Literature
University of Limerick lecturer Donal Ryan wins Orwell Prize for Political Fiction
University of Limerick lecturer Donal Ryan wins Orwell Prize for Political Fiction
Nenagh author and UL Creative Writing lecturer, Donal Ryan, has been announced as the winner of the prestigious 2025 Orwell Prize for Political Fiction
Award-winning, acclaimed author, Donal Ryan, has been announced as the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction winner for his novel, ‘Heart, Be At Peace’, a lyrical novel told in 21 voices in small-town rural Ireland.
Ryan was announced as the winner on Wednesday, June 25, 2025, the award recognises engaging political writing which highlights pressing social issues.
‘Heart, Be At Peace’ is set in a small town in rural Ireland, where the local people have weathered the storms of economic collapse and are looking towards the future. The jobs are back, the dramas of the past seemingly lulled, and although the town bears the marks of its history, new stories are unfolding.
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But a fresh menace is creeping around the lakeshore and the lanes of the town, and the peace of the community is about to be shattered in an unimaginable way. Young people are being drawn towards the promise of fast money whilst the generation above them tries to push back the tide of an enemy no one can touch.
Ryan’s novel was praised by judges for evoking “empathy, range, and political resonance”, with the judges also highlighting how the 21 voices allow the author to capture the struggles and hopes of the people of a town shaped by economic and social change. Jim Crace, Chair of Judges for the 2025 Political Fiction Book prize, said the novel was chosen “for its clarity. For its perfectly pitched voices. For its humanity and kindness”.
This win adds another accolade to the UL Creative Writing lecturer’s growing awards for ‘Heart, Be At Peace’, which was announced as An Post Irish Book of the Year 2024, repeating the success experienced by his novel, ‘The Spinning Heart’, which won the prize in 2012.
Winning the Orwell Prize puts Donal Ryan among a talented group of Irish writers, joining previous winners honoured by the Orwell Foundation, who include Anna Burns and Claire Keegan.
The prize worth ÂŁ3,000 (almost €3,500) was chosen by the 2025 Political Fiction Book prize Judges Anita Sethi, Jim Crace (Chair), Laura Battle, and Matthew Beaumont. Also awarded posthumously in the Political Writing category on the evening was Ukrainian author Victoria Amelina for her unfinished work, ‘Looking at Women, Looking at War’, a piece which documents the efforts of Ukrainians during the ongoing conflict.
The Orwell Foundation says it exists to “promote Orwell’s values of bravery, integrity, decency and fidelity to truth.”
The foundation says, “Each year, we award prizes to the books and journalism which best meet Orwell’s ambition to ‘make political writing into an art’. Our innovative Youth Prize supports the next generation of socially-engaged young writers through workshops, resources and individual feedback for every entrant, while our events include the annual Orwell Lecture, which has attracted renowned speakers from the worlds of literature, politics, and the arts.”
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