Paul Lynch’s Booker Prize-winning novel, Prophet Song, has clinched the title of Ireland’s best-selling book for the past year.
According to Nielsen’s recently released data, which accounts for 70% of retail sales in Ireland and a significant 90% in the UK, Lynch’s gripping tale of a family navigating survival in a totalitarian Ireland sold an impressive 45,501 copies.
Prophet Song managed to surpass other notable contenders, including Liz Nugent’s Strange Sally Diamond, winner of the Crime Novel of the Year at the Irish Book Awards, and Paul Murray’s The Bee Sting, which not only secured the Irish Book of the Year but also earned a spot on the Booker Prize shortlist.
The rankings reveal a literary landscape filled with compelling narratives, with Colleen Hoover’s It Ends With Us and Prince Harry’s memoir Spare rounding out the top five.
The Irish fiction top 10 showcases a diverse range of voices, from the popular series Aisling Ever After by Sarah Breen and Emer McLysaght to Joseph O’Connor’s trilogy opener, My Father’s House, exploring the life of Vatican priest and war hero Hugh O’Flaherty. Claire Keegan’s Small Things Like These and crime writer Andrea Mara’s No One Saw a Thing further contribute to the literary mosaic.
In the realm of nonfiction, Nathan Anthony’s culinary creations take the lead, with Bored of Lunch: The Healthy Slow Cooker Book and Bored of Lunch: The Healthy Air Fryer Book captivating readers and claiming the top spots. Rozanna Purcell’s The Hike Life: My 50 Favourite Hikes in Ireland adds an adventurous touch to the nonfiction best-sellers.
On the memoir front, Katriona O’Sullivan’s Poor emerges as the best-selling Irish memoir, followed by Born to Be a Footballer by Liam Brady and In the Blood by Pat Spillane and Michael Moynihan. Dr. Tony Holohan’s We Need to Talk and Sinéad O’Connor’s Remembering delve into compelling real-life narratives, securing spots in the top 10.
Across the Irish Sea, Prince Harry’s Spare takes the crown as the best-selling book in Britain, selling over 700,000 copies. Richard Osman’s The Last Devil to Die and The Bullet That Missed from The Thursday Murder Club series secure prominent positions, collectively amassing close to 1 million copies. Bonnie Garmus’ Lessons in Chemistry claims the third spot in this literary tapestry.
