Westport author up for prestigious CAP award tomorrow night

Westport author Eithne Ring poignant memoir, 'Does My Son Take Sugar?', has been shortlisted for the prestigious CAP (Carousel Aware Prize for Independently Published Authors) Awards. Her captivating book provides a candid insight into the experiences of adoption in 1980s Ireland.

The CAP Awards, renowned for recognising outstanding literary works, have acknowledged the powerful narrative crafted by Eithne Ring. The award ceremony will be held tomorrow night, Friday, November 3, at the Aisling Hotel in Dublin.

In 'Does My Son Take Sugar?', Eithne Ring paints a vivid picture of the challenges and triumphs faced by those involved in adoption during an era when society’s understanding of these experiences was still evolving. Her memoir invites readers to explore the complexities and emotions involved in this deeply personal journey, challenging societal perceptions surrounding adoption.

Speaking to The Mayo News at the launch of her book last year, Eithne said: “My family deserve nothing but praise for their dignity and support for me throughout. Along the way I encountered people who were tremendously helpful and compassionate. The problem, the tragedy really, was that there [are] some people in positions of authority that should have known better who seemed to relish making the lives of vulnerable people harder still. And there was also, I’m afraid to say, a general attitude at the time that I now understand was punitive and inhumane. I wrote the book to set free the painful secrets that came with adoption at that time.”

The CAP awards 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. Aware is a non-profit organisation that provides education, support, and information on mental health, particularly depression, bipolar disorder, and positive mental health.

The CAP Awards state they are committed to acknowledging and promoting excellence in Irish independent book publishing, and are also a reader’s guarantee of quality; offering them fresh, new voices from independent authors combined with professional, high-level standards of publishing. They state they are very lucky to have a dedicated committee and panel of judges who are all happy to work free of charge for this award and the Aware fundraiser.

Awards on the night are given out in five categories: Fiction; Non-Fiction; Children; Best Book Cover and . Anthologies. The nominees in the Eithne Ring's Non Fiction category are 'Lady Mary’s Book of Receipts' by Sally Clements; 'Granny Nancy' by Louise Coghlan; 'The Giant at my Back' by Carolyn Donnelly; 'The Year the World Went Wonky' by Marion Rose Horgan; 'Does my Son Take Sugar?' by Eithne Ring and 'Michael’s Story' by Avril Smith.