So, you want to know more about WRITE STUFF do you? We asked Tom Donegan from Children’s Books Ireland to give us the lowdown…
Q. Where did the idea for the write stuff blog come from?
A. Well, last year we ran a project along similar lines with authors Conor Kostick, Roisin Meaney and Judi Curtin. Conor spent a week in Roscommon, whilst Roisin and Judi worked together in Carlow. When the workshops were over, Conor thought it would be a good idea to publish a selection of the best stories online. The only problem was we had no-where to put them, so they just ended-up being hidden away on the CBI website.
So… when we decided to revamp the residencies for 2009 we thought it would be a really cool idea to create a stand-alone site where both authors and participants could post their musings and writings whilst the project was ongoing. A few calls to our expert blogger friend David and the WRITE STUFF was born!
Q. What do you hope will happen with the site now that it’s launched?
A. I’m really not sure – I don’t think you can be too controlling with these things. I’d just love to see everyone involved taking the basic set-up we’ve provided and evolving it in their own particular way. Stories, poems, cartoons, photos, videos – however the WRITE STUFF elite want to run with it is good by me… Don’t they always say the journey is more exciting when you don’t really know where you’re going to end up?!
Q. What’s all this about the write stuff elite?
A. Need you ask? They’re the young people of Monaghan, Sligo and Longford who are taking part in each residency – the guys who will be filling these pages with loads of brilliant posts over the coming weeks!
Q. Ok, I think that just about covers everything. Any final words of advice/ warning before you go?
A. Well, I guess the most important thing would be for everyone to have a good time – to make the most of this unique opportunity to work with some of the most talented writers in the country and to have fun being creative and maybe learning some new skills in the process.
It’s also REALLY important that that you don’t don’t get on the wrong side of your author – they may look nice and friendly but they have the power to turn their enemies into really nasty characters in their next book!
About the Authors
Celine Kiernan (Monaghan Residency)
Born and raised in Dublin, Celine Kiernan currently lives with her family in the countryside in Cavan. She has always had a passion for writing and drawing and she wrote her first novel at the age of 11, though she claims it was “excrutiatingly bad”. She has spent the majority of her working life in the film industry working as a character animator and she is also a freelance illustrator.
Her debut novel The Poisin Throne was published by The O’Brien Press in October 2008. Set in a fantasy version of medieval Europe, this tale of court intrigue, adventure and romance is a winning combination of imagination, powerful storytelling and characters whose presence will stay with the reader long after the book is finished. Since its release, it has captured the imagination of readers everywhere. It has received high praise from international publishers and rights to the book have been bought in America, Britain, Australia, Germany and Russia. The eagerly anticipated sequel The Crowded Shadows followed in September 2009 and Celine is currently working on the third book in the trilogy The Rebel Prince which is due to be released in Autumn 2010.
You can find out more information about Celine and the Moorehawke Trilogy at:
David Donohue
David Donohue was born in Carlow and went to college at the Waterford School of Art. In the mid-80s he moved to New York where he began an exciting career in music and film. He worked as the American correspondent for Hot Press Magazine during which time he interviewed many famous musicians including David Bowie! Combining his love of music with his love of film, he has produced many music documentaries and won the award for “best documentary” at the 1991 Ontario film festival. He is also a songwriter and he has recorded three albums under the name “The Floors”.
David’s first children’s book Walter Speazlebud was published in 2002. Walter Speazlebud is an ordinary boy with extraordinary powers. He is a master at backwards spelling and he can make people go back in time! Since then Walter has returned in two follow-up novels: Moon Man (2006) and Alien Timebomb (2007) for more backwards adventures!
David spends a lot of his time visiting schools and libraries around Ireland. David’s workshops are based around the idea of spelling backwards and the power of using your noitanigami!
Mary Melvin Geoghegan
Mary Melvin Geoghegan was born in Dublin and lives in County Longford. She is an associate editor of the Eurochild Anthology of Children’s Poetry published by Tigh Fili, Cork and editor of two collections of Longford Children’s poetry – Ride Along Dear Grandma (2003) and A Hand in the Future (2008) with foreword by Belinda McKeon.
She has read at the Maria Edgeworth Literary Festival, The Boyle Arts Festival, Force 12 Writers’ Weekend, Belmullet, The Goldsmith literary Festival, The Athlone Literary Festival, Out-to-Lunch at the Irish Writers’ Centre, as part of the Introductions series with Poetry Ireland, at the Siarsceal Festivals in King House, Boyle, and Clonalis House, Roscommon The Backstage Theatre Longford and The Niland Gallery, Sligo.
Her work has been widely published including The Curit Journal (2008), The Oxfam Calendar(2007), The Stoney Thursday Book, The Maria Edgeworth Literary Papers, Riposte, The Shinrone Poetry Awards (2007), Poetry Ireland Review, The Sunday Times, Books Ireland, The Stinging Fly, The SHOp, The Scriobh Anthology,Acorn, Wildeside, The Bray Arts Journal, The Longford leader and Heartlands as well as three collections of poetry The Bright Unknown (2003) and Abbeycartron Epiphanies (2005) with Lapwing Publications Belfast and When They Come Home (2008) with Summer Place Press, Donegal.
She’s a member of The Maria Edgeworth Literary Society and facilitates creative writing for the Writers-in-Schools Scheme, The Niland Gallery, Sligo, Maynooth University, and the Arts Offices of County Roscommon, Westmeath, Longford.
