With George Kingsley's unexpected death, Sebastian lost not only his closest friend but also his financial backer: George held almost all the equity in the business. The Conyers was Sebastian's in name only. It really did seem that he was dogged by bad luck. But he need not have worried. In that peculiarly west of Ireland way, one thing would lead to another. To the surprise of everyone in the world of publishing, an unknown hotelier from Connaught would soon be launching a major new book prize. What kind of award? Worth how much? The literati on both sides of the Irish Sea were mightily curious. A new phase in the picaresque life of Sebastian Conyers was set to begin. Few could have imagined the sequence of events that would unfurl.