Waterford writer wins prestigious literary competition
Waterford writer Fiona Ennis is one of the 12 winners of the prestigious prize.
A Waterford-based writer has been named a winner of a prestigious international literary prize.
Lecturer and writer Fiona Ennis is one of the twelve winners of the Irish Writers Centre International Debut Novel Competition 2026.
The Irish Writers Centre went through 804 submissions received by writers from across 38 countries.
Fiona is a lecturer in Literature and Philosophy at SETU and has received multiple recognitions for her writing. She has won and been shortlisted for a number of national and international literary awards, and she is also the recipient of a 2026 EU Presidency Literature Bursary.
In 2019, Fiona was highly commended for the international Sean O' Faolain Short Story Prize.
As a result of her win, she will be pitching her debut to notable publishers and agents between September 10 - 11 at the Irish Writers Centre.
The Debut Novel Competition has proved an important stepping stone for burgeoning writers looking to find a publishing home for their work.
Previous publishers involved in the competition include Penguin Random House, Hachette Ireland, John Murray Press, New Island Books, Curtis Brown and William Morris Endeavor.
