Congratulations pour in as Athenry author makes Booker prize longlist

Galway Bay fm newsroom – Congratulations are pouring in for Athenry author Elaine Feeney has made this year’s Booker prize longlist of 13 authors

She secured this major achievement with her book How to Build a Boat which launched in Kenny Gallery at Cúirt last April

It explores the meaning of community and outsiderdom through one boy’s story

Elaine Feeney is the author of three poetry collections, a play text, and this novel How to Build a Boat

She lectures at University of Galway, serves as Creative Director for the Tuam Oral History Project, and also spent some time teaching at St Patrick’s in Tuam

Elaine is one of four Irish authors who made the prestigious list, the highest number ever of Irish authors to make the Booker longlist

The Irish nominees – making up a third of the longlist for the first time – are Elaine Feeney, Paul Murray for The Bee Sting, Sebastian Barry for Old God’s Time and Paul Lynch for Prophet Song.

The shortlist of six books to follow on 21 September.