Castlebar author Sally Rooney has been announced as the winner of the Costa Novel Award for her book Normal People.
The 27-year-old is the youngest person to win the the prestigious award for a novel open only to British and Irish authors.
Normal People is her second novel following up her 2017 book Conversations with Friends which was shortlisted for the Dylan Thomas Prize and the Rathbones Folio Prize in 2017.
Normal People was described by the judges as "a trailblazing novel about modern life and love that will electrify any reader".
The Costa Book Awards recognises books in five categories – first novel, novel, biography, poetry and children’s book – published in the last year. One of this year’s five winning books will be named 2018 Costa Book of the Year in London on January 29.
