

Literature
Shortlist announced for 2025 Kate O’Brien Award for debut novel from female authors
Shortlist announced for 2025 Kate O’Brien Award for debut novel from female authors. The 2024 edition successfully celebrated the 40th anniversary of the festival. Photo via limerickliteraryfestival.com
The shortlist for the 2025 Kate O’Brien Award for a debut novel from an Irish female author has been announced ahead of the festival this February

The Award will be presented as part of the 41st annual Limerick Literary Festival in Honour of Kate O’Brien February 2025. It is one of Ireland’s most vibrant and successful festivals which has been running since 1984 and it showcases in a diverse and eclectic programme the best in Irish and international contemporary literature. The Festival takes place from February 21st to 23rd at the Belltable in Limerick City.
The event continues to honour the life and works of the Limerick author, while attracting prominent participants from all over the world. Building on this significant history, the Limerick Literary Festival seeks to promote Limerick nationally as a place of literary excellence and to provide a platform where readers can meet their favourite authors and other readers.
Shortlist judge Vivienne McKechnie commented on the high standard of all the submissions.
This year we had sixteen debut books submitted for consideration for the Kate O’Brien Award, the most we have ever had. It is wonderful to see such talent emerging and to read the excellent debut novels and short stories produced by Irish female writers. It was a difficult task to come up with a shortlist and I would like to congratulate all sixteen writers for well-written, thought-provoking books on a wide range of themes. We look forward to a lively discussion with the shortlisted authors at the Festival in a special event on Sunday 23rd of February. This is an opportunity to meet these writers at the beginning of their careers and to listen to their stories.”
The winner of the Award will be chosen from the following shortlist:
Old Romantics by Maggie Armstrong
Bodies by Christine Anne Foley

No Small Thing by Orlaine McDonald
Night Swimmers by Roisin Maguire
The judges for this year’s Award are committee member Marie Hackett, poet and committee member Vivienne McKechnie, writer and Children’s book buyer for Kenny’s Bookshop Grainne O’Brien, Director of Narrative 4 James Lawlor and novelist Dan Mooney.
The Kate O’Brien Award comes with a E2000 cash Prize sponsored by Bill and Denise Whelan. The Kate O’Brien Award was established in 2015. It celebrates new Irish writing by a female author. It was established by the organising committee of the Kate O’Brien Weekend to celebrate Irish Women’s Writing in memory of Kate O’Brien. It is an honorary award which celebrates debut Irish fiction; this award is a great affirmation for the debut winner and a recognition of the literary quality of the book.
The festival programme for 2025 includes talks, interviews, panel discussions, poetry, and more to be announced.
Limerick Literary Festival is supported by The Arts Council through the Festival Investment Scheme and Limerick City and County Council through their Festivals and Events and Arts Office’s.