A BIG SHOUT OUT to Children’s Books Ireland

Posted on April 14, 2026 Updated on April 14, 2026

My day job is Director of Literacy and Oracy at a secondary school and my whole life is about encouraging children and young people to read, write and express themselves well vocally. It’s not easy, so I’ll tell you who are my absolute heroes.

The aim of the team at CBI is to get books in the hands of children. They advocate for libraries in schools; raise funds, organise and run initiatives like book gifting so all children have access to books; publish the Inis magazine on children’s literature, reviewing upcoming titles, interviewing artists, and showcasing cover artwork by Irish illustrators; support artists, writers, illustrators, poets, publishers, translators, and storytellers; run loads of events in schools (I’m doing four online this week with schools in Northern Ireland); have established a fellowship to support underrepresented young artists; work with other organisations to create bursaries for writers and illustrators to go on residential professional development trips; advocate a culture of reading across Ireland; run book clinics around the country; administer the Laureate na nÓg to honour an exceptional writer or illustrator for children; undertake important research into reading; and run annual awards for the best of children’s writing (sponsored by KPMG: see the shortlist here).

You may recognise one of them. it’s pink so you may not. It kind of blends in to the background. It’s to the left of Solo, up from Skipshock, right of Jenny Peckles Lays Eggs with Speckles (great title).

I’m so honoured to have been shortlisted for this award, and ineffably grateful to the team at Children’s Books Ireland for championing me and My Name is Jodie Jones. But beyond me and my little pink book, I’m so in awe of all CBI does, and want to shout their praises from the rooftops because in an age where schools are losing funding, libraries are closing, artists are struggling, kids have less and less access to books, and reading is becoming a thing of the past, a team of excellent, driven, passionate people are doing mighty work that should be at the forefront of every government’s agenda. I can’t express how important this is, and I’m a Director of Oracy.

Follow them on social media, support them if you can, recognise the outstanding work they’re doing, send them a shout out. They are the loveliest bunch as well. How could they not be? Look at what they value.