The Latest Breaking News from Donal Ryan

Where Are the Kings by Donal Ryan review – a timeless tale of family sorrows and joys

A teenage boy navigates adolescence and the traumatic loss of his mother in this poignant coming-of-age novel set in rural Ireland

The Guardian - UK · Aug 19

Orwell prize for political writing awarded to novelist killed in Ukraine war

Victoria Amelina wins with her unfinished book Looking at Women Looking at War while Donal Ryan takes the award for political fiction with an intimate portrait of an Irish town

The Guardian - UK · Jun 25, 2025

2024 Nero book awards shortlist announced to celebrate ‘extraordinary writing talent’

The second run of the UK/Irish awards covers adult and children’s fiction, debut novels and nonfiction, with tales that stretch from surreal expeditions to lost sailors and schoolboy lizards

The Guardian - UK · Dec 3, 2024

The Queen of Dirt Island by Donal Ryan review – fierce tale of family strife

Young Saoirse comes from a line of strong women forced to fight for their land in this luminous story of prejudice and patriarchy

The Guardian - UK · Aug 24, 2022

5 new books to read this week

This week’s bookcase includes reviews of The Change by Kirsten Miller and The Queen Of Dirt Island by Donal Ryan.

The Independent UK · Aug 17, 2022

From a Low and Quiet Sea review – lyrical staging of Donal Ryan’s novel

In a series of monologues, four characters in a small Irish town try to make their peace with painful pasts

The Guardian - UK · Jul 18, 2022