Nicole Flattery awarded the prestigious Rooney Prize 2026

Nicole Flattery has been awarded the 2026 Rooney Prize for Irish Literature, which recognises outstanding bodies of work by emerging writers.

THE FOREWORD

Collage showing books by Nicole Flattery, the 2026 Rooney Prize winner.

On September 10, 2026, Nicole Flattery was named winner of the Rooney Prize for Irish Literature, one of Ireland’s most prestigious literary awards.

Established in 1976, the prize is the country’s longest-established literary prize, designed to recognise ‘an outstanding body of work by an emerging Irish writer under forty years of age’. The award grants recipients a monetary award and the honour of being named a Rooney Prize winner. To mark the fiftieth anniversary of the Rooney Prize, this year’s award doubled to €20,000, as announced by the prize’s new Benefactor and Custodian, Dr Peter Rooney.

Flattery received the award at a gala dinner attended by guests, including previous award winners.

Author Nicole Flattery's author photo, picturing her against an off-white background. — Image Credit: Bloomsbury

‘Winning the Rooney Prize is an absolute dream come true!’ said Flattery in a media release from Trinity College Dublin. ‘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.’

Her next novel, Everything Is Nice, Everything Is Lovely, is scheduled for publication in May 2027, adding to Flattery’s existing body of work, which has won several accolades including the Kate O’Brien Prize for Fiction, an An Post Irish Book Award and more.

Nicole Flattery books

Show Them a Good Time

This short story collection follows different women who have been slotted into restrictive roles. From a celebrity’s girlfriend to a corporate employee, each woman finds a way to defy expectations and break out of limiting social norms. Surreal and imaginative, these captivating stories will pull you in with their inquisitiveness and darkly hilarious cast of characters.

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Nothing Special

The year is 1966, and seventeen-year-old Mae lives in a run-down New York City apartment with her alcoholic mother and her mother’s on-again-off-again boyfriend. When she drops out of high school, she lands a job as a typist for Andy Warhol. Tasked with transcribing his tapes, Mae befriends another typist and embarks on an adventure through the countercultural movement. But as she gets sucked into the world of the tapes, her own life starts to seem less interesting, forcing her to grapple with her own sense of independence and identity.

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