Sally Rooney Leads Dublin Literary Longlist
Sally Rooney and Ní Mhaoleoin head the 2026 Dublin Literary Award longlist, continuing Ireland's strong literary tradition on the international stage. The Dublin Literary Award is one of the world's most lucrative literary prizes for a single work of fiction.
The prize is one of the richest in the world for a single novel, with the winner receiving €100,000. If the winning book is a translation, the author receives €75,000 and the translator gets €25,000. The award is sponsored by Dublin City Council and celebrates excellence in world literature. Rooney's nominated book is her fourth novel, "Intermezzo," which follows two brothers dealing with grief after their father's death. Ní Mhaoleoin is longlisted for her debut novel, "Ordinary Saints." Rooney's novel was nominated for the award by libraries in the UK, while Ní Mhaoleoin's was put forward by Libraries Northern Ireland. The longlist of 20 novels was selected from an initial 69 titles nominated by 80 libraries in 36 countries. Among the other longlisted authors are internationally recognized names like Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Ocean Vuong, and Polish Nobel Laureate Olga Tokarczuk. This year's longlist includes six novels in translation. Over the past 30 years, a third of the winning books have been works in translation. The unique nomination process involves public libraries from around the globe submitting titles for consideration. The next stage of the award will be the announcement of a six-book shortlist on April 7th. The winner of the 2026 Dublin Literary Award will be named on May 21st, as part of the International Literature Festival Dublin.
