Listowel Writers’ Week officially opened its doors last night.
We welcomed a host of Irish and international poets, playwrights, novelists, short story writers, artists, musicians, friends and sponsors to the Listowel Arms Hotel to celebrate the wonderful literary culture that that is synonymous with the town of Listowel.
We were delighted and honoured that award winning author of renown Richard Ford travelled to Listowel to officially opened the 46th edition of the festival, which has been a mainstay on the Irish literary calendar since 1971. Music on the evening was provided by John Spillane, Rathkeale Secondary School Choir and Laura Enright. There were recitations from poets Jane Clarke, Stephen Murphy and a special video by Stephen James Smith which was produced after his time on retreat courtesy of the festival at Cill Rilaig Artist Retreat.
Listowel Writers’ Week President Colm Toibín was present at the opening ceremony and will be having a 
reading of his own on Thursday with his new novel House of Names.
The John B. Keane Lifetime Achievement Award, in association with Mercier Press, was presented to poet Brendan Kennelly and it was wonderful to see him present on the night.
Kerry Group Irish Novel of the Year Award 2017
As always, the high point of the evening was the announcement of the Kerry Group Irish Novel of the Year Award, which was won by Kit DeWaal with her debut novel, My Name is Leon A cheque for €15,000 was presented to Kit by Frank Hayes of The Kerry Group, who spoke of the special connection between the Group and Listowel Writers’ Week going back 22 years. He then extended his congratulations to all the shortlisted novelists, Emma Donoghue, Neil Hegarty, Conor O’Callaghan and Mike McCormack and he thanked this year’s adjudicators AL Kennedy and Neel Mukherjee for their hard work and dedication to the adjudication.
The Pigott Poetry Prize
The Pigott Poetry Prize, for a published collection of poetry by an Irish poet is generously sponsored by Mark Pigott, KBE, Chairman and Chief Executive of PACCAR Inc. Mark’s family originated from Listowel and emigrated to the United States in the late 1890s. The adjudicators for the 2017 Award were Deryn Rees Jones and Lavinia Greenlaw. This year’s winner was Vona Groake with her collection entitled Selected Poems.
The two other shortlisted collections were: Parvit of Agelast by Maighread Medbh and The Seasons of Cullen Church by Bernard O’Donoghue
The winners and shortlists of our full range of Literary Competitions were also announced and presented with their prizes and are as follows:
| Names | Title | Competition |
| Kit de Waal | My Name is Leon | Winner of Kerry Group Irish Novel Award |
| Neil Hegarty | Inch Levels | Shortlisted Kerry Group Irish Novel Award |
| Conor O’Callaghan | Nothing on Earth | Shortlisted Kerry Group Irish Novel Award |
| Emma Donoghue | The Wonder | ShortlistedKerry Group Irish Novel Award |
| Mike McCormack | Solar Bones | Shortlisted Kerry Group Irish Novel Award |
| Vona Groarke | Selected Poems | Winner The Pigott Poetry Prize |
| Maighread Medbh | Parvit of Agelast | Shortisted Pigott Poetry Prize |
| Bernard O’Donoghue | The Seasons of Cullen Church | Shortlisted Pigott Poetry Prize |
| Dermot O’Sullivan | A Little Journey | Winner The Bryan MacMahon Short Story Award |
| Angela Lyons | The Longest Week | Shortlisted Bryan MacMahon Short Story |
| Mary O’Shea | Riptides and Raptors | Shortlisted Bryan MacMahon Short Story |
| Paul Lenehan | Stories of Girls | Shortlisted Bryan MacMahon Short Story |
| Jennifer Davidson | Once There Was Rain | Shortlisted Bryan MacMahon Short Story |
| Máire Ní Bhriain | Blas | Duais Foras na Gaeilge |
| Micheál Ó Ruairc | Leath Bealaigh | Shortlisted Duais Foras na Gaeilge |
| Maria Ní Mhurchu | Samuel | Shortlisted Duais Foras na Gaeilge |
| Aoife Nic Fhearghusa | An Boihéamach | Shortlisted Duais Foras na Gaeilge |
| Máire Ní Bhriain | Scéal | Shortlisted Duais Foras na Gaeilge |
| Máire Ní Bhriain | Machnaimh ag Sliabh Liag | Shortlisted Duais Foras na Gaeilge |
| Peter Sirr | Krakow | Winner Eamon Keane Full Length Play |
| Brian Kirk | Story | Shortlisted Eamon Keane F Length Play |
| Dermot MacCormack | Goldfinch | Shortlisted Eamon Keane F Length Play |
| Gillian Grattan | Tinderella | Shortlisted Eamon Keane F Length Play |
| John McManus | Tell you a Question | Shortlisted Eamon Keane F Length Play |
| Paul McMahon | Pentimento | Shortlisted Eamon Keane F Length Play |
| Paul Maher | Kalinka and Me | Shortlisted Eamon Keane F Length Play |
| Jackie Gorman | The Blue Hare | Winner
The Single Poen Award |
| Melanie White | Hypoplasia | Shortlisted Poetry Single |
| Tracy Wren | The Day Ella Fitzgerald Died | Shortlisted Poetry Single |
| Eleanor M Hooker | When you Dream of the Dead | Shortlisted Poetry Single |
| Eilis Stanley | Elizabeth Christina | Shortlisted Poetry Single |
| Deirdre Keane | Flower Girl | Shortlisted Poetry Single |
| Alyn Fenn | Off Kilter | Winner
The Poetry Collection |
| Derek Coyle | The Odd Number | Shortlisted Poetry Collection |
| Olivia Kenny McCarthy | Rough Touch | Shortlisted Poetry Collection |
| Sophie O’Sullivan | Collection of a 25 year old Chaotic Woman | Shortlisted Poetry Collection |
| Catherine Robinson | Ring Road with Godiva | Shortlisted Poetry Collection |
| Liz Quirke | The Trees and The Breeze | Winner
Writers’ Week Originals Short Poem |
| Ian R. Pettit | Ancient Greek ‘To see for Oneself’ (Autopsy) | Shortlisted
Writers’ Week Originals Short Poem |
| Karen O’Connor | Buying Pineapple | Shortlisted Writers’ Week Originals Short Poem |
| Karen O’Connor | The Photograph | Shortlisted Writers’ Week Originals Short Poem |
| Deirdre Keane | The Poetaster’s Lament | Shortlisted Writers’ Week Originals Short Poem |
| Deirdre Keane | Mother and Child in the Corot Room | Shortlisted Writers’ Week Originals Short Poem |
| John Fitzgerald | Is there an afterwife? | Winner Writers’ Week Originals Humorous Essay |
| Henry McClave | The Trouble with Xs | Shortlisted Writers’ Week Originals Humorous Essay |
| Joe McKiernan | The Flatling’s Record Attempt | Shortlisted Writers’ Week Originals Humorous Essay |
| Frank Murphy | Ancient versus Modern | Shortlisted Writers’ Week Originals Humorous Essay |
| Christine Hession | Don’t Get Me Started | Shortlisted Writers’ Week Originals Humorous Essay |
| Geraldine O’Sullivan | Misstep | Winner Writers’ Week Originals Short Story |
| Julian Judge | Blackflies and Bluebottles | Shortlisted Writers’ Week Originals Short Story |
| Shauna Colgan | Lough na Rúnda | Shortlisted Writers’ Week Originals Short Story |
| Marie Gethins | Passed Over | Shortlisted Writers’ Week Originals Short Story |
| Brendan O’Broin | Hunting the Muffin | Shortlisted Writers’ Week Originals Short Story |
| Judy O’Kane | The Sea | Winner Irish Post Short Story |
| Lucie Ryan | Pin a Number to your Skirt | Winner Kerry County Council Creative Writing for Youth Under 9 |
| Zara McGrath | Shoes | 2nd Prize Kerry County Council Creative Writing for Youth Under 9 |
| Caoimhe Ní Shúilleabháin | Mo Shaol | 3rd Prize Kerry County Council Creative Writing for Youth Under 9 |
| Mira Danielak | A Walk in Autumn | Winner
Kerry County Council Creative Writing for Youth Under 12 |
| Cara O’Reilly | Ivy House | Joint 2nd Kerry County Council Creative Writing for Youth Under 12 |
| Sadhbh O’Donovan | Dognapped | Joint 2nd Kerry County Council Creative Writing for Youth Under 12 |
| Denise Lehane | I’m living the Dream! | 3rd Prize Kerry County Council Creative Writing for Youth Under 12 |
| Órlaith Ní Uiginn | The Last Hope | Winner
Kerry County Council Creative Writing for Youth Under 14 |
| Aislinn Rodgers | Election Day | 2nd Prize Kerry County Council Creative Writing for Youth Under 14 |
| Georgina Dowling | No Longer Empty | 3rd Prize County Council.Creative Writing for Youth Under 14 |
| Cian Morey | VICI | Winner
Kerry Co Co.Creative Writing for Youth Under 16 |
| Sorcha Kennelly | The Safest Grounds | 2nd Prize Kerry County Council Creative Writing for Youth Under 16 |
| Freyja Hellebust | Burnt Out | Joint 3rd Prize Kerry County Council Creative Writing for Youth Under 16 |
| Ashling Claire Gormley | My Alice | Joint 3rd Prize Kerry County Council Creative Writing for Youth Under 16 |
| Kim Bradfield | The Neighbour | Winner
Kerry County Council Creative Writing for Youth Under 18 |
| Sonja Murphy | Starshow | 2nd Prize Kerry County Council Creative Writing for Youth Under 18 |
| Philip Krause | Crimson Knight | Joint 3rd Prize Kerry County Council Creative Writing for Youth Under 18 |
| Aoife MacDonagh | He wished he’d brought an umbrella | Joint 3rd Prize Kerry County Council Creative Writing for Youth Under 18 |
| Nell Ryan Moriarty | Slow Jace | Winner
Kerry County Council Creative Writing for Youth Limerick Competition |
| Emma Holmes | I wish I had a Dog | 2nd Kerry County Council Creative Writing for Youth Limerick Competition |
| Órla Bennis | The Bride | 3rd Kerry County Council Creative Writing for Youth Limerick Competition |
| Ruth Stewart | Prison of Fog | Winner Creative Writing for Special Educational Needs 18 & Under |
| Alexander O’Doherty | School Poem | Joint 2nd Creative Writing for Special Educational Needs 18 & Under |
| Klaudia Simachowicz | Yuki’s Story | Joint 2nd Creative Writing for Special Educational Needs 18 & Under |
| William O’Connor | Who I Am | 3rd Prize Creative Writing for Special Educational Needs 18 & Under |
| Madeleine A Quann | Triangle | Winner
Creative Writing for Adults with Special Needs |
| Stephen Faley | The Night I heard the Lightning | 2nd Prize Creative Writing for Adults with Special Needs |
| The Silvermines Historical Society | Mining the Past | Winner
The Nilsson Local Heritage Writing Competition |
| Michael Christopher Keane | From Laois to Kerry | 2nd Prize The Nilsson Local Heritage Writing Competition |