Cork Author Caroline O'Donoghue Shortlisted for 2026 KPMG Children's Books Ireland Awards

Caroline O'Donoghue, a Cork native, has been named on the 2026 KPMG Children's Books Ireland Awards shortlist for her young adult novel Skipshock, a time-travelling adventure that begins on a train from Cork. The shortlist, now in its 36th year, was announced today at the Crescent Arts Centre in Belfast.

The shortlist was revealed by RTÉ's Rick O'Shea at a special event celebrating the best in children's and young adult literature across the island of Ireland. O'Donoghue's Skipshock, published by Walker Books, is described as a science-fiction story with multilayered power dynamics and an electrifying romance, taking readers from Cork into a whole world of different time zones.

Caroline O'Donoghue said:

"I couldn't be more delighted that Skipshock has been shortlisted for the KPMG Children's Book Ireland awards. Skipshock is my seventh book, and I think the one I'm most proud of. It's not easy for someone who didn't pass maths to do a time travel novel, and I couldn't be more flattered that Children's Books Ireland have recognised that. Children's Books Ireland have been so supportive of my work since I began writing Young Adult fiction in 2021 and are such a force for good in this industry. I feel overjoyed to be shortlisted here."

Ten titles in total made this year's shortlist, spanning picturebooks, verse novels and young adult fiction. Other shortlisted works include The Doomsday Club by Kevin Moran, Solo by Gráinne O'Brien, Letters to a Monster by Laureate na nÓg Patricia Forde, and Puisín na mBróg, an Irish language retelling of Puss in Boots by Fearghas Mac Lochlainn.

Elaina Ryan, CEO of Children's Books Ireland said:

"This year's KPMG Children's Books Ireland Awards shortlist has something to delight every kind of reader. There are stories steeped in Irish mythology, tales of bravery and resilience and books that will move you to tears, or make you cry laughing. It's wonderful to see how children's literature and publishing in Ireland is evolving through this diverse, excellent shortlist."

The shortlisted titles will compete for six awards, including the prestigious Book of the Year, at the KPMG Children's Books Ireland Awards ceremony on Monday, 18 May, as part of the International Literature Festival Dublin. Among the categories is the Junior Juries' Award, selected entirely by young readers from across the island.

Children's Books Ireland is currently recruiting young readers in Cork and across the island to take part in its Junior Juries' programme. School classes, youth groups, book clubs and early childhood settings can register on the Children's Books Ireland website to read, review and score their favourite shortlisted titles.