This year’s awards feature three Irish authors, including Donal Ryan from Co Tipperary. His novel, Heart, Be At Peace, is shortlisted in the fiction category and is described as using 21 distinct voices to explore the hopes and fears of both young people and older generations in rural Ireland.

Colin Barrett, originally from Co Mayo, is nominated in the debut fiction category for Wild Houses, which turns the town of Ballina into the setting for violence and a kidnapping. Barrett is also known for his novella Calm With Horses, adapted into a film starring Barry Keoghan.

Dublin-born Ferdia Lennon joins Barrett on the debut fiction shortlist with his novel Glorious Exploits. Set in Sicily in 412 BC, the story follows two young potters who seize the opportunity to stage a production of Medea, casting captured Athenian soldiers in the roles.

The Nero Book Awards honour outstanding books published in the past year across four categories: fiction, non-fiction, debut fiction, and children’s fiction. Each category features four nominees.

In the children’s fiction category, themes range from murder mysteries to a megalomaniac pelican threatening world domination. The non-fiction shortlist includes a critique of toxic beauty culture and an account of a dramatic shipwreck.

Caffè Nero’s founder and CEO, Gerry Ford, praised the exceptional talent showcased in the shortlist:

“There is extraordinary writing talent in the UK and Ireland, and our judges have worked tirelessly to select 16 outstanding books based on their quality and readability. We received an overwhelming number of entries this year, making the selection process particularly challenging.

“Through the Nero Book Awards, we continue our longstanding support of the arts, strengthening our community-focused mission. We’re thrilled to collaborate with publishers and authors to bring these exceptional books to more readers, both in our coffee houses and beyond.”

The awards, launched in 2023 after Costa Coffee discontinued its popular book awards, aim to inspire writers and readers alike. Winners in each category will be announced on January 14, 2025, with an overall winner revealed at a ceremony on March 5, 2025.

Last year’s overall winner was Dublin-born Paul Murray, who took home the top honour for his fourth novel, The Bee Sting.