The winners of the KPMG Children’s Books Ireland Awards were announced on 22 May in Merrion Square, Dublin. Congratulations to Clara Kumagai who won the KPMG Book of the Year Award with her novel ‘Catfish Rolling’ and congratulations to Alannah O’Donoghue, a fifth class student from St. Patrick’s Girls National School, Limerick, who received the KPMG Reading Hero Award.
The KPMG Children’s Books Ireland Awards are recognised as the most prestigious awards for children's books in Ireland, north and south and celebrate the best of Irish writing and illustration for young people. The Awards have been running for over thirty years and offer a total prize fund of €16,000 across six categories.
Well done to all our winners, and a special congratulations to our KPMG Reading Hero Alannah..she has displayed an unwavering determination and commitment to reading whilst also finding magic in the turning of each page.
This year's winners
The KPMG Book of the Year Award - 'Catfish Rolling' by Clara Kumagai (Zephyr).
The Honour Award for Fiction – ‘Treacle Town’ by Brian Conaghan (Andersen Press).
The Honour Award for Illustration – ‘Three Tasks for a Dragon’ illustrated by PJ Lynch (Walker Books).
The Eilís Dillon Award for début children’s book – ‘Wider Than the Sea’ written by Serena Molloy (Hodder Children’s Books)
The Judges’ Special Award – ‘The Hare-Shaped Hole,’ written by John Dougherty and illustrated by Thomas Docherty. (Frances Lincoln Children's Books)
The KPMG Junior Juries’ Award – ‘The Hare-Shaped Hole’ written by John Dougherty and illustrated by Thomas Docherty. (Frances Lincoln Children's Books)
Clara Kumagai, author of Catfish Rolling
KPMG Reading Hero Award
The KPMG Reading Hero Award recognises a young person’s reading potential. They may be voracious readers or have just finished their first book, overcoming learning or language difficulties to do so. They may not be the fastest reader in their class, but they’ll probably be the most passionate.
This year, it was Alannah O’Donoghue, a fifth class student from St. Patrick’s Girls National School, Limerick who received the KPMG Reading Hero Award. This award recognises remarkable passion and achievement in reading by a young person.
Speaking on the award, Alannah said “Reading gets me into the zone, it calms me. When I read it's like I'm living in the world of the characters, reading helps me escape from the stress of school and tests.”
(L-R) Elaina Ryan, CEO of Children’s Books Ireland, Alannah O’Donoghue, Reading Hero 2024, Maria Flannery, Partner at KPMG Ireland