National Book Tokens to feature Irish Illustrators

Electronic gift cards to launch in Ireland this week

National Book Tokens will launch the Euro Gift Card in the Republic of Ireland for the first time this Friday (1st July).
Irish Illustrators Niamh Sharkey and Oliver Jeffers will feature on the card and packaging. Click HERE

Patrick Ness Wins the Carnegie Medal

Wonderful News!

Patrick Ness has been awarded the CILIP Carnegie Medal today for Monsters Of Men

Ferelith Hordon, chair of the 2011 judging panel comments: “By any stretch of the imagination – and this is a book which profoundly stretches exactly that – “Monsters of Men” is an extraordinary achievement. Within its pages, Patrick Ness creates a complex other world, giving himself and the reader great scope to consider big questions about life, love and how we communicate, as well as the horrors of war, and the good and evil that mankind is capable of. It’s also an enthralling read that is well nigh impossible to put down. Reviews on the CILIP shadowing site bear out our conviction that despite being part of a remarkable trilogy, this is a novel that both stands alone, and stands out”.

Listen to Patrick's acceptance speech here

Press Release Here

Where's Wally World Record Broken AGAIN !

The Street Performance World Championships held two Where's Wally? record attempts on Saturday and Sunday.
Saturday's gathering of 3,657 Wallys broke Cork City's record last week. Click here for Irish Independent report and video on Saturday's event.
BUT the organisation held another record attempt on Sunday and the Guinness World Record for the largest gathering of Where's Wallys? is now 3,872.


The money raised from the sale of the Where's Wally costumes will go to the charity Africa Aware

Oliver Jeffers and David Almond

More Great News!
Walker Books has just confirmed that it has commissioned Oliver Jeffers to lllustrate David Almond's next book. Format will be illustrated fiction but I'm told there will be plenty of Oliver's work throughout. Here are some pics from Oliver's studio in New York where Deirdre McDermot from Walker Books met up him late last week.

Where's Wally World Record - Cork

As part of the Street Performance World Championships today, the World Record for the most Where's Wallys in one place was indeed broken. 2,563 Wallys gathered today in Cork.
Next week sees two more attempts in Dublin.
Well Done Cork!

Laura Carlin wins V&A Illustration Award

Laura Carlin has won the V&A Illustration Award 2011 for Best Illustrated Book with Iron Man

Laura was presented with her prize at an awards ceremony at the V&A Museum on Monday
Laura’s artwork, along with the other winners, will be on display at the V&A until December.

Part modern fairy tale, part science fiction myth, The Iron Man describes the unexpected arrival in England of a mysterious giant "metal man" who wreaks havoc on the countryside by attacking the neighbouring farms and eating all their machinery. A young boy called Hogarth befriends him and he and the extraordinary being end up defending and saving the earth when it is attacked by a fearsome "space-bat-angel-dragon" from outer space. This children's classic, with its message of peace and hope, is known and loved all over the UK and is here presented as part of an exciting new collaboration between Walker Books and Faber and Faber.

Mo Willems new Picturebook for 2012

The Duckling Gets a Cookie!? is scheduled for publication in April 2012. Duckling asks for a cookie—and gets one! Pigeon, who has been unsuccessfully asking for things for years, is not pleased.

“The Duckling Gets a Cookie!? is probably my most research-heavy book to date,” said Willems. “As the creator, I had to ask tough questions, like ‘What kind of cookie?’ ‘How would the cookie taste?’ and ‘How would another one of the cookies taste?’ This hard work was not done by an assistant; I have the belly to prove it.”

Allan Alberg & Bruce Ingman on CLPE shortlist

Everybody was a Baby Once by Allan Ahlberg and Bruce Ingman has been shortlisted for the CLPE Poetry Award 2011.The award is presented annually for a book of poetry for young people; previous winners include John Agard, Grace Nichols, Roger McGough and Jackie Kay.
The winner will be announced at an awards ceremony on Tuesday 5^th July and the judges will be Carol Ann Duffy, Andrew Lambirth and Fiona Waters. The judging panel will be chaired by Julia Eccleshare.

Kevin Waldron wins Major Illustration prize

Kevin Waldron wins the Bull-Bransom Award.

“Kevin Waldron's illustrations for Tiny Little Fly are a perfect example of how engaging illustrations can bring the printed word to life. He gave personality to creatures ranging in size for the tiny little fly to a great big elephant - on the same page!” said National Museum of Art Curator of Art Adam Harris, who served as one of the judges for this year’s award. “Waldron’s work exemplifies excellence in contemporary wildlife illustration, making him a wonderful choice for this year's Bull-Bransom Award.”

PJ Lynch Artwork for The Examiner

Pj Lynch has completed this painting for a campaign to run in 'The Examiner' newspaper. Keen eyes with notice some member of the Irish Childrens Bookseller Mob! ie; David O Callaghan, David Maybury, Eamon Nolan and yours truly, Conor Hackett.
It will appear in the newspaper soon and also on billboards around Cork.
Click here to go to PJ's site for more information.