Meet the Artists

Meet the artists involved in all our READ ON events, past and present

Click on an Artist’s image to see their full biography.

2020 Artists

Activate Youth Theatre

Activate Youth Theatre

Activate Youth Theatre was established 21 years ago in the old Graffiti Theatre premises in 50 Pope’s Quay, Cork.  Since...

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Juno Dawson

Juno Dawson

Juno Dawson is the multi award-winning author of 12 books, including the best-selling CLEAN, Meat Market and adult memoir, The...

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Dave Lordan

Dave Lordan

Dave Lordan is a multi-genre writer, performer, editor, and pathbreaking multimedia educator with four acclaimed books & twenty years experience in...

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Kelly McCaughrain

Kelly McCaughrain

Kelly McCaughrain is a YA writer from Belfast. Her first novel, Flying Tips for Flightless Birds won the Children’s Books Ireland...

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Murder Manor Cast

Murder Manor Cast

Murder Manor was devised, written and performed by members of Activate Youth Theatre, with support and mentoring from Dave Lordan. ...

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Julie O’Leary

Julie O’Leary

Since graduating in 2007, Julie has worked extensively as a facilitator and director for a range of companies both nationally...

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Deirdre Sullivan

Deirdre Sullivan

Deirdre Sullivan is an award-winning writer from Galway. As well as the Primrose Leary trilogy (Prim Improper, Improper Order and...

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Imogen Russell Williams

Imogen Russell Williams

Imogen Russell Williams is an editorial consultant and a children’s literature critic, reviewing and writing on trends in children’s and...

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2019 Artists

Malak Bouod

Malak Bouod

Malak Bouod grew up in the Libyan city of Benghazi and became involved in human rights activism in her teenage...

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John Boyne

John Boyne

John Boyne was born in Dublin in 1971, and studied English Literature at Trinity College, Dublin, and creative writing at...

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Flavia Camejo

Flavia Camejo

Flavia Camejo spent her childhood in the northern Venezuelan city of Coro and moved to the city of Maracaibo after...

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Cethan Leahy

Cethan Leahy

Cethan Leahy is a writer, filmmaker, and editor of Irish literary magazine The Penny Dreadful. His short stories are published...

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Dave Lordan

Dave Lordan

Dave Lordan is a multi-genre writer, performer, editor, and pathbreaking multimedia educator with four acclaimed books & twenty years experience in...

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Bulelani Mfaco

Bulelani Mfaco

Growing up in the apartheid ghetto of Khayelitsha in Cape Town, Bulelani Mfaco became involved at an early age in...

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Elizabeth Rose Murray

Elizabeth Rose Murray

Elizabeth Rose Murray writes novels for children and young adults and short fiction. Her books include The Book of Learning – Nine...

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Sorcha Pollak

Sorcha Pollak

Sorcha Pollak is an Irish journalist based in Dublin working for the Irish Times with a specific focus on migration...

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Stephen James Smith

Stephen James Smith

Stephen James Smith is a Dublin poet and playwright central to the rise of the vibrant spoken word scene in...

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2018 Artists

Inua Ellams

Inua Ellams

Born in Nigeria, Inua Ellams is a poet, playwright & performer, graphic artist & designer. He is a Complete Works...

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Louise O’Neill

Louise O’Neill

Louise O’Neill’s second novel Asking For It won Book of the Year at the Irish Book Awards 2015, enjoyed widespread...

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Mary Watson

Mary Watson

Mary Watson is from Cape Town and now lives on the West Coast of Ireland with her husband and three...

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Joseph O’Neill

Joseph O’Neill

Joseph O’Neill was born in Ireland, grew up in several different countries and now lives in New York where he...

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Fiona Boniwell

Fiona Boniwell

Fiona is a graphic artist based in Kinsale, Ireland. Her background is in Fine Art but her work has always...

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Graffiti Theatre Company

Graffiti Theatre Company

A unique brand of drama and theatre work for young people. Since 1984 Graffiti Theatre Company has provided a unique...

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Fiona Kelly

Fiona Kelly

Fiona Kelly is an Irish Artist whose practice primarily investigates demolition and ecology. She holds a MA from the Crawford...

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Muhammad Khan

Muhammad Khan

Muhammad Khan is an engineer, a secondary-school maths teacher, and now a YA author! He lives in South London and...

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Dave Lordan

Dave Lordan

Dave Lordan is a multi-genre writer, performer, editor, and pathbreaking multimedia educator with four acclaimed books & twenty years experience in...

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E.R. Murray

E.R. Murray

E.R. Murray writes novels for children and young adults as well as short fiction. Her books include The Book of Learning –...

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Colin O'Mahoney

Colin O'Mahoney

Colin is a freelance comic book editor. He also provides creative writing and comic-making workshops for all ages. Website •...

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Chibundu Onuzo

Chibundu Onuzo

Chibundu Onuzo was born in Lagos, Nigeria in 1991. Her first novel, The Spider King’s Daughter, won a Betty Trask...

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