The Laureate For Irish Fiction

08/08/2025

In Ship in Full Sail Colm Tóibín’s ‘Laureate Lectures’ bookend thirty-four crystal clear essays, one written each month in the course of his tenure as Laureate of Irish Fiction. The myriad topics they embrace include Artificial Intelligence, reading Ulysses, the discomfort of Salman Rushdie in the wilds of County Dublin, Bob Dylan in concert, a life of Thom Gunn and the author’s role in a campaign to save the House of The Dead.

The lectures themselves ruminate on abiding interests — traditional Irish music and the visual arts. Ship in Full Sail — a veritable cornucopia — offers unmatched insights into the range of thinking and ways of working of one of Ireland’s belovèd writers.

Available from September 4 from The Gallery Press.

17/07/2025

We were delighted to welcome Minister Patrick O'Donovan and some of his team to the Arts Council offices yesterday to meet staff and to participate in what he described as a "very productive meeting" with the board.

15/07/2025

Listen back to Éilís Ní Dhuibhne, the new Laureate for Irish Fiction, chatting to Claire Byrne this morning about her Laureateship.

I'm listening to Éilís Ní Dhuibhne, the new Laureate for Irish fiction on RTÉ Radio 1

15/07/2025

‘What makes a good story?’
We are delighted to announce that the new Laureate for Irish Fiction 2025-2028 is Éilís Ní Dhuibhne!

Mariella Frostrup, a member of the international selection panel said “I’m so excited by the appointment of Éilís Ní Dhuibhne as Laureate for Irish Fiction. It’s a welcome opportunity to acknowledge and highlight a remarkable writing career, encompassing short stories, novels and non-fiction and also to celebrate her valuable contribution to Gaelic via her bi-lingual prose.

Her short stories, novels and non-fiction profoundly speak to the female experience while dealing with universal themes of aspiration, disappointment, love, jealousy, hope and human inadequacy- often with a hefty ladle of humour thrown in!

As a teacher of creative writing, she’s shown a deft ability to inspire writers and readers alike, adding to her credentials for this new public-facing role. I’m delighted that her wonderful books will now be introduced to an even wider audience and very much looking forward to the programme of activity that she will lead during her term as Laureate.”

Hear more about what Éilís had to say about the appointment:

Libraries Ireland
Irish Writers Centre
Poetry Ireland / Éigse Éireann
Munster Literature Centre
Literature Ireland
Museum of Literature Ireland
National Library of Ireland
Bookselling Ireland
Cliodhna Ni Anluain
Eilis Ni Dhuibhne
West Cork Literary Festival
Dublin City of Literature
Téa Obreht
Piers Torday
Cúirt International Festival of Literature
Blackstaff Press
Laureate na nÓg
The Ireland Chair of Poetry
Dalkey Book Festival
International Literature Festival Dublin
Dublin Book Festival
The Dublin Review

The Arts Council is delighted to announce the appointment of Éilís Ní Dhuibhne as the Laureate for Irish Fiction 2025 - 2028. The Laureate for Irish Fiction...

07/07/2025

Residency opportunity for Writers - closes on Wednesday 9th July at 5pm

Apply now: John Broderick Residency

In partnership with Westmeath County Council we offer the John Broderick Writers Residency Series is designed to honour John Broderick while supporting a writer in developing their work.

Apply now: https://bit.ly/4l870bb

30/05/2025

Wishing Colm Tóibín a very happy 70th birthday today!

We're also pleased to note that he will be awarded an Honorary Degree from the University of Oxford on 25 June. Congratulations!

📸: Patrick Browne (Brownes Photography)

09/05/2025

Finally, a big thank you to Brian Lavery, Deputy Chair of The Arts Council, who chaired our selection panel!

Currently a manager at Google leading European e-commerce partnerships, Brian brings a wealth of experience from senior roles at AccuWeather, Twitter, Vodafone, and McKinsey & Co. Earlier in his career, he worked as a journalist and independent arts critic. He also chaired the board of The Ark, and served as a treasurer on the board of BirdWatch Ireland.

The Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon

07/05/2025

Bestselling author Téa Obreht—known for The Tiger’s Wife and Inland—also served on our selection panel for the next Laureate for Irish Fiction!

Originally from the former Yugoslavia, Téa now lives in Wyoming and teaches at the Bennington Writing Seminars. Her latest novel, The Morningside, is a finalist for the inaugural Climate Fiction Prize. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, Harper’s, and more.

The Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon

05/05/2025

Piers Torday is an award-winning children’s writer and playwright. From The Last Wild to Midnight Treasure, his books have reached readers in over 14 languages. He has judged awards including the Costa Book Awards and the BookTrust Lifetime Achievement Award, and we were delighted he brought his insight to the selection panel for the 4th Laureate for Irish Fiction!

The Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon

02/05/2025

We're thrilled to have had the brilliant Mariella Frostrup on our selection panel!

One of the UK’s leading broadcasters, Mariella has hosted BBC Radio 4’s Open Book for two decades. She has judged major awards like the Booker, Women’s Prize, and BAFTAs. She is also the author of Wild Women, a collection of first-hand accounts from female explorers, and the pioneering Cracking the Menopause.

The Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon

29/04/2025

The next international selection panellist we’re pleased to introduce is Anton Hur—acclaimed writer and translator of Korean literature.

Born in Stockholm and now based in Seoul, Anton is a PEN Translates and PEN/Heim grant recipient. His translations of Bora Chung’s Cursed Bunny and Sang Young Park’s Love in the Big City were shortlisted and longlisted, respectively, for the 2022 International Booker Prize. Also an educator, he has taught at institutions such as the British Centre for Literary Translation. His own writing has appeared in Words Without Borders, Asymptote Journal, Litro, and more.

The Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon

25/04/2025

Meet the international selection panel!

Over the next few days, we’ll be introducing the distinguished individuals who served on the panel to select the new Laureate for Irish Fiction. First up is celebrated poet, essayist, reviewer, and editor, Vona Groarke.

Author of fifteen books—including Woman of Winter (The Gallery Press: Poetry & Drama from Ireland, 2023) and the forthcoming Infinity Pool—Vona’s work spans poetry, prose, and literary criticism. Her award-winning Hereafter (2022) explores the lives of Irish women domestic servants in 19th-century New York. She teaches at the University of Manchester and is currently Writer in Residence at St John’s College, Cambridge.

Stay tuned for more! The Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon