Patricia Gibney is a crime fiction author from Mullingar, Co. Westmeath, Ireland. Her debut novel, The Missing Ones, was published by London based digital publisher, Bookouture, in March 2017. To date fifteen Detective Lottie Parker books have been published in the series as ebook, Print On Demand, and audio. Trade paperback editions are published by Sphere UK and Hachette Ireland. To date the Lottie Parker series has over 3 million sales.
Foreign translations have sold to multiple territories.
Patricia is represented by Literary Agent, Ger Nichol of The Book Bureau.
Dr Mary O’Kane is a Lecturer in Psychology, Early Childhood Studies and Education with the Open University.
Mary also presents the radio show ‘Perfectly Imperfect Parenting’ on Dublin City FM and hosts the Féileacáin ‘Love Beyond Lifetimes’ Podcast.
She is a regular commentator on Irish media discussing a broad range of parenting issues.
Mary is the author of two books for parents, carers and educators: Perfectly Imperfect Parenting: Connection not Perfection and Anxious Children in an Anxious World: Facing Fears and Finding Brave , which reached Number 1 in the Irish Times Bestsellers List. Both are available at: www.drmaryokane.ie
Artist and Writer Corina Duyn has been publishing books for twenty years.
Hatched -a creative journey through ME was published in 2006 and is being re-published as a digital book Hatched re-hatched.
Her book-in-a-box Into the Light (2015) contains collected quotes from a great variety of authors, artist and researchers about illness, disability, and life. The Invisible Octopus video poem (2020) is described by Réalta as “an extraordinary and succinct illustration of life with ME.”
In Bed I Cut Words is the latest in Corina’s ongoing artistic response to life with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), a condition she has lived with for 26 years. Created from her bed, the book combines collages and written reflections that explore themes of illness, isolation, creativity, and the search for home. It stands as a testament to the power of art to connect, communicate, and heal.
“A powerful and poignant body of work.” Creative Waterford
In Bed I Cut Words won the anthologies category in The Carousel Aware Prize for Independent Authors in 2025.
Dolores Ronayne .A consummate writer and performance poet, Dolores Ronayne has written and performed award-winning monologues for theatre. She published her first poetry collection In The Veins in 2015. “Her method of approach to material is elliptical, sometimes tentative, but deliberately so, approaching life sideways and prising her poetic way into the great themes of sexual violence, aging, exploitation” … Foreward by Thomas McCarthy.
A holistic therapist and women’s circle facilitator, she is inspired by the people and landscape around her in Co. Waterford. Her work has recently appeared in The Grand Mothers Journey, a book by Marion G. Mensing, and in MoonMna diary/journal. In collaboration with other artists and musicians, Dolores has brought her poetry and prose pieces to life on stage in Lismore and Dungarvan and in the Strand Theatre in Carrick-on Suir. Her work over many years has included writing and delivering commissioned pieces to mark celebrations and special occasions.
With her writing now focused on Celtic myth and legend, she is currently working on her next book of Natures cycles and rhythms, connected with her shamanic practice, to be published in 2027.
Novel Category. Judges Monica Corish and Tom Sigafoos.
Monica Corish came to writing via the scenic, roundabout route. After studying science, she trained as a nurse, received an MA in International Development Studies, and travelled and worked widely in Europe and Africa.
Her short fiction has won the University of Kent Fiction Prize and a Myslexia Flash Challenge. She has been shortlisted for the Hennessy Emerging Fiction Prize, the Merriman and Michael McLaverty Story Awards, and the Fish Flash Fiction Prize. Her stories have been published in The Stinging Fly, The Hennessy Book of Irish Fiction 2005-2015, Myslexia, SaveAsWriters.co.uk, www.substack.com/@thrutopia, The Ekphrastic Review, The Irish Independent, and The Irish Times.
Monica’s poetry has been published widely in Ireland and the UK.
Creative nonfiction and short stories by Irish-American author Tom Sigafoos have appeared in The Quiet Quarter Anthology: Ten Years of Great Irish Writing and many literary journals. His novel Pool of Darkness: Raymond Chandler in Ireland was shortlisted for the 2025 CAP Fiction Prize, and an early version of Pool was shortlisted for the Penny Dreadful Novella Prize. His radio memoir An American Scrapbook is posted on SoundCloud.
A member of WORD, the Irish Writers’ Centre and the Irish Writers’ Union, Tom has served as Chair and PRO of the Allingham Arts Association.
Monica and Tom live in north-west Ireland.
SPONSOR NOVEL CATEGORY JM AGENCY
JM Agency is a boutique publishing and design agency based in Listowel, Co Kerry, Ireland. It was established by Jeremy Murphy in 2018 as a manuscript appraisal service. Jeremy recognised the need for a writer-centred literary consultancy, having struggled to find support for his own work. His vision was to create a comprehensive publishing agency that serves both authors and publishers, and one that embraced new technologies.
Having worked with publishers such as Routledge, Springer, Companhia das Letras (Penguin Brazil) and Orpen Press, as well as a wide range of authors, including bestselling and award-winning self-published authors, the JM Agency team prides itself on being good listeners and is keen to develop close working relationships with clients.
JM Agency’s services include book interior design (both typesetting and editorial design for ‘coffee-table’ books), editing (both developmental and copy-editing), eBook formatting, and author websites. It also offers a comprehensive ‘Book Publishing Package’, which includes premium editing, design, and printing, and assists a select group of authors in finding a trade publisher.
The mission of our business is to ensure that books are published to an exceptional standard, with the client’s needs and requirements prioritised throughout. JM Agency consists of six dedicated professionals who together provide authors and publishers with a diverse range of skills.
For more info please visit www.jm.agency or email Jeremy at info@jm.agency