Newtown author in line for literary award

Newtown author Donal Ryan's 'The Thing About December' is one of five Irish novels among the nominations for the €100,000 IMPAC Dublin Literary Award.

A total of 142 titles have been nominated by libraries worldwide for the world’s most valuable annual literary prize for a single work of fiction published in English.
Organised by Dublin City Council, the 2015 Award was launched today by the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Christy Burke, Patron of the Award, at a ceremony in The Dublin City Library & Archive.
The Irish titles are:  The Herbalist by Niamh Boyce, nominated by Galway County Library; The Guts by Roddy Doyle, nominated by Liverpool City Libraries, UK; TransAtlantic by Colum McCann, nominated by Halifax Public Libraries, Canada; Dublin City Public Libraries, Ireland; Waterford City & County Libraries, Ireland; Liverpool City Libraries, UK; New Hampshire State Libraries, Concord, USA; The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, USA; The Rising of Bella Casey by Mary Morrissy, nominated by Cork City Libraries and Dublin City Public Libraries, Ireland; and The Thing About December by Donal Ryan, nominated by Limerick City Library, Ireland.
The full list of 142 titles is available on www.impacdublinaward.ie.  The shortlist will be made public on 15th April 2015 and the Lord Mayor will announce the winner on 17th June.