Salthill writer and journalist Colin Sheridan has been named one of just twelve winners of an international writing competition which attracted 804 submissions from 38 countries.
As one of this year's twelve winners of the Irish Writers Centre International Debut Novel Competition, Sheridan has secured the opportunity to pitch his first novel directly to leading publishers and literary agents.
Sheridan is a journalist and columnist with the Irish Examiner, writing across pop culture, sport and international affairs. His debut novel, Entropy, explores identity, conflict, belonging and the search for meaning.
The competition has become an important stepping stone for emerging novelists, with previous publishing participants including Penguin Random House, Hachette Ireland, John Murray Press, New Island Books, Curtis Brown and William Morris Endeavor.
From Australia to Abu Dhabi, New York to New Zealand, hundreds of aspiring novelists submitted their efforts to the Irish Writers Centre’s 2026 debut novel competition, now in its 35th year.
While this year's twelve winning novelists hail from Ireland, Britain and mainland Europe, the breadth of entries highlights the competition's growing global reach and the organisation's enduring commitment to discovering outstanding new literary voices wherever they may be.
Of the submissions received, 413 came from Ireland and 194 from the UK, followed by strong interest from the United States, Australia (40 entries ), France, Germany, Canada, Croatia, Singapore, New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates, demonstrating the increasing international recognition of both the competition and the Irish Writers Centre.
The twelve winning writers will now have the opportunity to skip the traditional publishing queue, pitching their debut novels directly to leading publishers and literary agents during two dedicated Pitch Days taking place on September 10, and 11. During these exclusive sessions, the writers will pitch their work either face-to-face or over Zoom with some of the publishing industry's leading decision-makers.
"As we celebrate 35 years of the Irish Writers Centre, it feels especially fitting to continue investing in the next generation of writers,” says Mags Mcloughlin, CEO of the Irish Writers Centre. “One of the most rewarding aspects of this competition is seeing writers progress from pitching an unpublished manuscript to celebrating the publication of their debut novel. Just last week, we were delighted to host the Dublin launch of Andrew Cunning's debut novel, Clara and Christina (John Murray Press ), here in the Irish Writers Centre. Andrew first pitched that very novel through this competition in February 2025, making it even more rewarding to now welcome the next group of talented writers who are embarking on the same journey."
Other winners were Eileen Donnellan (originally from East Clare, now residing in Bra?, Croatia ), Fiona Ennis (Waterford ), Philip Fitzpatrick (Dublin ), Caitríona McGuire (Dublin ), Tom Hall (Dublin ), Adana Keane (Gorey, Co. Wexford ), Paul McMahon (Clonakilty, Co. Cork ), Michael Stevens (Dublin ), Zoë Dunkley (Basel, Switzerland ), Angela Pertusini (London ), and Christopher Smith (Brighton ).
