The winner of the John McGahern Prize for debut volume of Irish fiction published in 2025 has been announced as Seán Farrell for his novel Frogs for Watchdogs.
The John McGahern annual book prize of £5,000 is for the best debut work of fiction - either novel or collection of short stories - by an Irish writer or writer resident in Ireland for more than 5 years, published in a given year.
The book prize was set up in 2019 by the University of Liverpool's Institute of Irish Studies in memory of John McGahern, and with the endorsement of the John McGahern Estate.
After the shortlisting committee whittled down a record entry of 25 books, the winning title was chosen by Colm Tóibín from a group that included Gethan Dick, Water in the Desert, Fire in the Night (Tramp Press); and Liadan Ní Chuinn, Every One Still Here (Stinging Fly Press).
Tóibín describes Frogs for Watchdogs as: "A meticulous and intense study of the inner life of a young boy. It is written with immense emotional honesty and unsparing accuracy. The protagonist is watchful and a born noticer; he is capable of great emotional complexity. Seán Farrell's ability to allow his protagonist to change, adapt and develop is remarkable. The novel is pitch-perfect, tonally seamless, utterly immersive."
Farrell is pleased to be associated with John McGahern's name, a writer he admires most for his virtuosity in the short story, a form, he admits, that has confused him for a long time but which McGahern, at his best, was "just perfect".
Seán Farrell will read from his prizewinning novel at the Liverpool Literary Festival on Sunday 18 October, with free tickets available here: https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/literary-festival/events-2026/john-mcgahern-prize/
Entries are now being accepted for debut Irish books of fiction published in 2026. Details are available on the Institute of Irish Studies website: https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/irish-studies/about/john-mcgahern-book-prize/
