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COMMITMENTS author is in the running for the highly regarded children's book prize the Carnegie Medal.
Dublin-born Doyle, 54, could pull off a rare feat by winning both the Booker Prize and the Carnegie, which has been done only once before, by Penelope Lively.
Doyle, who won the Booker in 1993 for Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha, is nominated for his book A Greyhound Of A Girl — a moving and masterful tale of four generations of Irish women.
Previous winners of the Carnegie — which was established in 1936 — have included such literary greats as Terry Pratchett, Philip Pullman, and CS Lewis. This year's winner is due to be announced on June 19.
It will be a busy summer for Doyle who is working on a London stage version of The Commitments.
The new stage version of the novel that was turned into an iconic movie will start rehearsals in August.
Open auditions for the show were held in Dublin last week.
Casting director David Grindrod revealed they had already taken down a list of potentials to go on to the next stage of auditions.
"We came here in search of authenticity and we've found it," he said, adding that details like accents were "so important" in order for the feel of the production to be right.
"We're not looking to cast all the roles here – just some of them – but the Dublin people can make sure everyone else's accents are right," he laughed.
