Our Story in Books
The last 140 years have seen many wonderful achievements in Irish literature and we have assembled just a few of those here. This isn't an exhaustive list by any means - we could easily have added dozens more - but we hope it will inspire you to discover something new and join in our celebration of Irish books.
1880s-1890s: Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) at the height of his fame was the toast of high society, beloved for his flamboyant character and the sparkling wit of his subtly subversive plays. His conviction for 'gross indecency' and the harsh conditions of his subsequent imprisonment caused a severe decline in health and informed one of his most important works, The Ballad of Reading Gaol. Today, he is best known for his novel The Picture of Dorian Gray and plays including The Importance of Being Earnest.
1910s-1920s: James Joyce
Although James Joyce (1882-1941) spent most of his life abroad, his work is uniquely informed by his native city, Dublin. While Ulysses is regarded as challenging, short story collection Dubliners - which includes his most famous story, The Dead - is an engaging and accessible read.
Elizabeth Bowen's (1899-1973) The Last September is a portrait of two Irelands colliding. Set during the War of Independence, it chronicles the coming of age of a young Anglo-Irish woman as a privileged way of life begins to disappear forever.
Ireland's Nobel Laureates
Ireland has produced no less than four winners of the Nobel Prize for Literature - William Butler Yeats (1923), George Bernard Shaw (1925), Samuel Beckett (1969) and Seamus Heaney (1995).
Brian Moore's (1921-1999) acclaimed Judith Hearne is an acclaimed study of a middle-aged woman longing for emotional connection and reckoning with her place in the world.
1960s: Edna O'Brien
Edna O'Brien (1930-2024) shot to prominence in 1960 with the publication of her debut novel, The Country Girls. Banned by the Irish censorship board and censured by religious and political figures, it announced the arrival of a major new voice in Irish writing.
1960s-1970s: Seamus Heaney
Seamus Heaney (1939-2013) enjoyed a long and storied career of over five decades, but his most notable works include his debut collection Death of a Naturalist (1966) and the seminal North (1975). The Nobel Laureate's work ranges from the intensely personal to the political, exploring the universality of the human condition across time and space.
Irish winners of the Booker Prize
First awarded in 1969, The Booker Prize is one of the most prestigious prizes in literature. Open to English-language works of fiction published in the UK or Ireland, six Irish novels have won the award.
1980s: Maeve Binchy
Maeve Binchy (1939-2012) published her breakthrough novel, Light A Penny Candle, in 1982. Her warm-hearted, witty and compassionate fiction quietly challenged prejudices and highlighted social issues, winning her devoted fans all over the globe.
Roddy Doyle's debut novel follows a group of unemployed young adults when they form a Dublin soul band before it all comes crashing down. Set in a working class community, the book - and the Barrytown trilogy which followed it - gave voice to an urban experience not often featured in Irish literature.
Colm Tóibín's (born Enniscorthy, 1955) Brooklyn struck a profound chord with Irish readers, examining the experience of emigration through the character of Eilis Lacey as she wrestles with homesickness and must choose between life in Ireland or the USA.
2010s-2020s: Sally Rooney
Sally Rooney (born Castlebar, 1991) has been dubbed 'the first great millennial novelist'. Her works have sold millions of copies, been adapted for the screen and have been translated into over 40 languages.
Coming full circle, in The Weight of Angels, John Boyne asks - what if Oscar Wilde had simply ignored the insult that lead to his downfall? This alternate history imagines a long and prosperous life for one of Irish literature's most beloved characters.