Bord Gáis Energy Book of the Year winner

Donal Ryan's brilliant debut novel The Spinning Heart has been voted the Bord Gáis Energy Book of the Year from a shortlist comprising the winners of the individual generic categories announced at the Irish Book Awards gala dinner on November 22nd. Despite competition from major writers such as John Banville, Edna O'Brien and the highly-acclaimed Atlas of the Great Irish Famine, Ryan's expansive and ambitious novel emerged as the overall winner in what was commonly regarded as a wonderful year for Irish writing