Kildare authors shortlisted for An Post Irish Book Awards 2019

Kildare based authors Orla McAlinden and Amy Gaffney have both been included in the shortlist of six nominees under the ‘Short Story of the Year’ category for the An Post Irish Book Awards 2019 which will take place on November 20.

Orla McAlinden is a multi-award-winning novelist and short story writer living in Newbridge, Co Kildare. Her published books are The Accidental Wife, The Flight of the Wren and Full of Grace.

A story "The Visit" from her first book won the Irish Book Awards Short Story of the Year award in 2016 and she is absolutely delighted that, with "A Real Woman" from her most recent book Full of Grace published in May 2019, she has been shortlisted once again for this very prestigious award.   

Speaking this week upon her nomination for the prestigious award, Orla McAlinden said that she is ‘thrilled’ to be one of six authors shortlisted.

"To have won the award once was a fabulous vote of confidence in a very new writer, and to be shortlisted again gives me such a lift, and renewed vigour to keep writing, which can be a lonely and frustrating task, at times, “she said.

"A Real Woman" is a hyper-realist story set in 2019 in rural Northern Ireland, in a changing land, where Fr Anthony O'Donovan receives an unexpected visitor who wishes to confess a dark secret.

Orla McAlinden is not the first writer to have been shortlisted more than once, but no-one has ever won the prize twice. "That would be an absolute dream come true," she laughs, "but I'm counting no chickens, this year has an incredibly strong shortlist with six really wonderful stories."

Orla is also busy working on a fourth book, a historical novel set in Tipperary and Kildare at the turn of the 19th Century.

Meanwhile Amy Gaffney’s gripping short story ‘Mother, May I?’ has also been shortlisted for the An Post Short Story Award. The short story follows the struggles of 33-year-old Maggie, who yearns to be a mother yet feels compounded by modern trappings. Newbridge native Amy has lived in Kildare Town for the past twenty years and she has loved reading and writing from a young age, her favourites growing up were Little Women, and Little House on the Prairie.

 Amy attended the Holy Family Secondary School in Newbridge before marrying her husband with whom she now has three children. As her children grew older, Amy decided to return to writing by joining the Newbridge Library writer’s group and attending local book launches.

At 38 years of age, Amy went to UCD where she studied English Literature for her undergraduate degree and she also won a part scholarship for her MA in Creative Writing, also at UCD, and graduated with a First in 2018.

 Speaking this week after the nominations were announced, a delighted Amy said:

“I didn't expect my piece, Mother, May I? to go anywhere, and to have it shortlisted for the An Post Irish Book Awards Short Story of the Year 2019 is overwhelming and fantastic. It's a huge honour to be acknowledged alongside other brilliant writers. The awards night is the 20th November, 2019, but I am not even considering winning. The short listing is huge as it is!”

The talented Kildare authors will find out their fate at a star studded gala awards dinner and ceremony on Wednesday 20 November at the Convention Centre in Dublin, sponsored by An Post and hosted by Miriam O'Callaghan.

The highlights of the awards will be broadcast on RTÉ television on Saturday 23 November.

Award-winning Kilcullen bookshop Woodbine Books is hosting a free, public event with both shortlisted authors, reading and discussing their nominated stories, and an open mic for audience members to read, on Wednesday 6 November from 7pm.

 Pictured: Orla McAliden (left) author of 'A Real Woman' and Amy Gaffney (right) author of 'Mother, May I?'