Nicole Flattery has been named the recipient of the 2026 Rooney Prize for Irish Literature at a gala dinner in Trinity College Dublin.

The award, which marks its 50th anniversary this year, recognises an outstanding body of work by an emerging Irish writer under the age of 40.

The annual prize has been doubled this year from €10,000 to €20,000 to mark the anniversary. The change was announced by the benefactor and custodian of the prize, Dr Peter Rooney.

The oldest-established literary award in Ireland, The Rooney Prize is administered by the Oscar Wilde Centre for Creative Writing at Trinity College Dublin.

Ms Flattery, originally from Kinnegad, Co Westmeath, was presented with the award at the event, which was attended by guests from the world of Irish literature, including 21 previous Rooney Prize winners.

Previous recipients include Kate Cruise O’Brien (1979), Neil Jordan (1981), Frank McGuinness (1985), Glenn Patterson (1988), Anne Enright (1991), Colum McCann (1994), Mike McCormack (1996), Claire Keegan (2000), Claire Kilroy (2004), Kevin Barry (2007), Lucy Caldwell (2011), Doireann Ní Ghríofa (2016), Mark O’Connell (2019), Seán Hewitt (2022), Michael Magee (2023), and Suad Aldarra (2024).

Responding to the announcement, Ms Flattery said: “Winning the Rooney Prize is an absolute dream come true! Not only does it offer encouragement to keep going at a pivotal time in my work and career, but it feels so special and meaningful to be included in such a storied list. I am very grateful to Peter Rooney for his generosity and support, and to the judges for the time, care and consideration they gave to my work.”

Ms Flattery’s first book, the short-story collection Show Them a Good Time, was published by The Stinging Fly Press and Bloomsbury in 2019. Her first novel, Nothing Special, was published in 2023.

Her next novel, Everything Is Nice, Everything Is Lovely, is due to be published in May 2027 after being acquired by Jonathan Cape in a six-way auction in 2026.

Chair of the Rooney Prize selection committee, literary agent Jonathan Williams, said: “A vital element in the bestowal of the Prize is what, in the jury’s estimation, the published works portend for the writer’s future endeavours. The jury members were impressed by Nicole’s offbeat, quirky short-story collection.

“Emily Dickinson wrote at the beginning of one of her most celebrated poems, ‘Tell all the truth but tell it slant.’ Nicole Flattery seems to have imbibed this striking advice in her enigmatic and poker-faced storylines. She is a very worthy winner of this distinguished award.”