Activities will be running in libraries throughout Ireland in October. This will include everything from readings by popular authors to writing and illustration workshops, plus storytelling, competitions and much, much more! With so many opportunities for fun there’s no doubt bookworms everywhere will be satisfied. The festival is the biggest celebration of books and reading in Clare County Library’s events calendar for children and this year’s programme features some of the best authors and entertainers for young people that Ireland has to offer.
The festival’s main event takes place in Glór on October 20th. Shane Hegarty will meet with over 500 children from schools in the county to bring them the background to, and stories from Darkmouth, his sensational series that has secured him record-breaking publishing deals in the UK, US, Germany, Brazil and further afield. Movie rights to this first book in the series have already been sold for a six-figure sum with a strong possibility the film will be produced next year.
Other authors and illustrators touring library branches this October include Alan Nolan who is famous for his Big Break Detectives Casebook and the Murder Can Be Fatal Mysteries series of graphic novels. His humorous hurling novel Fintan's Fifteen, “hooked” young readers from the first page with its variety of narrative techniques including traditional story text, comic strips and Alan’s trademark graphics. His latest children's illustrated novel, Conor's Caveman, about a boy and girl who find a caveman frozen in a glacier in the Wicklow mountains, is available now!
Ré Ó Laighléis is a writer of novels, short stories, plays and screenplays and picture books in both English and Irish. He writes for child, teenage and adult readerships and many of his award-winning works have been translated into various languages. Novels and collections of his have been required reading on curricula both here and abroad. Currently, his novel Gafa is on the Leaving Certificate Irish curriculum. Ré is a regular participant in the library’s programmes for teenagers.
Le linn a sheisiúin, léifidh Ré as saothair éagsúla agus tabharfaidh sé indearcadh ar a mbunúis agus a ndéanamh. Labhróidh sé ar an draíocht a bhaineann le húsáid teanga agus an tábhacht atá leis an eadarghaol idir inseoireacht agus comhrá maidir le múscailt spéise agus coinneáil aird an léitheora. Tá memoir ar a óige díreach críochnaithe ag Ré trí mheán an Bhéarla agus tá súil len é a fhoilsiú i 2016.
With his 2015 publication for children, Matt Griffin has created an exciting world, one in which the lead character encounters a "fate that has been lying in wait for centuries". Early reviews have described the book as "a remarkable debut...one of those rare books that has the potential to imprint itself permanently in your memory". Matt has received many awards and accolades for his work in publishing, advertising and, in particular, the field of poster art. Clare County Library is delighted to welcome him to six of its branches this October.
Derek Mulveen’s Irish Tour to promote his book Oisin the Brave - Robot Island takes him to Clare this October with a Doodle Hour and Story-Time that will captivate the imagination of young listeners. Published by Eire's Kids Publishing, Oisin the Brave - Robot Island is a whimsical and imaginative adventure through The Dolmen of Time. Derek’s stories will inspire his audiences to help him create exciting illustrations when he visits local libraries during Children’s Book Festival 2015.
Kim Hood grew up in Canada, but has chosen North Clare, with its wild seas and barren landscape, as her home. Finding a Voice is her first novel and was nominated for the Bookseller’s inaugural Young Adult Book Prize earlier this year. Her second novel Plain Jane will be released in the spring of 2016. Kim offers talks for teenagers that will touch on themes of not fitting in, mental health, disability and diverse families while her workshops for older children in Primary School will focus on facilitating students to find their own writing voice.
Children are invited to join the buzz and explore the magic of stories with author Debbie Thomas in Kildysart, Kilmihil, Corofin and Newmarket on Fergus libraries. In her story workshops children will create their own characters, plots and settings using themes from Debbie’s new book Class Act, a buzzing tale of bees, courage and Curly Wurleys. Debbie’s sessions are guaranteed to be very participative and lots of fun, drawing on her experience of having written four books to date for children; Dead Hairy, Monkee Business, Jungle Tangle and her very latest is called Class Act.
Sadie Cramer’s delightful workshops for younger children were loved by teachers, librarians and children last year and this October Sadie will visit Kilmihil and Kildysart libraries. Her work with schools has been recognized by Baboró International Arts Festival for Children, earning her their inaugural ‘Above and Beyond’ Award in 2011. She is the illustrator of Juliette Saumande’s best-selling book for children Chop Chop Mad Cap. Sadie’s wide and varied experience in working with children ensures that her workshops will be accessible, participative and hugely entertaining for her young audiences.
Storytelling always features in the children’s book festival and this year is no exception. October is that time of year when the days grow dark and the nights grow long, - the perfect time to get together to hear a story or two. Author Dave Rudden (Knights of the Borrowed Dark, due Spring 2016) and storyteller Gráinne Clear will be coming to your local library to share stories of sea kings, stuffed monsters, invisible warriors and a whole family of mysterious witches.
Niall de Burca will visit libraries in West Clare on the 7th of October with his unique style that turns traditional storytelling on its head and drives it into the 21st century. His storm of stories for CBF 2015 will leave his audiences asking for more.
Michael Moylan, known the length and breadth of Ireland for his live history shows visits Clare’s libraries again this October with a fascinating, lead-in event for the commemoration of the 1916 Rising. During his hour-long, not-to-be missed show, children will dress in the clothes of the time and take up the guns of the Irish Volunteers and the I.R.B. With Michael’s expert knowledge of history in a show that has unique appeal for children, they will recreate the rising of 1916 and discover how our country became a nation.
Music and story workshops come to us courtesy of singer, songwriter, musician, TV presenter and script writer, Tadgh Mac Dhonnagain who is also the founder and director of the publishing company Futa Fata.
I gcomhar le Tionscadail na Litríochta, Clár na Leabhar Gaeilge tá an t-amhránaí, údar agus stiúrthóir Futa Fata, Tadhg Mac Dhonnagáin, ag tabhairt camchuairt ar leabharlainn na tíre leis an seó spraíúil, siamsúil, SPRAOI SA LEABHARLANN. Is ar pháistí bhunscoile a freastlaíonn ar Ghaelscoileanna atá an seó dírithe. Árdófar díon na leabharlanna le neart rannta, amhráin agus scéalaíocht. Bígí linn.
Futa Fata believes in building audiences for Irish books and its publications Gugalaí Gug Peigín Leitir Móir and Ceol na Mara are widely used in Irish schools. Tadhg will bring these stories to life for the children of Gaelscoileanna when he visits Shannon, Ennis and Kilrush libraries on the 7th and 8th of October.
Muso songwriting workshops will form part of the CBF line-up in Scariff and Killaloe libraries. Muso is an educational company that provides alternative learning workshops to schools around Ireland. Their sessions will focus on the art of songwriting to explore key areas of literacy.
The wildlife of County Clare will come alive for children who visit Tulla, Newmarket on Fergus and Sixmilebridge libraries to hear David Lyons, Wildlife Ranger, National Parks and Wildlife Service. David will talk about the amazing wildlife to be found on our doorsteps. From the smallest flower to the biggest animal this presentation examines some of the many living things we find around our local communities and how each plant, insect and animal have their own methods to survive and thrive in their environment.
Drawing and illustration are synonymous with children’s books and who better to give children an insight into story creation through drawing than Clare’s very own Aidan Courtney. Cartoonist, former bookseller, book reviewer, workshop facilitator, editor, writer and publisher Aidan is the founder of Coimicí Gael. He has also written for publications in Ireland, Canada, France, the United Kingdom and the United States. He was a judge with Children’s Books Ireland Book of the Year 2014 and when he’s not doing all that, it goes without saying that he simply loves to teach kids all over Ireland (and particularly in County Clare)how to make comics through Irish and English!
The Inis Reading Guide, published annually by Children’s Books Ireland will be available free of charge, just ask at your local library. The guide contains 270 book reviews over 84pages, organised by age section from 0-2 up to Young Adult alongside specialist poetry and non-fiction sections.
Children’s Books Ireland is running an exciting competition to celebrate Yasmeen Ismail’s inventive Read Everywhere artwork based on the theme of this year’s festival. Young readers are invited to share the places they like to read; on the bus, in your treehouse, in the cupboard under the stairs? Children are asked to simply take a picture in their favourite or most unusual place to read and share it on Children’s Books Ireland’s facebook or twitter, using the hashtag #readeverywhere. The lucky overall winner will receive €1000 worth of books for their school library as well as a special personal delivery of books!
The ever-popular O’Brien Press Cover Design Competition once again allows fledgling illustrators and designers to see their artwork on the cover of a published book. This year Gillian Purdue’s title Conor’s Canvas has been selected for re-design in Spring 2016. The lucky winner’s designs will not only be featured on the covers of the re-published book, stocked in libraries and bookshops throughout Ireland, but will also be invited as guests of honour, along with their entire class to a special awards ceremony where they will receive five complete sets of Gillian Purdue’s books for their school. Further details on both competitions can be found on the CBI website www.childrensbooksireland.ie or at your local library.
With all of this and much more in store for October, 2015 is truly the year to read everywhere. Visit Clare County Library’s website or your local library branch for further information about Children’s Book Festival. Let the celebrations begin!
Children's Book Festival Programme 2015 (pdf file)
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