‘It's the best thing that's ever happened to me as a writer', says winner of Dublin Literary Award

Irish Independent

22-05-2025

He travelled from St John's, Newfoundland, to accept the €100,000 prize for his novel, The Adversary, from the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Emma Blain, and Dublin City Council Chief Executive, Richard Shakespeare.
Speaking after the announcement at the International Literature Festival Dublin in Merrion Square, Mr Crummey said the moment felt 'surreal'.
'I was shortlisted once before, and I could make peace with that. That seemed like a really great thing,' he said.
'But winning it … it almost feels like I'm robbing somebody. Nothing else has ever come close to this.'
Now in its 30th year, the Dublin Literary Award is nominated by libraries worldwide. Sponsored by Dublin City Council, it is the world's richest prize for a single novel written or translated into English.
The winner was chosen from a longlist featuring 71 titles, nominated by 83 libraries from 34 countries.
Mr Crummey, who grew up in an isolated mining town in Newfoundland, said libraries had shaped his path as a writer.
'I can't overstate how important the public libraries were to me,' he said.
'From the time I was just old enough to read, I spent Saturday mornings at the library. That had a huge influence on my love of books. I don't think I'd be here today without public libraries.'
Mr Crummey also spoke of his connection to Ireland.
'I didn't realise until I did a reading at Belfast Public Library that my own name is Irish – Crummey with a 'y'. The librarian showed me six or seven Crummeys in the phone book.'
He added that his wife's family also had strong ties to Dublin.
'Her father did his medical degree here, and her oldest siblings were born here. So, I do love this city. It does feel like part of me,' he said.
The Adversary centres on a power struggle between two ruthless siblings in the fictional 19th-century town of Mockbeggar, and explores the corrosive impact of greed, resentment and unchecked power.
'I think I was ultimately writing about the state of the world,' Mr Crummey said.
'We have two people who are the worst of who we are as human beings, in positions of power, fighting for whatever the other has. And we're all pulled into their orbit, like black holes.'
Mr Crummey will appear at the International Literature Festival Dublin at 6pm on Friday, May 23, for an in-depth conversation about the novel.
'Most people here don't know me or the book,' he said.
'So it's just a chance to spread the word, talk about the novel, and let people throw things at me if they think someone else should've won!'
Copies of The Adversary are available to borrow from public libraries across Ireland, and as an eBook on BorrowBox.
'It's a dark and unsettling story, but it is told with such care and emotional precision,' Dublin Lord Mayor, Emma Blain, said.
'The novel immerses the reader in a distant time and place while grappling with timeless human struggles. I'm proud to see the Dublin Literary Award honour such a powerful work in its 30th year.'