‘An Post Irish Book of the Year 2024’.