2026 – Page 2 – Marita Conlon-McKenna

This is such a special fun day for readers young and old everywhere as we celebrate books and reading and stories. In schools and libraries across Ireland everyone is dressing up as their favourite book character, or designing a new book cover or poster, taking part in a book quiz or book treasure hunt. I always love seeing the different versions of my covers and am so impressed by readers who seem to know my books better that I do. There are authors and illustrators visiting schools across the country and a Mega author online event being held in the National Library of Ireland today.

Words and books are incredibly important and are a big part of who we are, and who we become. Life is busy for all of us but making time to read is one of the best things we can do to make us happy and relax and use our imaginations. Special thanks to all the teachers and schools that are taking part. Some of my grandchildren have dressed up for school and Montessori as Where’s Wally, Mr Strong, Luke Skywalker, Angelina Ballerina, and Mr Biff the Boxer.

Children’s Book’s Ireland and An Post are doing something amazing and distibuting 40,000 free books to kids in Hospitals, Direct Provision Centres, Family Centres and In Care on this World Book Day so that everyone gets to own and read a book.

Most of you will receive a special World Book Day token either in school or if you visit your local book shop which can be used to get one of the specially published World Book Day Books, there are some really brilliant Irish books on the list, or tokens can even be used to go towards another book you want to buy. So use your token and remember the important thing is to keep reading…….

An Post Delivering Books

I am getting very excited as the time gets nearer for the opening of the ‘Under the Hawthorn Tree’ exhibition in The Ulster American Folk Park in Omagh in Northern Ireland in a few weeks’ time.

I have been working with Victoria Miller and the wonderful team from Northern Ireland Museums on this big project over the past year and a half as they build and bring this Exhibition to life

It is a totally new experience for me getting involved with listening to young actors, musicians helping to choose illustrators and designers and seeing the detailed craft work done for an exhibition like this. I never realised the hard work and dedication mounting such an exhibition takes. I am learning so much and it is great fun as I can see things begin to come together.

I was back up in Omagh a few weeks ago to film with a group of wonderful students from the Sacred Heart School , Tattyreagh..They were in great form and full of questions and chat despite the awful rainy wet weather

It is hard for me to believe that it is over thirty – five years ago since I first visited thre park to do some research for my book ‘Wildflower Girl,’ . Little did I dream that all these years later an exhibition based around my book ‘Under the Hawthorn Tree ‘would be opening there.

As the time gets closer there is so much work going on with Stefan McKee designing and creating the exhibition and talented heritage maker Bob Johnson working in the Ulster Museum Folk site using willow to create the most incredible hawthorn tree for the centre of the exhibition and Matthew Walton creating birds that will sit in the tree. I cannot wait to go back up to Omagh and to see the tree in situ.

The exhibition will be open at the end of March, just in time for the Easter Holidays.