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In case you haven’t heard, writer and champion of children’s books, Sarah Webb, has brought together a team of children’s book specialists to create the campaign. The reason behind the campaign is that the Irish children’s top ten bestseller list rarely features ANY Irish books, even though Ireland is full of talented writers and illustrators.

The aim of Discover Irish Children’s Books is to highlight and celebrate Irish children’s books and to bring their authors and illustrators to the attention of young readers and their grown ups.

It’s a fantastic campaign and you can learn more, including how you can help, by visiting:

Sometimes, as a writer, an opportunity comes your way that you want to shout about from the mountain tops! And often, as a writer, you are sworn to secrecy until the big reveal� But today, I can finally talk about, and share, an exciting project I’ve been working on; a myth and legend audio book series for children, called .

I’ve always been a huge fan of myth and legend and so when Zahra Media Group approached me to write some stories for Skoda (yes the cars!) that children can listen to on car journeys, I jumped at the chance.

As a child, I devoured myths from all over the world. I remember being dazzled by stories from Japan, Iran, China, Ireland, Spain, The Gambia, India, and Afghanistan. I also remember a very kind and thoughtful local librarian who would scout different titles out for me and put them aside until I came in to exchange my books. I was always so excited to see what she’d found for me. So getting to write some audio-friendly stories based on such incredible characters is a childhood dream come true.

Another important aspect of writing that I try to honour, is to make books and stories as accessible as possible � if it wasn’t for libraries, I’d had never had such fantastic access to books and I’d never have become a writer.

And so, I’m delighted that these stories are completely free to listen to and are available across a variety of platforms. So please have a listen and share widely with anyone you know who likes audio books. The content is suitable for young children aged six and above, but I firmly believe that there’s no upper age limit for enjoying a great story.

There are five stories in total and each focuses on a great female character from Ireland’s legend and lore; Queen Maeve, Grace O’Malley, Brigid, Macca and the Morrigan. Today is the first time I’ve heard the story recordings and it’s such an incredible experience � the actor really brings the stories to life and and I hope you love listening to them as much as I loved writing them.

The links above link you to all five stories, but I’ve listed the individual Spotify links below:

After you’ve listened, I’d love to know which of these absolute legends is your favourite.

Drop me a comment below to let me know!

I haven’t posted in a long while because WordPress changed their whole blogging system and I’ve been too pushed for time to work it out. Also, I’m not a fan of tinkering with technology when I work on it all day � I’d rather read a good book. But I realise that it’s not a good idea to allow my website to go stale, and that I have lots of exciting projects I want to share with you all. And so, I’m diving in�

If any of you are around the West Cork area, I’d like to invite you all to my event this Saturday (Oct 1st) at 11.30am in the Methodist Church, Kinsale, as part of the . Suitable for children aged 8-12, we’ll be talking about how ideas evolve, how characters and settings develop, and how to write a story from the story spark to the editing process. We’ll make a story together as a group, and there’ll also be readings from the and plenty of opportunity to share your ideas and ask questions.

Sound like fun? Hope to see you there!

It’s publication day for Women on Nature � now available in bookshops!

I’m absolutely delighted to have an essay in this fabulous, and historically important collection � about bees and the impact of addiction � and and cannot wait to read everyone else’s work. Nature and landscape is central to all my work, from my children’s books to my poems, short stories and essays � and being included in this book is a real honour.

Huge congratulations to everyone involved & massive thanks to for her vision & hard work in making it happen. You can hear more about the anthology by .

! This was such a fun project to be involved with � I was invited by MoLi � Museum of Literature Ireland� to talk about my favourite subject � writing. Interviewer, Lily Cahill, was such a toughie*!

In this episode of the NovelTeens podcast, our host ’â¶Ä�

NovelTeens is a podcast for young people about words, creativity and inspiration brought to you by MoLI. In this series, we will be asking authors deep-dive questions on how they became writers, their writing process, and generally picking their brains.

You can !

*Lily is adorable. Enjoy!

So, just in case you’re looking for some inspiration for your writing� next week, I’m co-teaching a 2.5 hour workshop on . I first came across Tawnya through a friend on twitter and her workshops have kept me sane and on track during lockdown � she’s an incredible facilitator and writer, and so I’m delighted to be collaborating with her.

This is a pay-what-you-can workshop, it’s suitable for those writing for children or for adults (memoir/fiction) and it’s really writing intensive � so if you need a kick start, some focus, and an evening of like-minded people, then you can .

Hope to see you there!

So, we’re all struggling with the way things have changed during Covid, but we’re all still plodding on. I hope you are all doing OK and that you’re managing to find creativity and stimulation in your lives. It’s not easy, I know, but keep going. That’s all we can do. And don’t lose hope.

It was yesterday and I was delighted to be busy with online school events. I was also super excited to be included in a wonderful list of , and to see that avid reader, Olivia (Middlesbrough, UK), made a replica of my book cover � in cake! Isn’t it marvellous?!

So, what have I been working on during these strange days, and why have I been so quiet? I currently have three books out on submission, and I’m in the process of finishing a fourth. This is a novel for an adult readership, and it is helping to keep me focused. Though I must say, my attention span has shortened during the pandemic and I’m having to work in shorter bursts, so progress is slower than I had hoped. But I’m feeling grateful for having something to focus on.

I’m also feeling grateful for the support of my , and all my writer friends, but especially , , and , who help steady the writerly ocean when it feels too choppy. Plus, the longer days, deer sightings, long woodland walks, Atlantic swells, hot baths and scented candles are helping the days pass productively, so the finishing line is finally growing closer.

I had intended to blog more frequently this year, but I seem to be on screens way too much with zoom meetings, events, teaching, and chats with friends, but you’ll see I’m starting to update my website, such as my (there’s a lot more to come � ). My website needs a big overhaul but the template changes in WordPress feel a bit overwhelming right now and so I’ll keep it basic until I have the energy to fall down that rabbit hole!

And now� back to the WIP. I guess I just wanted to check in and say hi and give a big hug of encouragement to everyone who’s maybe not feeling that great, but continues to hang in there and doing their best.

Your best is good enough. You’re good enough. Keep going, and don’t lose hope. x

It’s been a long a tiring year and challenging in many ways, but there’s still been plenty to celebrate and enjoy. I’ve enjoyed being productive in terms of both writing and online events, and I’m ending the year feeling relatively upbeat and positive about opportunities to come. But like most, I’m ready for a break and I’m shutting down now to rest and gather some energy, ready for the new year, when I’ll be overhauling my website and reopening for bookings for workshops, mentoring, panels, and reader reports. Watch this space!

In the meantime, I have a little something to leave you with; I’m honoured to be part of this wonderful series (9 podcasts in total) alongside an amazing line-up of writers. Hopefully, it’ll be something lovely for you to listen to through the wintry months.

Have a gentle, restful Christmas all and see you in 2021!

I have a . This is probably my favourite poem that I’ve written for a while, and so I hope you enjoy it. 

I struggle to call myself a poet as I find longer form and non-fiction more comfortable, and therefore, I’m more confident in those areas, but this is the second poem I’ve had published this year and it definitely feels like poetry has returned in importance in my life � so thank you for sharing this journey. 

There have been some amazing online opportunities during these strange times, and among them for me was the opportunity to attend the launch of Not Very Quiet #7 held in Australia and online. The launch was a glorious mixture of attendees in the usual launch venue, as well as people zooming in from all around the world on a big screen. 

We heard a fantastic keynote speech from guest editor, , as well as some of her striking poetry. Six readers from the new memoir-themed issue followed, each so different, despite the common theme. It was a wonderful celebration of poetry, and wonderful to be part of it. There’s so much amazing stuff in  � I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I have. 

I’m delighted to have .

[image error]I fell in love with writing as a young child because of poetry, and over the years, long form has taken over � mainly due to the ideas I’ve had and contracts signed. But over the last year, or so I’ve been dabbling again with my first love.

There’s a misconception that because poetry is shorter, it’s easier. It’s not. It’s just different. Poems usually don’t take me as long time wise (a book is typically a year or two), but I put the same level of care and heart into any poem, flash, short story and essay that I write and so any publication is a joy.

It’s also a validation. Writing takes place behind closed doors, journeying within our own minds. The process is as loaded with self criticism, false starts and mistakes as it is with exploration, play, and inspiration. Sharing work can be terrifying, and it’s not always easy � all writers feel more confident in some areas than others. But we write because we feel compelled, and because we love to read. And so sharing work is an element that we often love and fear in equal measure.

So here goes…�. Hope you enjoy it!

And if you’ve had something published on an online journal recently, drop it in the comments so I can have a read