Eight Irish books have made it on to the long-list for the 2020 Dublin Literary Award.
Among the 156 nominated books is Milkman by Anna Burns, which won the 2018 Man Booker Prize for Fiction.
The €100,000 award, which is organised by Dublin City Council, is the world’s most valuable annual prize for a single work of fiction published in English.
The eight Irish novels nominated for the prestigious prize, which was established 25 years ago, are:
- A Ladder to the Sky by John Boyne
- Milkman by Anna Burns
- The Woman in the Woods by John Connolly
- Begotten Not Made by Cónal Creedon
- Orchid and the Wasp by Caoilinn Hughes
- Skin Deep by Liz Nugent
- Travelling in a Strange Land by David Park
- Normal People by Sally Rooney
The long-list will be narrowed down to a shortlist, which is set to be announced in April 2020. The official winner will be announced by the Lord Mayor of Dublin on 10 June.
Speaking of the global interest in the Award, the City Librarian Mairead Owens said: "This great prize affirms Dublin’s commitment to international writers and translators, to literature and creativity.
"Through this award Dublin, a UNESCO City of Literature, brings the worldwide community of readers together to read the works of contemporary writers from all corners of the world."
The award was most recently won by American writer Emily Ruskovich for her debut novel Idaho. Previous winners include Colm Tóibín, Colum McCann and Kevin Barry.
