Emilie Pine is Professor of Modern Drama at University College Dublin and the author of the widely acclaimed essay collection Notes to Self (2018). Like James Joyce’s Ulysses, her novel Ruth & Pen (2022) takes its readers on a day-long journey through Dublin. Juxtaposing the stories of Ruth, a neurodivergent teenager, and Pen, a therapist struggling with infertility, Pine tells a tale of human connection, longing and unspoken struggles.

The lucky winners are: Tabea Kern, Sarah Strauß, Sophia Gavryushina, and Melda Körcoban.