Introducing Booked Up: Futures for Young Readers As part of my community outreach programme during my time as Emerging Writer in Residence at DLR LexIcon, I'll be facilitating monthly workshops and panels for teenagers interested in exploring careers and opportunities involving books.

Freddie has spent the morning scratching at the door, eating our hair, knocking stuff off the locker, swiping at our does, chewing the phone charger, and huffing in anger. You try convincing an orange cat that it's not actually breakfast time because the clocks went back and see how far you get.

New @booksireland.bsky.social article is up and it was such a joy to interview Dagogo Hart about his new picturebook Lantern Smoke. I love yapping with poets, I could have listened to Dagogo talk for hours 🧡

Seeing as it's #IrishBookWeek, I've put together a Starter Pack of bricks 'n' mortar bookshops. Terrified I've forgotten someone obvious so please let me know of additions go.bsky.app/G4kmxVq

Introducing Booked Up: Futures for Young Readers As part of my community outreach programme during my time as Emerging Writer in Residence at DLR LexIcon, I'll be facilitating monthly workshops and panels for teenagers interested in exploring careers and opportunities involving books.

The shameless self promo begins: My debut novel is called Shorelines and it's a young adult verse novel retelling of The Little Mermaid told through the lens of a fat protagonist Out February 2026 with @littleislandbooks.bsky.social (here's me with my proof copy, deliriously excited)

She just wants someone to play with Made on the way home from @dlrarts.bsky.social #StormAmy #SpeirGorm

Day 4 of #DIKBCHALLENGE25: a book that's perfect for bookclub I feel like a good mystery is always a safe bet for bookclubs, and the intrigue and twists and turns in Arabella Pepper by @ermurray.bsky.social are guaranteed to grip any reader 🔍 #DiscoverIrishKidsBooks @irishkidsbooks.bsky.social

Day 2 of the #DIKBCHALLENGE25: a book for 15-18 years old Treacle Town by Brian Conaghan is a gripping YA story about the importance of words and the power of poetry for a young boy who is looking for a way out of the life he is living 🩷🧡🩷🧡 #DiscoverIrishKidsBooks

Day 1 of the #DIKBChallenge25: share a book with a blue cover 💙 A Dictionary Story by Oliver Jeffers and Sam Winston A really unique book, full of words and chaos and wildly entertaining definitions #DiscoverIrishKidsBooks @irishkidsbooks.bsky.social

I'm just finishing up my first week as Emerging Writer in Residence at DLR Lexicon and wanted to write this. I love it here 💙 #DunLaoghaire

Genuinely folks, there is no future for Irish artists if the Basic Income for the Arts programme doesn't continue. The cost of living and houses crisis impacts us all, but the recent reports indicate artists are 3 times more at risk to be below the poverty line.

When in #Dublin - popped into @childrensbooksireland.ie #CBIconf25 & @gutterbookshop.bsky.social let me sell a book! Great catch-up chats with lovely people incl. @louiestowell.bsky.social & @littleislandbooks.bsky.social & got a proof of @rurooie.bsky.social 's debut #YA novel #shorelines ! #BobWin

I'm starting to plan things to do in the lead up and around the publication date of my book (Feb 2026) Children's and YA book folks, what advice would you give to someone with a debut?

I can hardly believe I'm saying this. I'm so beyond thrilled and grateful to be appointed the Emerging Writer in Residence alongside the wonderful @evemcdonnell.bsky.social as the Established Writer in Residence at Dun Laoghaire CoCo Arts www.dlrcoco.ie/arts/writers...

The Lonely Only Dinosaur by @oliviahopewriter.bsky.social and @annasuessbauer.bsky.social I'm just on the way back from the lovely launch of this book at Dubray Grafton (at which I took exactly zero photos oops)

I LOVE the @dublinbookfest.bsky.social so much, in many ways it started my career in books back in 2017 (I think) when I first volunteered at the festival. I'm unbelievably excited to be doing a school event this year with the festival, and of course it's all about poetry!

I share the opinion as pretty much any artist in Ireland; it is crucial that the BIA scheme continues and is expanded. This is just a poem about “why” for me. I’m not sure of the benefit of sharing this, other than I hope that one other person might feel heard with it. #BasicIncomeForTheArts

I love tattoos

Best part of working in a bookshop are the themed displays 📚

Me: you know children's books, name one picturebook Himself: Ehm, that one, "Well..." Me: What? Himself: You know, by Chris Haughton

I love them so much you know?

I started a new job today, and while I don't believe in signs, there were a lot of kind people who made my day brighter and made it feel all just right. A barista who gave me a mini muffin with my coffee, an adorable 3yo boy who wanted to show me his toy car and play a bit before my shift...

BREAKING: At least 50 Palestinians, including 10 aid seekers, have been killed in Israeli attacks across Gaza since dawn, sources in the besieged enclave’s hospitals say. 🔴 LIVE updates: aje.io/x0kczn

Folks I'm so late to this train but I think Breakfast On Pluto might be my new favourite film

Me: Do you think Freddie would be a f@scist? Himself: I assume all cats would be

“Carrie is a refreshingly real protagonist; she is single-minded to a fault, but is driven by immense dedication” ‘Any Way You Slice It’ will be out this September 🍰 @meabhmcdonnell.bsky.social

New @booksireland.bsky.social article is out and this time it's all about Irish young adult literature! 💛 Matched Up 💜 A Fix of Light 🩵 Rani Choudhury Must Die 💙 Skipshock 💚 Any Way You Slice It ❤️ Songs For Ghosts Link below, happy reading!

Overwhelmed to say @rurooie.bsky.social and I raised €9000 for @medicalaidpal.bsky.social... But we didn't do it alone. Thank you to our donors, without whose generosity none of this would have been possible. Thank you to our brilliant, amazing supporters for your help in making us visible!

Thank you. ▪️ 52 items listed ▪️ 32 authors, illustrators, and bookish organisations involved ▪️ 163 individual items sold ▪️ 169 donations made ▪️ €9000 (on the dot!) raised for @medicalaidpal.bsky.social

Folks we are €165 away from hitting €9000 total. Could you imagine?? 40 mins left to go... www.justgiving.com/page/irish-k...

The fundraiser ends in 2 HOURS + closes at MIDDAY TODAY. If you want to donate, now is your last chance, link below. Also, if got an email from us about the picturebook masterclass with @sarahwebbwriter.bsky.social but haven't donated yet, now is your last chance! www.justgiving.com/page/irish-k...

Hi fiction YA writers, don't sleep on this AMAZING opportunity www.ruthennis.com/irish-kidlit...

Cannot believe this. We have made more than what was possible to make with the fundraiser items, because yee are so generous with your extra donations. Thank you. We'll still be going right up until midday on Sunday. Let's see what we can do. All proceeds go direct to @medicalaidpal.bsky.social

The stuff of nightmares. You've seen so much news coverage of people in Gaza being shot at while looking for aid. Ahmed is a real person this happened to. If you have the means to donate please consider supporting him and his four children at the link below ❤️🖤🤍💚

I think about this a lot, about the people in Gaza who spent years studying and working on their craft, just to have it all stolen from them. It's so unbelievably unfair. If you have the means to support Nabil, and his children Moein, Leen, and Reem, please consider donating below.

With only 48 hours left of the Irish KidLit for Palestine Fundraiser open, we are opening up our donation link publicly, so anyone can donate directly to @medicalaidpal.bsky.social www.justgiving.com/page/irish-k...

This fundraiser for Medical Aid for Palestinians by the Irish children's books crowd is running until the 17th. It's been a runaway success and a lot of the mentoring, kids' sessions and books have been snapped up (including mine), but there's still some left. www.ruthennis.com/irish-kidlit...

I'll be very honest, I fully didn't expect us to hit this number. But yee are so close to selling out every single item in the fundraiser AND an awful lot of you have been extra generous when donating. Thank you thank you thank you.

Quick! Last couple of signed copies of @kelmenton.bsky.social's YA novel, A Fix of Light, and/or a Query Letter Critique with Kel, up for grabs on www.ruthennis.com/irish-kidlit-for-palestine. Just donate to @medicalaidpal.bsky.social and one or both or all could be YOURS! @rurooie.bsky.social

There’s a public survey open for the general public to give input as to whether the Basic Income for the Arts scheme should continue. I implore you to take the 2 mins to fill out this survey and call for the BIA scheme to be continued and further developed. ec.europa.eu/eusurvey/run...

As yee know, I do this all the time for free on social media, so to make this one stand out a bit more I'll be giving 10 book recs for each child / teen and linking you up to your local bookshop or library to make it that bit easier for you to access it.

Teachers of Ireland! If you want to start the school year off with a bang & support @medicalaidpal.bsky.social then you should take a look at these excellent school events with talented authors and illustrators. Or if you're a parent / guardian, this would make a lovely gift to your kid's school!

I'm excited. Are you excited?

I've been to one of Dave's group information sessions and he's just a WEALTH of knowledge and joy when it comes to working as an author for children's books. If you're an aspiring, emerging, or even mid-career, you'd learn a whole lot from this one-to-one session ❤️🖤🤍💚

This is why I think KidLit people are the very, very best people. They give with their hearts. They support the important things. (And well done, @rurooie.bsky.social & @sineadohart.bsky.social ...a brilliant idea, well executed & so incredibly urgent.) SIX. THOUSAND. EURO. 💖📚🇵🇸

Yee have done it again! Thank you so much to everyone who keeps donating to the campaign. It's been a whole week now, we're at the halfway mark. www.ruthennis.com/irish-kidlit... @sineadohart.bsky.social

Sometimes we forget how rich the lives were of Palestinians before this genocide. Imad, Aya, and their daughter Lara deserve to have basic dignity afforded to them that's been stripped from them along with their work, home, and access to basic needs. If you have the means, please consider donating

Explosive bullets are some of the most cruel inventions by man, a real horror to see Majd subjected to this pain just while trying to feed their daughters. If you have the means to donate, this is one way to make an impact to just one Gazan family. www.gofundme.com/f/support-22...