Trish Hennessy and Sarah Webb winners at the An Post Irish Book Awards 2023

What great excitement to hear that Sarah Webb and Lucinda Jacobs scooped the award for Childrens Book of the Year with ‘I am the Wind: Irish Poems for Children Everywhere’ at this year Irish Book awards . It is well deserved as they have put together a brilliant collection of poems which is beautifully illustrated by Ashwin Chacko, that will appeal to everyone. It is also nominated for the overall ‘An Post Book of the Year Award’ too which will be announced on 6^th December 2023.

Trish Hennessy’s children’s bookshop ‘Halfway Up The Stairs’ in Greystones won the Irish Bookshop of the Year award. It is one of my favourite places and a paradise for kids and young readers and parents trying to find the perfect book. Trish and her amazing team are and totally dedicated to bringing good books and young readers together.

The news that author Paul Lynch won the Booker Prize in London last night for ‘Prophet Song’ is just fantastic for Irish writing.  His thought provoking novel set in an Ireland under tyranny is an engrossing read.  I met Paul years ago at Listowel Writer’s festival when his novel ‘Grace’ won the Kerry Fiction Award in 2018 and it is great to see him go on to win this huge international book award.