Meet the Writers

Ashwin Chacko

Children, Illustrator

Ashwin Chacko is an illustrator & designer living and working in Dublin. He specialises in positive visual storytelling, helping companies...

Grainne Clear

Editor

Gráinne Clear is a Commissioning Editor at Walker Books. Before this she was Publishing Manager and Art Director at Little...

Joseph Coelho

Children, Non-Fiction

Joseph Coelho is a multi-award winning children’s author and poet. He writes across several mediums for children including stage plays,...

Vita Coleman

Children, Professional Development

Vita Coleman is Assistant Librarian in Bray Public Library, Wicklow County Council Library Service. She is also a Children’s Books Ireland...

Oein DeBhairduin

Children, Debut, Irish Publishing, Irish Writing, Memoir, Short Stories, Young Adults

Oein DeBhairduin is a creative soul with a passion for poetry, folk herbalism and preserving the beauty of Traveller tales,...

Aimée Felone

Children, Publisher

Aimée Felone is managing director of Knights Of – a commercial children’s publisher whose main focus is publishing inclusively by...

Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick

Children, Fiction, Irish Writing, Novel, Young Adults

Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick is an award- winning author and illustrator. She has won four CBI (Children’s Books Ireland) Book of the...

Patricia Forde

Children, Irish Language, Irish Writing, Novel, Professional Development

Patricia Forde is a children’s writer from Galway, and chairperson of Children’s Books Ireland.  She writes in Irish and in...

Shane Hegarty

Children, Young Adults

Shane Hegarty is the writer of the 'Darkmouth' series, about a town invaded by monsters and the kid who is...

Jodie Hodges

Agent, Children

Jodie Hodges is the literary agent for children’s authors and illustrators at United Agents, where she has worked since the...

Burhana Islam

Children, Fiction, Novel

Born in Bangladesh, raised in Newcastle and currently residing in the outskirts of Manchester, Burhana Islam is a storyteller who...

Adiba Jaigirdar

Children, Fiction, Irish Writing, LGBTQI+ Writing, Professional Development, Young Adults

Adiba Jaigirdar was born in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and has been living in Dublin, Ireland from the age of ten. She...

Adiba Jaigirdar

Adiba Jaigirdar was born in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and has been living in Dublin, Ireland from the age of ten. She...

Hannah Lee

Children

Hannah Lee was born in London, where she still lives. She always loved books, but yearned to see more stories...

Lorraine Levis

Children, Irish Publishing, Professional Development

Lorraine Levis is a Key Account Executive for Penguin Random House Children’s Books and an Irish Times columnist. She started...

Becky Long

Children, Workshop, Young Adults

Becky Long received her PhD in children's literature from Trinity College Dublin in 2018. She has been a Book Doctor...

Dave Lordan

Poetry, West Cork, Workshop, Young Adults

Dave Lordan is widely acknowledged as one of Ireland's leading contemporary poets, essayists and literary thinkers. He is a renowned...

Philippa Milnes-Smith

Agent, Children, Fiction, Non-Fiction

Philippa Milnes-Smith is The Soho Agency’s specialist in children's books and media as well as its managing director. Her work...

Mary Murphy

Children, Illustrator

Mary Murphy has written and illustrated more than forty bright, strong books for children including What I Like Most and...

Aoife Murray

Children, Professional Development, Young Adults

Aoife Murray holds an MPhil in Popular Literature from Trinity College Dublin. She has worked at Children’s Books Ireland since...

Elizabeth Rose Murray

Children, Essays, Nature, Non-Fiction, Novel, West Cork, West Cork, Workshop, Young Adults

Elizabeth Rose Murray writes in multiple genres for children, young adults, and adult audiences. Her books include three books for...

Ann Murtagh

Historical Fiction, Young Adults

Ann Murtagh is a former primary school teacher. Born in the USA she spent most of her life in Kells,...

Deirdre Nolan

Children, Publisher

Deirdre Nolan has worked in the publishing industry for over twenty years. As an Associate Publisher with Gill Books, she...

Muireann Ní Chíobháin

Children, Editor, Irish Language, Professional Development

Muireann Ní Chíobháin is an author, screen writer, broadcaster and performer. Her debut Irish language picture book Scúnc agus Smúirín...

Princess Okonkwo

Children, Irish Publishing

Princess Okonkwo is an Editorial Administrator at The O’Brien Press. A recent graduate of the MA in Literature and Publishing...

Matthew Parkinson-Bennett

Children, Irish Publishing, Professional Development

Matthew Parkinson-Bennett is Publisher at Little Island Books.

Tanya Rosie

Editor

Tanya Rosie joined Walker Books in 2014 as an intern, and is now a Commissioning Editor of picture books, working...

David Stevens

Children, Publisher

David Stevens is Associate Director at Knights Of – a commercial children’s publisher based in London. He is co-founder of...

Caitriona Sweeney

Illustrator

Caitriona Sweeney is an illustrator from Dublin who spent most of her summers roaming around her Granddad’s farm in the...

Carol Ann Treacy

Children, Illustrator, Young Adults

Carol Ann Treacy is a children’s author/illustrator and a designer. Barney Goose – A Wild Atlantic Adventure, recently published by...

Sarah Webb

Children, Irish Writing, Professional Development

Sarah Webb is an award-winning children’s writer and creative writing teacher. She runs creative writing clubs for children and reviews...