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Celebrating Irish Children’s Books | Online School and Family Book Festival. This year we are part of the Dublin Book Festival.

PROGRAMME SCHEDULE

Supported by the Arts Council of Ireland - Literature

7.45pm | New Irish Books 2021 Showcase – Teachers’ Night – Non-fiction and Novels for Primary School Children

November 18, 2021 7:45 pm
Cost: Free
Until 8:45 pm
ADULTS

Welcome to the New Irish Books Showcase! We are delighted to introduce you to some wonderful new Irish children’s books for ages 0 to 12+. 

Join us for an evening of back-to-back presentations from the creatives behind some exciting new children’s books published in 2021. There will be a mix of books, from debut authors, to award-winning writers. Each author will have four minutes to tell you all about their book; the story, their publication journey, and maybe even show you some sneak peeks from between the covers! 

While this event is primarily aimed at teachers, librarians and educators, we also invite parents, guardians, booksellers, aspiring writers/illustrators and all-round children’s books enthusiasts to attend this exciting event.

With presentations from: 

• David McCullagh (The Great Irish Politics Book)

• Niamh Sharkey and Owen Churcher (A Field Guide to Leaflings)

• Flora Delargy (Rescuing Titanic)

• Ann Murtagh (The Kidds of Summerhill)

• Oisín McGann (A Short Hopeful Guide to Climate Change)

• Brian Gallagher (Winds of Change)

• Judi Curtin (Lily’s Dream)

• Jacqui Hurley (Girls Play Too: Book 2)

Chaired by Teacher and WonderFest Team Member, Conor Bredin

WonderFest would like to thank the authors and illustrators involved for volunteering their time to present their latest works for this event. 

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Speakers

Niamh Sharkey

Niamh Sharkey is an award-winning picturebook creator and former Children’s Laureate of Ireland. Her books have won numerous awards including the prestigious Mother Goose Award. Niamh’s books have been translated into over twenty-eight languages. Her titles include The Ravenous Beast, Santasaurus and On the Road with Mavis and Marge. Niamh is the creator and executive producer of Disney Junior’s Henry Hugglemonster, an animated show based on her picturebook I’m a Happy Hugglewug (Walker Books). Niamh is also the creator and executive producer of Eureka! which launches this November on Disney Junior. She is really excited to be working on a new series of picturebooks with her husband Owen.

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Flora Delargy

Flora Delargy is an author and illustrator from Belfast who loves to bring to life true tales and events from the past. In 2020, Flora completed an MA in Children’s Book Illustration from the Cambridge School of Art, graduating with a Distinction. She also holds a Bachelor of Music degree from King’s College London. In 2019, she was selected for the Illustrators Exhibition at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair. Rescuing Titanic, published by Quarto in September 2021, is her first book.

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Oisín McGann

Oisín McGann is one of Ireland’s most prolific writer-illustrators, producing books for all ages. He is the author of the hugely popular Mad Grandad books, Headbomz: Wreckin’ Yer Head and novels such as Race the Atlantic Wind. He is also the illustrator of The Secret Scientist, the latest in Jason Byrne’s Onion O’Brien series. He is a winner of the European Science Fiction Society Award, CBI’s Children’s Choice Award and has been shortlisted for numerous other awards. He lives somewhere in the Irish countryside, where he won’t be heard shouting at his computer.

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Judi Curtin

Judi Curtin was born in London and grew up in Cork. She trained as a primary school teacher, but is now a full-time writer. She has written thirty-one books for adults and children, many of which have been bestsellers. She is best known for the Alice and Megan series, the Eva series and the Molly and Beth series. In 2019 she wrote her first historical novel for children, Lily at Lissadell, which tells the story of a young girl who has to leave school to work as a housemaid in Lissadell House. Judi’s latest book is Lily’s Dream.

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Jacqui Hurley

In 2009, Jacqui became the first female anchor of Sunday Sport on RTE Radio One. She presents the daily sports bulletins on RTE’s 6.1 news and is also a regular anchor of RTE’s soccer output on television. She is a former Irish basketball international and also played camogie for Cork.

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Books

A Field Guide to Leaflings

Welcome to the world of Leaflings, the secret guardians of the trees. Among the branches and roots of some of our planet's most important inhabitants, live the leaflings. These tiny creatures protect trees and help manage their interactions, their cycles and tell their stories. In A Field Guide to Leaflings, meet leaflings from all over the world and the trees they live with. Travel from an ancient holly tree in Ireland, to a cherry blossom in Japan, and climb to the highest branches of a giant redwood in California. The leaflings will show you how trees breathe, make food, support many forms of life and what they mean to people all around the world.

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Rescuing Titanic

Rescuing Titanic tells with exquisite illustrations and richly-detailed text the story of the little ship Carpathia and its heroic journey rescuing passengers from the Titanic. This dramatic and visually-immersive story was meticulously researched by astonishing debut talent Flora Delargy, whose own grandfather worked in the shipyard where Titanic was built.

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The Kidds of Summerhill

When Ma dies, Nancy is determined to keep her family together in their Dublin tenement and not in the industrial schools where the Cruelty Men believe they should be. Will she succeed?

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A short, hopeful guide to climate change

Climate Change and how to fight it explained in a hopeful and eco-friendly book. Published in collaboration with Friends of the Earth.

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Winds of change

In 1880’s Ireland, with the Land War raging and evictions and boycotting overturning everyday life, three children from very different background form a secret – and dangerous – alliance.

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Lily’s Dream

The further adventures of Lily: life as a maid in Lissadell House is always interesting, but with her friendship with Maeve under strain, a war in Europe starting and uncertainly about her future, she needs all her wits about her! This latest installment in the popular series also sees Lily finally on her way to realising her dream of becoming a teacher.

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Girls Play Too: Inspiring Stories of Irish Sportswomen

First ever compendium of stories for 8-12-year olds about Ireland’s most accomplished contemporary sportswomen, from RT?? sports broadcaster Jacqui Hurley.

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Book your crew in for some wonder… And they’ll all read happily ever after!

Connect with Wonderfest online

Wonderfest Wonderfest · 2 months ago
@WonderFestIre
Watch out for the #BookElves2022 during the @RTELateLateShow #latelatetoyshow2022
They will be recommending some great children's books during the show on social media. https://t.co/KXEM0BnlL6
View on Twitter
WonderFestIre photo
Sinéad O'Hart 🌈🌿@SJOHart
And my favourite #picturebook this year is the amazing #BeWildLittleOne by Irish author @Hopewrites and illuminated by the marvellous art of @DanielEgneus. It's a definite #IrishBooks recommendation for #BookElves2022. A perfect gift for little readers - and not-so-little ones! https://t.co/1zjERJ3FRO
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Wonderfest Wonderfest · 3 months ago
@WonderFestIre
We have a full morning of online events for schools tomorrow with @DublinBookFest - we can't wait!
Drawing with @AlNolan and @whackochacko
Writing with @Erika_McGann and Debbie Thomas
Stories with @chrishaughton and @MuirNiChiobhain and @PForde123
Let the creativity flow! https://t.co/f2G9uSAR84
View on Twitter
WonderFestIre photo
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Wonderfest Wonderfest · 3 months ago
@WonderFestIre
THIS SATURDAY! 12th Nov 11am @DLR_Libraries @dlrLexIcon
Want to write or illustrate for children. This event is for you!
The latest in the #ProperBook from @KidsBooksIrel in partnership with @DublinBookFest - with some terrific speakers.
Tickets still available. https://t.co/ql3ME8cCYN
View on Twitter
WonderFestIre photo
Wonderfest@WonderFestIre
Want to write or illustrate for children? This
@KidsBooksIrel
and
@DublinBookFest
event is a must. Sat 12th Nov 11am
@DLR_Libraries
Lexicon. Supported by
@DLR_Libraries
Hear all about getting published from the experts!
RTs appreciated.
Booking: https://t.co/K2LRJyy13z https://t.co/18EwEEWG6b
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