Dee Barragry takes Staróg Prize as awards season heats up

Keane on Books

John Banville appears at the Leaves Festival of Writing and Music, Co Laois. Photo: Leonardo Cendamo

Madeleine Keane

Congratulations to Dublin-based Dee Barragry who has won the inaugural Staróg Prize for a children’s writer. Her magical middle-grade tale The Lampwick Chronicles captivated me and my fellow judges, Denise Johnstone-Burt and Gráinne Clear (respectively Publishing Director and Editorial Director for Fiction at Walker Books) and literary agent Polly Nolan.

Barragry’s prize is a publishing deal with Walker Books and representation by Nolan. The runners up were Kevin Moran and Ruth Stevenson. ​