John Boyne has won the CBI Bisto Book of the Year 06/07 for his book The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas.


The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is John's first book written for children and tells the story of a nine year old boy struggling to understand what is happening around him in Auschwitz during World War II. The novel has been shortlisted for many literary awards including the British Books Awards.



The Eilis Dillon Award went to Siobhan Dowd, for her first novel of A Swift Pure Cry.

An eagerly anticipated event on the Irish literary calendar, the CBI Bisto Book of the Year Awards are presented annually in recognition of excellence in writing and or illustration of books for young people. The awards are administered by CBI, the national organisation for children's books and sponsored by Bisto (Premier Foods Ireland). Over the last three years the total prize fund for the awards has more than doubled, with a current total prize fund of euro 19,000 as compared to euro7,000 in 2005.