Big celebrations as The O’Brien Press, my Irish publisher, celebrated 40 years of publishing!

It was great to join the party at Smock Alley Theatre in Dublin, where I met so many old friends from the book world. I still find it hard to believe that it is almost 25 years since they published my very first children’s book Under the Hawthorn Tree.

Michael O’Brien talked about how his father set up the business, how he got involved and first developed a passion for publishing good books and wanted to create a strong Irish focused publishing house. His son, Ivan, is now helping to run the company. Good luck and well done to all my friends, editors, designers and the team in The O’Brien Press.

October is the busiest month for writers with the Children’s Book Festival and so many events happening around Ireland.

So I packed up my book bag and headed down to Waterford City to talk to a huge group of wonderful young readers in the magnificent setting of the City Hall. I had lots of fun with everyone.

Then last week, I went up on the bus to Donegal. No trains, but I enjoyed the beautiful Autumn colours and scenery. I stayed in Letterkenny where I got to meet lots of great kids and young writers in the Central Library.

I also dropped into my local Dubray Bookshop for their ‘Books are my Bag’ promotion where they are giving away handy book bags when you buy some books….something I can never resist!

What a big night! Lots of fun In Eason’s to celebrate the launch of Beyond the Stars – a collection of amazing short stories by 23 authors and illustrators including budding young author Emma Brade, who won the story competition.

The book is the brain child of Irish author Sarah Webb who persuaded everyone to either write a story or create an illustration for this magical book.

The book will raise lots of money for Fighting Words – the brilliant centre set up in Dublin by Roddy Doyle and Sean Love to encourage kids of all ages to get creative and write.

Sarah Webb and Marita

My story ‘The Snow Globe’ is about Cass who hates moving house. She buys a snow globe at a Christmas market and soon discovers its mystery and magic. The illustrations are by the wonderful P.J. Lynch who manages to capture my story perfectly.

Ruth Alltimes and her team at Harper Collins have produced a very special book which hopefully everyone will go out buy or put on their Christmas List.

HarperCollins Children’s Publishers UK are looking for a wonderful story by a young writer aged 8-16 for this very special book which will come out later this year. If you write the winning story you will be really lucky as world famous illustrator, Niamh Sharkey, will illustrate your story which will be the twelfth story in the book along with stories by eleven Irish authors including Eoin Colfer, Derek Landy, Roddy Doyle, Michael Scott, Judi Curtin and myself. The money raised from the book is going to Fighting Words. It is an amazing opportunity for any of you young writers! So grab the chance and get writing! Check out how to enter here.