Niamh Campbell wins prestigious Sunday Times Audible Short Story Award

Less than a month after releasing her acclaimed debut novel, This Happy, Niamh Campbell has been awarded the Sunday Times Audible Short Story Award.

Her entry, 'Love Many', was described by judge David Nicholls as "an original and touching modern love story".

"We were completely seduced as a judging panel by Niamh Campbell's 'Love Many' –immaculately written, haunting, richly imagined and psychologically astute, with phrases that will stay with you," said judge Andrew Holgate. "One of the great joys of the Sunday Times Audible Short Story Award is its ability, because of the “blind ” reading by judges, to discover remarkable new voices. And Campbell clearly demonstrates with this story just how remarkable she is, and what a natural short story writer. After the prize's discovery of Sally Rooney, and after Danielle McLaughlin carried off the award last year, Campbell's win just confirms, if confirmation was needed, the striking rise of female Irish voices on the world literary stage.”

The shortlist for the award also included Irish writer Louise Kennedy, with her story 'Sparing the Heather'. Past winners include Pulitzer Prize-winning authors Junot Díaz, Anthony Doerr and Adam Johnson, as well as Irish writers Kevin Barry and Danielle McLaughlin.

Campbell recently spoke to Hot Press about her superb debut novel This Happy – a powerful exploration of sex, relationships and the past's influence on the present.

Read the full interview here, and read her winning short story, 'Love Many', here.