New Laureate na nÓg Niamh Sharkey’s first official engagement as Laureate was to address a seminar organised by Bernardos on the topic of Literacy and Numeracy for Early Learners. The seminar took place at the Hilton Hotel in Kilmainham, Dublin, and was attended by educators, librarians and policy-makers in the Early Learning Sector. Niamh spoke about her own process as a picture-book maker, the impact that picture books had on children, as well as the influence that illustrators such as the late Maurice Sendack and Jim Henson had had on her work.

Imelda Graham of Barnardos with Laureate na nÓg Niamh Sharkey at the Literacy and Numeracy Seminar

The new Laureate na nÓg Niamh Sharkey hit the headlines today with most of the main news media covering her appointment. Having appeared on RTE Six-One news last night and given interviews to BBC Radio Ulster’s Arts Extra programme, as well as the BBC World Service, there was more coverage in today’s papers.
You can read what the Irish Times said here:

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2012/0509/1224315798687.html

And what the Irish Independent said here:

http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/books/top-childrens-author-drawn-in-by-disney-offer-3103125.html

And RTE’s Entertainment Network reported it here:

http://www.rte.ie/ten/2012/0508/laureatenanog.html

The new Laureate na nÓg, Niamh Sharkey, at the Arts Council on 8th May

Our second Laureate na nÓg, Niamh Sharkey, at her appointment by President Michael D. Higgins

Today, Tuesday 8th May 2012, President Michael D. Higgins announced author and illustrator Niamh Sharkey as Laureate na nÓg, Ireland’s laureate for children’s literature, presenting her with the Laureate na nÓg medal at a special event at the Arts Council.

Laureate na nÓg is an initiative of the Arts Council with the support of the Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Children’s Books Ireland, Poetry Ireland and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. The honour was been established to engage young people with high quality children’s literature and to underline the importance of children’s literature in our cultural and imaginative life.

Niamh Sharkey is an author and illustrator of children’s picture books, which have been translated into over twenty languages. Her books have won numerous awards including the prestigious Mother Goose Award and the Bisto Book of the Year. Niamh is the creator and associate producer of The Happy Hugglemonsters, a 52 episode pre-school animation series, based on her book The Hugglewugs, which will air on Disney Junior in over 150 countries in 2012.

Speaking about her appointment Niamh Sharkey said:
‘It is a great honor to be chosen as the next Laureate na nOg. I am a picture book maker so my focus as Laureate will certainly be visual as well as literary. I am going to get to do even more of what I love most – promoting quality children’s literature and encouraging children to read, write and draw. I have lots of ideas that I hope will inspire creativity in children of all ages. I’m very excited and can’t wait to get started’

Mags Walsh, Director of Children’s Books Ireland said: “In the two years since its establishment, the position of Laureate na nÓg has been able to highlight and celebrate the incredible talent and passion which exists in the Irish children’s books community. By bringing national and international attention to Irish children’s books, Laureate na nÓg has demonstrated the central role that books can play in every Irish childhood.”

The inaugural Laureate na nÓg was author Siobhán Parkinson, a champion of the cause of children’s literature. Siobhan’s projects whilst in the role have included the Laureate International Library, which comprises more than 100 Irish and international children’s books selected by the Laureate as representative of the quality of international children’s writing around the world, as well as Books Beyond Borders, which explored the topic of books and reading in multi-cultural societies.

In attendance at todays’ event were Pat Moylan, Chairman of the Arts Council; Orlaith Mac Bride, Arts Council Director; Liz Powell, Acting Head of Literature, the Arts Council; Mags Walsh, Children’s Books Ireland, Director; Jane O’Hanlon, Poetry Ireland; Bob Collins, Chairman, Arts Council of Northern Ireland and children aged 4-7, who conducted an interview with the new Laureate that morning.

Siobhán Parkinson recently travelled to Letterkenny to launch a new 5 week campaign to promote literacy. The Read LK programme encourages everyone in the community to read one book, which on this occasion is Siobhán’s children’s novel, Four Kids, Three Cats, Two Cows, One Witch (Maybe).

There’s more about the visit here: http://www.donegaldemocrat.ie/news/local/new_letterkenny_initiative_promotes_reading_and_community_1_3554950

The Irish Society for the Study of Children’s Literature (ISSCL)
Sat 25th – Sun 26th February 2012

School of Nursing,
Dublin City University

Biennial Conference of the Society
Is féidir linn! [Yes we can!] : Politics and Ideology in
Children’s Literature

Keynote Speaker:
Dr Matthew Grenby, Saturday 25th February at 5.30pm

Children’s Laureate Address:
Dr Siobhán Parkinson, Sunday 26th February at 11.45am

The Irish Society for the Study of Children’s Literature (ISSCL)
celebrates its 10th anniversary on Saturday 25th and Sunday 26th
February in Dublin City University with a conference entitled “Is
féidir linn! [Yes we can!]: Politics and Ideology in Children’s
Literature.” The keynote speaker is Dr Matthew Grenby of Newcastle
University (“Very Naughty Doctrines”: the Politics of Early Children’s
Literature) and Dr Siobhán Parkinson will give the Children’s Laureate
address (The Creative and the Critical). With themes varying from
Nationalism to Cultural Memory, Ecocriticism to Geocriticism,
Utopias/Dystopias to Class and Gender Ideologies, the wide-ranging
papers on offer reveal intriguing insights into children’s literature
over the last three hundred years. The conference costs range from
€40-€60 and full details are available at www.isscl.com or email
aine.mcgillicuddy@dcu.ie.

Children’s Literature as an academic discipline has grown immeasurably
in the last decade with a popular MA course in St. Patrick’s College
Drumcondra and the recently established MPhil in Trinity College
Dublin. The ISSCL’s latest publication is Young Irelands: Studies in
Children’s Literature edited by Mary Shine Thompson and published by
Four Courts Press in November 2011.

The ISSCL gratefully acknowledge the assistance of the DCU Office for the Vice President of Research (OVPR) and the School of Applied Language and Intercultural Studies (SALIS) Research Committee.

Join Siobhán Parkinson at the Irish Museum of Modern Art this Sunday 29th January for the launch of Look No Cows, her new outdoor sculpture trail for children, which will be launched at 1pm at the gallery in Kilmainham. Further details here - http://www.imma.ie/en/page_212469.htm

CBI is currently inviting nominations for Laureate na nÓg 2012 -2014. This important initiative was instigated in 2010 with the inauguration of Siobhán Parkinson as Ireland’s first children’s literature laureate.

Siobhán will complete her imaginative and successful term in May 2012 so now is the time to nominate an Irish author or illustrator to be Laureate na nÓg 2012 –14

Individuals and organisations are invited to make a nomination between now and February 24th 2012. Nominees must be Irish, may write throgh the medium of Irish or English and should be an internationally recognised author or illustrator who has made a significant contribution to the field of children’s literature in Ireland. Further details about the laureate project and the nomination process can be found on here or from info@childrensbooksireland.ie

Laureate na nÓg is an initiative of the Arts Council with the support of the Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (OMCYA), Children’s Books Ireland and Poetry Ireland.

CRITERIA FOR NOMINATION OF NEXT LAUREATE:

The person nominated for the role needs to meet five key criteria:

1. The laureate should be an Irish writer or illustrator with an internationally recognised body of high quality children’s writing and/or illustration, who writes through the medium of Irish or English.

2. He or she must have made a particularly significant contribution to the field of children’s literature in Ireland and have had a considerable positive impact on readers as well as other writers and illustrators.

3. He or she must demonstrate both eagerness and skill in engaging with children, young people, adults, and media and with the sector as a whole.

4. He or she should demonstrate an enthusiasm for promoting children’s literature in general.

5. Nominees must be of Irish nationality.
Nominations should be sent to info@childrensbooksireland.ie before February 24th, 2012

There was a large and receptive audience for the first of the two Laureates in Conversation events, featuring Laureate na nOg Siobhan Parkinson, and the UK Waterstones Children’s Laureate, Julia Donaldson, which took place at the Royal Irish Academy in Dawson Street on Friday, 20th January.

The conversation was moderated by Dr. Amanda Piesse of TCD, and topics covered included the public role of the children’s laureate and the importance of libraries in schools and other formal and non-formal contexts.

Siobhan Parkinson, Julia Donaldson and Amanda Piesse at the Laureates in Conversation event.

Sadie Cramer's tribute to the Parkinson/Donaldson joint appearance

Booking for the Joints Laureate Reading has now closed, because we simply can’t fit any more people in to the Royal Irish Academy Meeting Room.

Thanks for all the interest – we’re all looking forward to a great event.

Siobhan Parkinson’s recent visit to the US has been reported in Publisher’s Weekly. Click here for the edition: http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-book-news/article/49883-in-brief-december-15.html?utm_source=Publishers+Weekly%27s+Children%27s+Bookshelf&utm_campaign=bb8d706b8d-UA-15906914-1&utm_medium=email

Siobhan Parkinson in New York December 2011