Trespasses

Louise Kennedy’s 1970s Northern Ireland-set début, Trespasses, was a blazing success in this category. The judges were deeply moved by this beautifully written tale of forbidden love: “It is one of the best books I have ever read,” declared one judge; a “masterpiece”, agreed another. Trespasses “introduced me to a completely different world I didn’t know anything about”, said one judge; Kennedy is “writing about the Troubles in a way I haven’t read before”, added another.

The judges also praised the eye-catching jacket design, created by deputy creative director Greg Heinimann, and Bloomsbury’s commitment to author care on the publicity trail. Trespasses was the critics’ most-picked book of the year in 2022 and the judges are eager to see what Kennedy, a standout début writer in her fifties, writes next.