An Post Irish Book Awards Marks 20th Anniversary with List of 60 Best Irish Titles as Booksellers Vote for the Ages
The An Post Irish Book Awards has celebrated its 20th anniversary by publishing a list of the 60 best Irish titles of the past two decades, selected by booksellers from across the country in a vote that has produced a remarkable survey of Irish literary achievement — a list that spans the full range of Irish writing, from literary fiction and memoir to poetry, children's literature, and popular non-fiction, and that reflects the extraordinary richness of Irish publishing over the past twenty years.
Background
The An Post Irish Book Awards were established twenty years ago with the ambition of celebrating the best of Irish writing and of connecting readers with the books that matter most to the people who know them best — the booksellers who recommend them, sell them, and watch readers respond to them. The awards have grown steadily in prestige and public recognition, becoming one of the most watched events in the Irish literary calendar and a significant driver of book sales for the titles that are shortlisted and awarded.
The decision to mark the 20th anniversary with a bookseller vote for the best titles of the past two decades was a natural extension of the awards' founding philosophy. Booksellers are uniquely positioned to assess the lasting impact of books — they see which titles continue to sell years after publication, which ones readers return to recommend to friends and family, and which ones have genuinely changed the way people think about Ireland and about themselves. The 60 titles selected by the bookseller vote therefore represent not just critical judgement but a form of popular wisdom about what Irish writing has mattered most.
The twenty years covered by the anniversary list have been an extraordinary period for Irish writing. The period has seen Irish authors win the Booker Prize, the Nobel Prize for Literature, and a host of other international awards. It has seen the emergence of new voices that have expanded the range and ambition of Irish literature, and the continued development of established writers who have produced some of their finest work in this period.
Key Developments
The 60 titles selected by the bookseller vote span every genre and form of Irish writing. The fiction list includes novels that have become touchstones of contemporary Irish literature — works that have captured the experience of living in Ireland through periods of economic boom and bust, social transformation, and political change. The non-fiction list includes memoirs, histories, and works of cultural criticism that have shaped public understanding of Ireland's past and present. The poetry list reflects the extraordinary vitality of Irish poetry in the period, with collections that have won international recognition and that have found large audiences beyond the traditional poetry readership.
The children's literature selections are a reminder that Irish writing for young readers has been one of the most dynamic areas of Irish publishing in the past two decades, with authors and illustrators producing work that has been recognised internationally and that has introduced generations of young Irish readers to the pleasures of books. The booksellers' choices in this category reflect a deep knowledge of which books have genuinely connected with young readers and which have stood the test of time.
The publication of the list has prompted a national conversation about the state of Irish publishing and about the conditions that have allowed Irish writing to flourish. Publishers, agents, and authors have all contributed to the discussion, with many pointing to the importance of public investment in the arts, the role of libraries and schools in developing readers, and the contribution of independent bookshops in sustaining a culture of reading.
Why It Matters
The An Post Irish Book Awards anniversary list matters because it provides a moment of collective reflection on what Irish writing has achieved in the past two decades — and because it makes that achievement visible and accessible to a wide audience. In a media environment that often prioritises novelty over depth, a list of the best books of twenty years is a reminder that literature has a longer life than the news cycle, and that the books that matter most are those that continue to speak to readers long after their initial publication. The list also matters because it celebrates the work of booksellers — a profession that is under significant economic pressure from online retail and digital publishing, but that continues to play an irreplaceable role in connecting readers with books. The bookseller vote is a recognition of that role and a statement about the value of the human expertise and passion that booksellers bring to their work.
Local Impact
The publication of the anniversary list has generated significant interest in bookshops across Ireland, with many reporting increased sales of the titles included. Independent bookshops in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick, and across the country have been using the list as a basis for displays and recommendations, and several have reported that customers are using it as a reading guide. The list has also been welcomed by libraries across the country, which have been using it to review and update their collections. The An Post Irish Book Awards ceremony, which will take place later in the year, is expected to draw significant media attention as the 20th anniversary is marked with a special programme of events.
What's Next
The An Post Irish Book Awards will announce the shortlists for the 2026 awards in the autumn, with the ceremony expected to take place in November. The 20th anniversary will be marked with a special programme of events, including a series of readings and conversations with authors whose work has been recognised by the awards over the past two decades. The full list of the 60 best Irish titles of the past twenty years is available on the An Post Irish Book Awards website and has been distributed to bookshops and libraries across the country.
