Louth writer wins big at book awards ceremony
Louth writer Valinora Troy’s fourth novel, Lianna and the Hombit, won the Senior Children’s category and was the overall winner at last week’s Carousel Award Prize (CAP) book awards ceremony in Dublin
Louth writer Valinora Troy won two awards at last week’s Carousel Award Prize (CAP) book awards ceremony in Dublin.
Lianna and the Hombit tells the story of a grieving girl sent to live with a callous uncle. There she befriends a magical creature on a secret mission, but their combined efforts to get her home result in rousing a terrible curse.
Lianna must solve the mystery of stolen jewels, suspected murder, and her father’s past to avoid the darkest of fates.
Award winning author and judge for the Senior Children’s category, Ann Marie O’Sullivan praised the book.
She said: “Lianna and the Hombit stood out for the way it combines a fast-paced adventure with a very touching exploration of grief...to make it an exceptional read for readers of all ages.”
Valinora is a second generation writer and her books previously have been long- and short-listed for various awards.
She was selected as a panellist for the CYBILS (Children & Young Adult Bloggers Literary Award) in 2021.
Valinora regularly gives talks and holds writing workshops in Irish schools and libraries, and has also served as a Reading Ambassador for Louth Libraries in 2025 and 2026 for the #IrelandReads Campaign.
With Paul Lynch, Booker Prize Winner 2023 as its patron, the Carousel Aware Prize for Independently Published Authors (CAP for Indies) aims to provide a platform to showcase the cream of Irish Self-Published authors, bringing them to the attention of book shops, distributors and the media in Ireland and abroad, with all money raised going to the charity Aware.
Independent publishing is changing the face of publishing world wide and The CAP Awards has helped to give Ireland its place on that world map, with the awards providing recognition for the best that Ireland has to offer from Indie authors.