Louth artist features in new book for young people

A letter to readers, written by Louth artist, Derek Landy , is featured in Laureate na nÓg, Patricia Forde’s new non-fiction book for 8-12 year olds, Making It Up As You Go Along: A Children’s Guide to Writing Stories, which will be published by Little Island on 1 October 2025.

Beautifully illustrated by Mary Murphy, the book features letters to the reader penned by some of the country’s most beloved authors and illustrators, including literary powerhouses Louth native Derek Landy, Eoin Colfer and Catherine Doyle.

As part of her mission to inspire creativity among children and young people across Ireland, Forde has written a fun and practical guide designed to ignite the creativity of 8–12-year-olds. It will cover everything an aspiring storyteller needs to know, from where to find inspiration to creating characters to structuring plot.

The book was officially launched at this year’s Children’s Books Ireland International Conference in Dublin on Saturday, 20th September. Speaking ahead of the launch, Forde said the book is a call to action for young dreamers, writers, and readers ready to shape the stories of tomorrow:

“When I became Laureate na nÓg in 2023, I decided the theme of my tenure would be ‘Samhlaigh, Samhlaigh! Making It Up As We Go Along’ because creativity and imagination has enriched my life and I wanted to ensure that every child in Ireland can unearth their own creative potential. 

“This book is a fun and practical guide for children and includes tips and techniques used by some of Ireland’s foremost children’s authors, including Derek Landy , in their own work. This book will be part of the legacy of my time as Laureate, and I hope it will help to inspire and empower the next generation of storytellers.”

Matthew Parkinson-Bennett of Little Island Books adds: “Ireland is a land of storytellers, and it’s wonderful to be bringing together some of our very best children’s creators for this wonderful book. Patricia is devoting her laureateship to both defending and celebrating the importance of books for all children, and we’re so happy to be playing a part in that project.”

Maura McGrath, Chair of the Arts Council said: “As well as being a beautiful publication in its own right, ‘Making It Up As You Go Along’ includes a foreword by President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins and letters to the reader full of advice from a stellar line-up of twelve leading Irish children’s writers.

“The publication of ‘Making It Up As You Go Along’ is an incredible crescendo to Patricia’s time as Laureate na nÓg. Her tenure also featured the 2024 ‘Whole Wild World’ tour of the west coast of Ireland, stretching from Malin Head to Mizen head and is celebrated in the Whole Wild World documentary, debuted at this year’s Children’s Books Ireland Conference.”

Laureate na nÓg is an initiative of the Arts Council of Ireland. It is managed and delivered on the Council’s behalf by Children’s Books Ireland and also supported by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and the Department of Children, Disability and Equality.