2011 IMPAC International Dublin Literary Award goes to Colum McCann for his novel Let the great world spin. The book has beaten off competition from 161 other titles, nominated by 166 public libraries from 43 countries.

NY 1974, a man skywalks between the newly bult Twin Towers. Far below, the lives of compete strangers spin towards each other… these disparate lives will collide and be transfored forever.

The judging panel commented,

 “This is a remarkable literary work, a genuinely 21st Century novel that speaks to its time but is not enslaved by it. The human condition, the kindness and cruelty shown from one man to another, the ways in which we suffer and triumph, are subjects which have resonated through fiction for centuries. In each generation, writers explore these themes and rephrase the questions that our humanity asks of us. There are few answers in this novel. Its beguiling nature leaves the reader with as much uncertainty as we feel throughout our lives, but therein lies the power of fiction and of this book in particular.
In the opening pages of Let The Great World Spin, the people of New York City stand breathless and overwhelmed as a great artist dazzles them in a realm that seemed impossible until that moment; Colum McCann does the same thing in this novel, leaving the reader just as stunned as the New Yorkers, just as moved and just as grateful.”

The International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award is the largest and most international prize of its kind.

It involves libraries from all corners of the globe, and is open to books written in any language.

The Award, an initiative of Dublin City Council, is a partnership between Dublin City Council, the Municipal Government of Dublin City, and IMPAC, a productivity improvement company which operates in over 50 countries.

Parramatta City Library has some copies available for loan.