Fireworks and Festivals…

Posted on 27/10/2015 by fionaconlonmckenna

Marita with Nicola Pierce, Brian Gallagher and Grainne Clear. Photo by ROCSHOT

It’s that time of year again, the Children’s Book Festival, when I am travelling all over the place, meeting people and talking about books.

I had great fun at the Red Line Festival, talking in the Civic Theatre in Tallaght with author friends Nicola Pierce and Brian Gallagher and interviewer Grainne Clear about how and why we all love researching and writing about history.

Fireworks Wexford Opera Festival 2015 Then I packed my bags and went down to Wexford for a few days during the Wexford Opera Festival. I had a wonderful evening in Wexford’s Library where journalist Tom Mooney and I discussed writing and met lots of interested writers and readers. Next day it was the kids’ and schools’ turn and I sure got to meet plenty of them at two packed out events in the library.

Wexford was buzzing and I joined all the crowds down on the waterfront watching the spectacular firework display which launched the annual opera festival. The streets of the city were thronged as it was such a warm autumn night. There is opera everywhere in Wexford town and lots of events – with some art too.

Marita, Wexford Library October 2015

I visited a great art exhibition held upstairs in Greenacres’ gallery with pieces by some of my favourite Irish sculptors, John Behan and Eamonn Ceannt.

The next day I talked in Enniscorthy Library to a lovely gang before heading off to meet my author friend, Don Conroy, for lunch… and a big chat about books…

The Children’s Book Festival will continue until the end of October with lots of fun events in libraries and book shops all around the country.

Celebrations for 25 years of Under the Hawthorn Tree!

Posted on 28/05/2015 by fionaconlonmckenna

It’s hard to believe that it is 25 years since Under the Hawthorn Tree was first published.

The O’Brien Press organised a lovely big event in Hodges Figgis Book shop on Dawson Street in Dublin to mark the occasion. Amazing kids and their teachers from three schools came along to meet me.

Everyone had lots of questions and I had a brilliant time, so thanks to everyone.

25 years on and I still love writing, have lots of pictures in my head and new stories I want to write…

Marita at 25 anniversary of Hawthorn event

The History Detectives at the Mountains to Sea Festival

Posted on 21/03/2015 by fionaconlonmckenna

I had a wonderful time in Dun Laoghaire, at the Mountains to Sea Festival talking to lots of great kids, in a packed Pavilion Theatre, about writing and researching history.

My partners in crime were writers Brian Gallagher and Nicola Pierce. Get three writers together talking about one of their favourite topics and it’s going to be fun, revealing and crazy.

We went off for a long lunch, still chatting madly and did it all again with another session in the new DLR LexIcon Library.

Lots of great events on, so check it out if you get a chance!

Marita, Brian Gallagher and Nicola Pierce

Grainne Clear, Marita, Brian Gallagher, Nicola Pierce and Sarah Webb

Today FM’s Facebook post on Under the Hawthorn Tree

Posted on 03/03/2015 by fionaconlonmckenna

I’m not on Facebook myself but heard through my kids that Today FM has posted the original cover of my book Under the Hawthorn Tree on their Facebook page asking who read it as a child. I am delighted with the huge, positive response to the post. Would you believe it, I wrote the book twenty five years ago!

Original Irish cover by Donald Teskey

It was written for my own children with little thought of it getting published. I’m mad about history and wanted to tell the story of Ireland’s Great Famine, in a way they would understand. I heard of three small skeletons from the time of the Famine being found in a field, buried under a hawthorn tree. Suddenly I had a story and Eily, Michael and Peggy and their baby sister were on the page, and I couldn’t stop writing. It was crazy as I wrote the book in 12 weeks. My own son was only a baby and I was still doing night feeds and life was pretty hectic.

I sent the book to a publisher and well…talk about luck!

I am so eternally grateful to everyone who has read the book, bought the book, passed it around their families, and used it in their schools. It is still being read by lots of children and readers of all ages around the world. My original readers are now reading it with their own kids. It is a very special book and enabled me to work as a writer. I am so proud of Under the Hawthorn Tree and its amazing 25 years!

The Blue Horse

Posted on 03/02/2015 by fionaconlonmckenna

What a lovely start to 2015 to discover that my book The Blue Horse has been chosen as the ‘One Book, One Community’ novel to be read by a huge group of schools in North Dublin and the City.

I went along to the wonderful launch in O’Connell’s CBS School, where I got to meet hundreds of enthusiastic readers and their teachers who are mad about reading and books. It was great to see images from the book up on screen and one of the teachers even got a cake made of the book cover!

Well done to everyone and I hope you all enjoy reading Katie’s story!