A real privilege and a joy to have been asked to join the International Selection Panel for the Fourth Irish Laureate for Fiction.
The Laureateship honours an established Irish writer of fiction and celebrates the contribution of fiction writers to Irish artistic and cultural life. Colm Toíbín is the third Laureate, following Sebastian Barry (2018-2021) and the inaugural Laureate, Anne Enright (2015-2018).
The Laureate for Irish Fiction is an initiative of the Irish Arts Council, initially established in partnership with University College Dublin, New York University, and the Irish Times. It acknowledges the contribution of fiction writers to Irish artistic and cultural life by honouring an established Irish writer of fiction, encouraging a new generation of writers, promoting Irish literature nationally and internationally, and encouraging the public to engage with high-quality Irish fiction.
The process to appoint a Laureate begins mid-way through the year before the new appointment is announced. The Arts Council launch the selection process by inviting nominations from County Libraries, booksellers (via the Booksellers’ Association), Arts Council-funded organisations with a literary interest, national cultural institutions, and their university creative writing residency partners. An external expert shortlisting panel is convened, chaired by the Chair of the Arts Council. This panel uses their expertise and knowledge to assess the nominees in line against the published criteria for the Laureate for Irish Fiction.
These criteria state that the Laureate should:
- have made a significant contribution to prose fiction in Ireland and internationally;
- have an internationally recognised body of high-quality literary writing;
- and be committed to connecting with readers and engaging with the public, the media and the wider arts sector.
This panel establishes a shortlist of names. The Arts Council then contacts all shortlisted writers, outlining key aspects of the honour and associated responsibilities, asking them to confirm whether or not they would accept the position if offered. The final selection from those who put themselves forward for consideration is made by an international panel based on published selection criteria. I joined this alongside Vona Groarke, Anton Hur, Mariella Frostrup and Téa Obreht. Both the reading and selection process were fantastic, and I can’t wait for you to find out who we chose.