The prestigious IMPAC Award promotes excellence in world literature, and been praised by Oisín Quinnm, Dublin’s Lord Mayor, for promoting Dublin as a city of literary genius.

It also brings book lovers together. ‘Readers at home and abroad’ Quinnm explained, ‘will find new books and new authors on the longlist, and they can pit themselves against the international panel of judges and pick their own favourite, before I announce the winner.’

The Irish titles are:

- The Spinning Heart by Donal Ryan, nominated by Cork City Libraries and by Dublin City Public Libraries, Ireland.

- The Testament of Mary by Colm Tóibín, nominated by Bibliothèque Municipale de Mulhouse, France and by Winnipeg Public Library, Canada.

- The Light of Amsterdam by David Park (Northern Irish), nominated by Tampere City Library, Finland.

The nominations are part of 152 other titles, which include 51 American, 23 British, 11 Canadian novels and 41 novels in translation.

All the novels nominated for the Award are available for readers to borrow from Dublin’s public libraries.

The shortlist will be made public on 9th April 2014

The Lord Mayor will announce the winner on 12th June 2014