This article is from page 6 of the 2011-09-20 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 6 JPG
SOME of the biggest names in Irish and international children’s writing will descend on Clare libraries next month as part of the annual Clare Children’s Book Festival.
A host of activities will take place in Clare County Libraries all around the county with a number of readings by popular children’s authors, illustration and live history workshops and storytelling taking place.
This year’s festival will also see one lucky Clare child see their artwork appear on the cover of one of Ireland’s most popular books for young people. The O’Brien Press Cover Design Competition will see a re-print of Siobhán Parkinson’s classic children’s book Four Kids, Thr ee Ca ts, Two Cows a nd a Witch (Ma ybe) , with a new jacket designed by a budding Clare artist.
As well as seeing their artwork in their local library or bookshop, the lucky winner will also have their entire class invited to a glitzy awards ceremony and will win five sets of all of Siobhán Parkinson’s O’Brien Press titles for their school.
Other highlight of this year’s festival include talks from authors Oisin McGann, Nicola Pierce, Judi Curtin, Bob Burke and Dolores Keaveney, while Bridget Bhreathnach will bring the newly published book Lúlú agus a n Oúiche Ghlór a ch to gaelscoileanna in Ennis, Kilrush and Shannon.
There will also be storytelling sessions from Billy Teare and Kathleen O’Sullivan and poetry will be presented by Tony Maude who will blend together songs, riddles, cats and even some Shakespeare.
Scottish song historian Fred Freeman, who is also a renowned bagpiper, brings his show ‘Burns for Bairns’, which provides an introduction to Scotland’s bard Robert Burns through singing, tapping-out rhythms, listening and questioning.
Michael Moylan’s ‘Irish History Live’ programme will visit Ennis, Tulla, Ennistymon and Miltown Malbay libraries and treat older children to everything from the uniforms worn during the Easter Rising to the weapons which were used during World War II.
There will also be a number of music workshops facilitated by John Lillis, the music project manager at Clare Youth Service, as well as a workshop featuring hiphop and information on DJ culture.
The festival will also include a host of puppet theatre, with worldrenowned puppetry artist Miriam Lambert performing ‘The Gingerbread Man’.