Books diary: A great night at the An Post Irish Book Awards, readings for Palestine and counting down to the Booker Prize

Keane on Books

Paul Lynch and Paul Murray who will go head to head tonight at the Booker Prize. Photo: Mark Condren

Madeleine Keane

Christmas always arrives early for the Irish book industry. Thanksgiving Eve to be precise, when we gather to celebrate and honour our vibrant community.

The An Post Irish Book Awards took place on Wednesday at the Convention Centre and joy was especially unconfined at the Sunday Independent table when our own Sophie White took home the National Book Tokens Popular Fiction title of the year for her clever, funny novel My Hot Friend while Colin Walsh was a worthy winner of our Newcomer of the Year for his dazzling debut Kala.