Mayo author nominated for a Sky Arts Award in Literature

Mayo author Sally Rooney has been nominated for a Sky Arts Award in Literature for her latest novel, Intermezzo.

Her citation states: “Rooney’s latest novel is a quietly devastating exploration of grief, desire, and emotional dislocation.

"The book follows two brothers – Peter, a guarded and successful Dublin lawyer, and Ivan, a socially withdrawn chess prodigy – in the wake of their father’s death.

"What unfolds is not a singular story of mourning, but a dual study of intimacy under pressure: the strained connections between lovers, siblings, and the parts of ourselves we hide.

“With emotional precision, understated structure and psychological depth, the novel resists easy resolutions, instead lingering in the pauses and ruptures between life’s defining moments – its intermezzos. With restraint, subtlety and grace, Rooney crafts a work that is both formally elegant and profoundly humane.”

The winner will be announced at a live ceremony at the Roundhouse, London, on September 16.