The O'Brien Press is a leading publisher in Ireland

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

 of mainly children's fiction

Fiction

Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...

 and adult

Adult

An adult is a human being or living organism that is of relatively mature age, typically associated with sexual maturity and the attainment of reproductive age....

 non-fiction

Non-fiction

Non-fiction is the form of any narrative, account, or other communicative work whose assertions and descriptions are understood to be fact...

 and the only Irish

Republic of Ireland

Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...

 publishing house to have received the prestigious International Reading Association Award.

The O'Brien Press was founded in 1973, evolving out of a family-run printing and type-house. Its first publication came in November 1974 and numerous other titles soon followed. O'Brien published books are regularly shortlisted for the Bisto Book of the Year Awards

Bisto Book of the Year Awards

The Bisto Book of the Year Awards are literary awards presented annually in the Republic of Ireland to writers and illustrators of books for children and young people. The Awards are run by Children's Books Ireland and are open to authors and illustrators born or resident in Ireland; books may be...

. As of 2007, no less than 24 books published by the O'Brien Press have won a Bisto Award.

The O'Brien Press is notable for launching the career of international, bestselling author, Eoin Colfer

Eoin Colfer

Eoin Colfer is an Irish author. He is most famous as the author of the Artemis Fowl series, but he has also written other successful books. His novels have been compared to the works of J. K. Rowling...

, publishing the "Benny Books

Benny Books

Benny Shaw is the protagonist of two children's literature novels, by Irish author Eoin Colfer. The first book in the series, Benny and Omar, sees Benny move from Ireland to Tunisia and befriending a local boy...

" and The Wish List

The Wish List

The Wish List is a fantasy novel by Eoin Colfer. It chronicles the adventures of Meg Finn, a teenage girl killed in a gas explosion who must earn her place in Heaven by returning to Earth to help the pensioner she attempted to rob.-Plot summary:...

, and have also published The General

The General (1998 film)

The General is a British-Irish crime film directed by John Boorman about Dublin crime boss Martin Cahill, who pulled off several daring heists in the early 1980s, and attracted the attention of the Gardaí, PIRA, and UVF. The film was shot in 1997 and released in 1998...

by Paul Williams

Paul Williams (Irish journalist)

Paul Williams is an Irish crime journalist and author. He previously worked for the Sunday World tabloid newspaper; he moved to the Irish News of the World before it was caught up in the News International phone hacking scandal and shut down...

, which was made into a major film by John Boorman

John Boorman

John Boorman is a British filmmaker who is a long time resident of Ireland and is best known for his feature films such as Point Blank, Deliverance, Zardoz, Excalibur, The Emerald Forest, Hope and Glory, The General and The Tailor of Panama.-Early life:Boorman was born in Shepperton, Surrey,...

in 1998.