Children’s Literary Salon: Ireland of the Imagination

I am pleased to announce our upcoming Children’s Literary Salon this Saturday, December 10th from 1:00-2:00 p.m.

Meeting Irish Children’s Laureate, Siobhán Parkinson

Children’s writer Siobhán Parkinson is Ireland’s first Laureate na nÓg, or Children’s Literature Laureate. The author of some 20 novels for children, young people and adults, Ms. Parkinson’s most recent publication is Long Story Short, published by Roaring Brook in the US in September 2011. Siobhan will discuss recent developments in children’s literature in Ireland, from her perspective as Literature Laureate, as well as talking about her own work as a novelist and teacher.

Siobhán Parkinson has been shortlisted nine times for the Bisto Book of the Year award, which she won on one occasion; she has received Bisto Merit and Honor Book awards four times as well as two IBBY Honors and several White Ravens.

She is an editor by profession and is currently commissioning editor and publisher with Little Island. She was formerly co-editor of Bookbird (a journal of international children’s literature published by IBBY) and editor of Inis, published by Children’s Books Ireland.

She is also a translator from German (two books published by Little Island), and she writes in Irish as well as in English. She has academic interests in children’s literature and delivers occasional papers at conferences in Ireland and internationally, several of which have been published. She is an occasional reviewer.

She has always been an outspoken champion of the cause of children’s literature, and writes and speaks passionately on the subject. She is visually impaired, and relies heavily nowadays on audiobooks and ebooks.

This event is sponsored by Culture Ireland’s Imagine Program.

This event will be held in the Trustees Room on the second floor (on the southern end of the building).

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