It’s congratulations – again! – to recent Hot Press interviewee Kevin Barry whose City Of Bohane has won the 59th Authors’ Club Best First Novel Award.
Launched in 1954, the prize has previously heralded such prodigious talents as Alan Sillitoe, Paul Bailey, Peter Benson, Jackie Kay and Anthony Quinn. As for the club itself, Oscar Wilde, Thomas Hardy, Arthur Conan Doyle, Bram Stoker, H.G. Wells and Graham Greene are all old boys.
The Limerick scribe had to beat off stiff competition this year from Alice Albinia’s Leela’s Book; Patrick McGuinness’ The Last Hundred Days; Clare Morgan’s A Book For All And None and Padrika Tarrant’s The Knife Drawer. Also a past winner of the Rooney and Sunday Times EFG Private Bank awards, Barry was presented with his £2,500 winner’s cheque last night at the National Liberal Club in London.