Blogs

Libraries are one of THE most important gathering places in our communities. Not only are they places of learning and personal growth but leisure.

Local Writer selected for Words Ireland’s National Mentoring Programme

The latest DCLA podcast is the second part of "Selected Shorts", a discussion with authors Eilís Ní Dhuibhne, Lia Mills, Christine Dwyer Hickey and Anne Devlin, chaired by Catherine Dunne.

In this episode of the Dublin City Libraries and Archives podcast Lia Mills talks to Sinéad Gleeson, Alan Hayes, Rob Doyle and Eimear Ryan about all things anthology.

In April and May of 2017 Dolphin's Barn Library hosted a series of workshops where young historians learned how to combine research, storytelling, drawing and digital animation to tell a tale from Irish history.Expert facilitators included historian Conor Kostick and author and illustrator Alan Nolan. The result is this exciting video set in Dublin 1920.

In conjunction with ‘Rathmines Roar’ Community Information Day, 17th May, Rathmines library invited children to write a short story about their favourite book and to dress up as a character from the book. The winners were presented with their prizes at Rathmines library on Friday 30th May.View a slideshow of the competition winners and runners up.WinnersKate Heffernan for the 6 – 9 year old age group. Kate's story was inspired by her favourite book, 'I won't go to China' by Enda WyleyÉriu Dalton for the 10 – 12 year old age group. Ériu's story was drawn from her favourite book, 'The Emerald Atlas' by John StephensThe winners were presented with a €25 book token.Runners Up:Molly Gorby who chose 'Paddington visits the Toy Shop' by Michael Bond as her favourite bookYuan Sree Kandru whose favourite book is 'Stink and the Ultimate Thumb-Wrestling Smackdown' by Megan McDonaldLucie Walsh picked 'The Tale of the Sea', which Lucie herself wrote.

As part of Culture Night, 19 September 2008 a group of new writers read from their work at Dublin City Library and Archive, Pearse Street. You can read more of their work in Sixteen after Ten, an anthology of writing by students from the Oscar Wilde Centre and Blaiseadh Pinn : Nuascríbhneoireacht Ghaeilge, by members of Scríbhneoirí Óga and published by Cois Life.

Barry Cunningham and Mary Byrne presented a tips and advice session aimed at writers of children's literature in Dublin City Library and Archive on 23 February 2008. The practical advice centred on elements of successful children's literature and the publishing and marketing process. In association with the Verbal Arts Centre in Derry.Mary Byrne worked in the children's publicity department of Puffin for years and she is now a PR consultant specialising in children's books. She plans campaigns for children's writers such as Cornelia Funke, Darren Shan, Cathy Hopkins, Derek Landy and Kate Thompson. She works closely with The Chicken House, Harper Collins and Picadilly Press.Barry Cunningham was the Marketing Director for Puffin, while there he worked with many of the great names in children's publishing including Roald Dahl, Mary Norton and Spike Milligan. He then set up the children's publishing wing of Bloomsbury and while there he discovered JK Rowling. He set up his own publishing company The Chicken House in 2000. The Chicken House has published best selling books by Cornelia Funke, Kevin Brooks, Lucy Christopher and Rachel Ward and bestselling The Tunnels series by Roderick Gordon.Thank-you for listening! To hear more, please subscribe to the Dublin City Public Libraries and Archive podcast on iTunes or SoundCloud.