Louise Brangan’s The Fallen: The Magdalene Laundries and Ireland’s Legacy of Silence, which draws on archives and survivors’ testimonies in The Fallen to reveal the dark history of the laundries and Ireland’s legacy of silence, is one of eight shortlisted titles selected from almost 400 international submissions for the 2026 Cundill History Prize.
Administered by McGill University, the Cundill History Prize is the world’s leading award for history writing. The $75,000 prize is awarded annually to the book that demonstrates excellence across the prize’s guiding criteria: craft, communication and consequence. The two runners-up each receive $10,000.
From the world’s first Jewish ghetto to Indigenous enslavement in North America, from Chinese life under American racial law to the reshaping of modern South Asia and the global life of an everyday commodity, the shortlist highlights books that uncover forgotten voices and speak to our current context of conflict, nationalism and globalised commodity chains.
The shortlist also illuminates untold histories such as the key role of Christianity in the personality cult at the heart of North Korea’s dictatorship, recovers overlooked voices like those of the women incarcerated in Ireland’s Magdalene Laundries, and shines new light on familiar subjects, including that of the American constitution. Together, they showcase the range and excellence of contemporary history writing.
Chaired by Emily Greenwood, James F. Rothenberg Professor of Classics at Harvard University, the 2026 jury includes leading historians and writers Ned Blackhawk, Fergal Keane and Barbara Weinstein.
Greenwood said: “I feel a great sense of excitement and conviction about this shortlist. Each book on this list invites readers into an absorbing prose world and leaves them with a different reckoning of history.
“Taken together, they uncover histories that have been forgotten, silenced, or simply not intuited because we lacked the evidence and interpretative frameworks to grasp unobvious connections and to question settled accounts. Crucially, each shortlisted work encompasses different domains of history and evinces subtle, interdisciplinary ways of knowing the past and how we relate to it, blending fresh archival research, deep historical acumen, and strong narrative verve.”
The shortlist
Louise Brangan – The Fallen: The Magdalene Laundries and Ireland’s Legacy of Silence (Bodley Head)
Jonathan Cheng – Korean Messiah: Kim Il Sung and the Christian Roots of North Korea’s Personality Cult (Knopf)
Sam Dalrymple – Shattered Lands: Five Partitions and the Making of Modern Asia (William Collins)
Linford D. Fisher – Stealing America: The Hidden Story of Indigenous Slavery in US History (Liveright/W.W. Norton)
Eric T. Jennings – Vanilla: The History of an Extraordinary Bean (Yale University Press)
Alexander Lee – The First Ghetto: Venice and the Jews (Picador)
Jill Lepore – We The People: A History of the US Constitution (Liveright/John Murray Press)
Beth Lew-Williams – John Doe Chinaman: A Forgotten History of Chinese Life Under American Racial Law (The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press)
The three finalists will be announced on September 30th, with the winner revealed on October 23rd as part of the Cundill History Prize Festival in Montreal.
Tomorrow’s books pages
In The Irish Times tomorrow, Sebastian Barry tells me about his latest novel, The Newer world, and reflects on his troubled upbringing and distinguished career. Carlo Gébler tells Lara Marlowe about his memoir of his mother Edna O’Brien’s last years and death in 2024. And there is a Q&A with the author Elizabeth Wassell Montague.
Reviews are John Connolly on For the Dead Remember: The Life of M.R. James by Darryl Jones; Peter Lonsdale on the Cambridge Companion to Martin Amis; Edel Coffey on Death Do Us by Ruthy Mason; Brian Cliff and Elizabeth Mannion on the best new crime fiction; Claire Adam on The Disappearers by Marlon James; Mei Chin on The Bridge by Colm Tóibín; Pat Carty on Prophets, Profits, Caches and Kings by Jared Diamond; Margaret Hickey on The Writer’s Map: An Atlas of Imaginary Lands by Huw Lewis-Jones; Michael O’Loughlin on Anna Arno’s Paul Celan: A Life; Andrew Lynch on Hinterlands: Journeys through Europe’s Unfinished Frontiers by Hannah Lucinda Smith; Sara Keating on children’s books; Roe McDermott on Susan Stryker’s Changing Gender: The History and Future of a Concept; and Neil Hegarty on Setting the Land Free: Visions of a Rewilded Ireland by Eoghan Daltun.
Baillie Gifford Prize
The Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction longlist has been announced.
Kirsty Lang, broadcaster and chair of judges, said: “A god-king, a French film star, a romantic novelist, an 18th century explorer, and a fascinating coterie of spies, revolutionaries, émigrés and artists are just some of the extraordinary casts of characters that readers will encounter when exploring this year’s longlist.
“All 13 books have compelling narratives that entertain as well as inform, and the longlist covers a huge variety of subjects; from literary biography to ancient and modern history, true crime and outstanding reportage from across the globe.”
This year’s longlist brings together vivid biographies and revelatory true stories, including of big literary figure James Baldwin, romance novelist and socialite Barbara Cartland, and 18th-century naturalist and explorer George Forster. Readers are also taken from the ancient world through the life of Alexander the Great to the famed Parisian Hôtel Lutetia during its wartime transformation.
Other subjects include a range of historical investigations and first-hand accounts that illuminate conflict, power and identity, from Berlin during the second World War, revolution in Syria and art, survival and resistance in wartime Ukraine, to espionage in Cold War Iran and the geopolitical mystery of Nord Stream. The longlist also explores the high-profile investigation surrounding French film icon Alain Delon, the tragic story of London teenager Zac Brettler, and offers an intimate portrait of Putin’s Russia.
The longlist is: Baldwin: A Love Story by Nicholas Boggs; Stay Alive: Berlin, 1939–1945 by Ian Buruma; Murder In Paris ’68: A true story of death and glamour by Edward Chisholm; Days of Love and Rage: A Story of Revolution by Anand Gopal; Ukrainian Lessons: Art in a Time of War by Charlotte Higgins; London Falling: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family’s Search for Truth by Patrick Radden Keefe; Redwood: The Untold Story of the Cold War’s Most Extraordinary Spy by Ben Macintyre; The Nord Stream Conspiracy: The Inside Story of the Explosions That Shook the World by Bojan Pancevski; Alexander: God, King, Man by Edmund Richard n; Hotel Exile: Paris in the Shadow of War by Jane Rogoyska; Never Say War: Life Inside Russia by Åsne Seierstad, translated by Siân Mackie; The Great Dictator: A Life of Barbara Cartland by Matthew Sweet; The Traveller: The Revolutionary Life of George Forster and his Search for Humanity by Andrea Wulf.
You can find out more about the books longlisted on the Baillie Gifford Prize website. The winner will be announced on November 4th.
Cheltenham Literature Festival
The full programme for Cheltenham Literature Festival, which runs from October 9th to 18th, has now been announced, championing both celebrated and emerging authors.
Authors taking part include BBC National Short Story Award winner Lucy Caldwell on the art of the short story and her latest collection, Devotions; Hernan Diaz; Matt Haig; Elif Shafak; Simon Armitage; Daniel Hahn; Yann Martel; and Andrew Davies.
The full programme is available to view at cheltenhamfestivals.org/literature
Recognition for poet Anne Casey
Seang (Hungering) by Anne Casey has been awarded a 2026 New York City Big Book Award in the category of Poetry-Social Justice, Migration & Political Witness. The 2026 NYC Big Book Award & Independent Press Awards will be presented at an Awards Gala in New York on April 10th, 2027: https://www.nycbigbookaward.com/
Seang (Hungering), Casey’s sixth book of poetry published by Salmon Poetry, has also been Highly Commended in the New South Wales History Awards in Australia, which has a total prize pool of AUD$85,000. The awards acknowledge the contribution of historical research to Australia’s culture and communities, and to society at large.
“A powerful collection of poetry, Seang (Hungering) recounts the experiences of Irish women and girls who fled Ireland for Australia to escape the Great Hunger of 1845–1851. Drawing on extensive archival research in both countries, including immigrant letters, famine ledgers and the records of such institutions as Newcastle Industrial School, Anne Casey transforms historical evidence into collective and individual stories through a powerful creative form.”
Deriving from her extensive doctoral research, Seang (Hungering) explores the life experiences of Irish famine immigrant women to Australia and seeks to give voice to the silenced through poetics of resistance. Originally from west Clare, Casey has lived for three decades in Australia, where she is engaged in Irish cultural work through heritage groups in partnership with the Irish government overseas program.
Irish writers shortlisted
Three Irish writers have been shortlisted in the Edinburgh Writing Awards; Lynda Marron (Cork) and Eleanor Hooker (Tipperary) in the Essay Awards (judged by Prof Camilla Toulmin and Sir Mark Jones) scottishartstrust.org/results-essays; Edelle Dwyer (Galway) has been shortlisted for the short story award. (judged by Chris Brookmyre and Marisa Haetzman) scottishartstrust.org/results-short-story
Hooker’s essay is about her first six months as a student nurse at Jervis St Hospital, which she previously fictionalised in this flash fiction in The Irish Times.
Allingham Festival
The Allingham Festival Committee has announced that poet, author and creative writing tutor Denise Blake will judge the entries in the 2026 Allingham Poetry Competition. She replaces poet and publisher Kate Newmann, who will be unable to attend the awards ceremony on November 7th at the Allingham Festival.
The 2026 Poetry & Flash Fiction Competitions are open for entries until September 27th. Competition rules and entry forms are found online at allinghamfestival.com/competitions/fiction-poetry-competitions/.
The festival will take place from November 4th to 8th in Ballyshannon, Co Donegal. Headline guests include writers Elaine Feeney, Michael Harding, and Paul Howard (Ross O’Carroll-Kelly), plus a vibrant programme of music, films, and workshops. Details at allinghamfestival.com.
Launches
The Keough-Naughton Institute for Irish Studies hosts the launch of Early Deane: Essays on Irish Literature, Culture and Politics by Seamus Deane, published by Cambridge University Press in Notre Dame Dublin, O’Connell House, 58 Merrion Square South, on Wednesday, September 23rd at 6pm. The collection will be formally launched by editor Maurice Fitzpatrick (Marie Curie Fellow, Sciences Po Paris) and Stephen Rea (Field Day). Speakers will include Prof. Declan Kiberd (University of Notre Dame), Prof. Emer Nolan (Maynooth University), and John Banville.
Carlo Gébler will launch Martina Devlin’s new novel, Glorious Monsters, published by Lilliput Press, on October 1st, at 6pm, in Hodges Figgis, Dawson St, Dublin 2.
Thomas MacDonagh Hedge School
The fourth annual Thomas MacDonagh Hedge School takes place in Cloughjordan from September 16th – 19th, with this year’s programme exploring memory and legacy.
The Thomas MacDonagh Museum will host four days of talks and events featuring National Archives Keeper of Manuscripts Zoë Reid, historian and broadcaster Turtle Bunbury, and members of the MacDonagh family, including Dr Joe MacDonagh and Michelle Drysdale in conversation with The Irish Times Political Editor Pat Leahy. Genealogy talks and workshops with Michael Reynolds, Nora O’Meara and Darragh Johnson will offer practical guidance on researching family history and creating family trees.
On Culture Night, Friday, September 18th, the museum will launch an exhibition curated by local artist Lian Callaghan, featuring work by members of the North Tipperary Artists’ Collective. Inspired by the themes of memory and legacy, the exhibition will run for six weeks, with artwork available for sale.
Tickets €15 –€40 via Eventbrite
Lecture
A public lecture will be given by Prof. Barry Sheils (Durham University) at MoLI on Monday, September 28th at 7pm.
Astonishing Sentences: From Modernism to Generative AI is part of a Research Ireland funded series – Modernism and the Making of Contemporary Europe – which explores what European modernism was, and what it is today.
Please register using this link (tickets are free but seats are limited).
Murder One
Murder One, Ireland’s International Crime Writing Festival, returns to Dublin from October 15th to 18th for its ninth year of events, readings and masterclasses in Dún Laoghaire’s DLR Lexicon Library & Cultural Centre.
The festival features international crime writing talent and special guests, including Ardal O’Hanlon, Andrea Mara, Jane Casey, Jo Spain, T.M. Logan, Harriett Tyce (who featured on series 4 of the Traitors UK), Dave Rudden, and Catherine Ryan Howard. murderone.ie
Dublin Festival of History
Dublin City Council’s Dublin Festival of History has announced its programme of events for 2026, taking place from September 26th to October 11th at various venues across Dublin.
Now in its 14th year, the Dublin Festival of History continues to bring fresh perspectives on history, attracting bestselling Irish and international historians to Dublin for a high-profile programme of history and debate. The festival opens with The Big Weekend – a packed two-day programme of talks, debates and panel discussions – and will close on Sunday, October 11th with a special European History Day at the Royal Irish Academy of Music.
On Saturday, September 26th, at Cabra Library, historians from Bohemians, Shelbourne, Shamrock Rovers and St Patrick’s Athletic will explore the history of Dublin’s great football clubs. At Richmond Barracks, Sonja Tiernan will discuss the life of poet, pacifist and political activist Eva Gore-Booth, while at Central Library Aoife McCloughlin will explore the story of two pieces of Dublin public art – the Anna Livia Fountain and Molly Malone statue – both unveiled during the Dublin Millennium in 1988. Other Saturday events include Gerard Shannon on Rory O’Connor, one of the most important IRA leaders of the revolutionary period; Connal Parr on the Irish Anti-Apartheid Movement; and Kevin Rafter on Magill, Vincent Browne and Ireland in the 1980s.
On Sunday, September 27th, a full day of talks features the best of national and international talent at the Round Room in the Mansion House. Bestselling authorJames Hawes will talk about his runaway non-fiction success of the year, The Shortest History of Ireland, while Antonia Senior tells the story of the Cambridge Five and their decades of espionage for the Soviet Union. Dublin and Manchester United legend Kevin Moran reflects on his career with Roy Curtis. Katja Hoyer examines the Weimar Republic, and its lasting cultural and political impact. A panel featuring Cormac Moore, Margaret Ward and David McCullagh, chaired by Ronan McGreevy, will examine a century of Fianna Fáil, founded in 1926, while historian Aoife Bhreatnach looks back at the establishment of the Committee on Evil Literature and the censorship culture that followed. The centenary of the first census of the Irish Free State will also be explored in The Story of Us: Dublin in the 1926 Census. With the release of the 1926 Census returns by the National Archives, Dr John Gibney, Prof. Terence Dooley, Dr Ruth McManus and Dr Ida Milne will explore what those records reveal about the people and communities of Dublin a century ago.
Kavanagh Weekend 2026
Taking place in Inniskeen, Co Monaghan, from September 25th – 27th, this year’s Patrick Kavanagh festival will bring together leading Irish and international figures across poetry, music, literature, film and performance, exploring Kavanagh’s connection with the Beat Generation during the centenary year of Allen Ginsberg’s birth.
Highlights include bestselling author Liz Nugent, acclaimed actor Jean-Marc Barr, musician and performer Jinx Lennon, and The Master Musicians of Jajouka led by Bachir Attar, alongside previously announced guests Anne Waldman, Tommy Tiernan, Adrian Dunbar and Nick Roth.
A big centrepiece of the programme will be Brehon Lore, an ambitious five-hour multidisciplinary performance bringing together Beat poetry, Sufi trance music, spoken word, traditional Irish music and live performance. The weekend will also feature poetry workshops, guided tours of Kavanagh Country, a festival book fair, live conversations, screenings and late-night music sessions.
The festival will open with the 54th Patrick Kavanagh Poetry Award and a keynote from Anne Waldman and Adrian Dunbar, followed by the annual Procession of Light through Inniskeen.
2026 Ilse Schwepcke Prize
The shortlist for the 2026 Ilse Schwepcke Prize for women’s travel writing, with three of the five books published by independent publishers, has been selected by an independent jury comprising Chair Fiammetta Rocco, bookseller Arabella von Friesen and writer Jacky Colliss Harvey.
The contenders are: Always Home, Always Homesick by Hannah Kent; Greyhound by Joanna Pocock; Shifting Sands: A Human History of the Sahara by Judith Scheele; Frontierlands: Britain’s Survival in the Making by Hazel Sheffield; and Tea and Grit: A Bicycle Journey along the Silk Road by Helen Watson.