Wexford People journalist nominated for best independently-published Irish novel
WEXFORD People journalist and Kilkenny-native Simon Bourke has been shortlisted for the Carousel Aware Prize (CAP) for his novel, A Place Without Pain. Awarded to independently published authors, the CAP aims to provide “a platform to showcase the cream of Irish self-published authors” with all money raised from the competition going to the mental health charity Aware.
The shortlist was announced on Monday afternoon and sees A Place Without Pain nominated in the best fiction category alongside Homesick by Mary Minnock, Gracie by Caitriona Coyle, Only The Stones Never Die by Padraig McLoughlin, Begotten Not Made by Conal Creedon, and The Reboot by Clodagh Murphy.
This is Simon’s second time being shortlisted for the CAP with his first novel, And the Birds Kept on Singing, receiving a nomination in 2017. With this year’s winner set to be announced at a ceremony in Dublin on November 1, Simon said he is delighted to have been shortlisted again and will enjoy the experience regardless of the outcome.
“Obviously it’d be great to win, but being shortlisted gives A Place Without Pain some great exposure and has the potential to bring it to a wider audience,” he said. “For self-published authors writing the book is only half the battle, the real challenge is promoting and marketing the book so awards like the CAP are invaluable to writers like myself.”
Set in a fictional village in south Kilkenny, A Place Without Pain tells the story of Aidan Collins, an outsider, a weirdo, as he struggles to find his place in the world. Described by Wexford playwright Billy Roche as “a tragic/comic devilish hymn to the left behind” the book deals with depression, anxiety and addiction in rural Ireland in the years after the Celtic Tiger.
The patron for this year’s CAP is Booker Prize winner and author of Prophet Song, Paul Lynch. “I am delighted to be patron of the Carousel Aware Prize for independent authors,” he said. “This is an important initiative, bringing the cream of brave and original Irish independently-published books out to readers whilst being a fundraiser for Aware. I’d like to wish those submitting this year the very best of luck.”
A Place Without Pain is on sale in bookshops across Wexford and the south-east including The Book Centre ( Wexford, Waterford, and Kilkenny), Easons ( Wexford, Enniscorthy, and Gorey), Hubb 16 in New Ross, and Red Books in Wexford town. It can also be purchased online at Amazon.