Siobhán Parkinson
Encyclopedia
Siobhán Parkinson is an Irish
writer. She writes for both children and adults and is the current Laureate na nÓg
.
and Donegal
, studied English Literature and German at Trinity College Dublin, and later completed her PhD on the poetry of Dylan Thomas
.
and English
, and also translated from German
into English.
As of 2011, she was commissioning editor and publisher with Little Island, an imprint of New Island Books. She is a former co-editor of Bookbird, the magazine of international children's literature organisation IBBY, and former editor of Inis, published by Children's Books Ireland (CBI). She also teaches creative writing
at Marino Institute of Education, and has held numerous Writers-in-Schools short-term residencies, with a particular emphasis on working with children with special needs. She has been writer in residence to Dublin City and the Irish Writers' Centre, to Waterford City
, and the Church of Ireland College of Education; she is a former board member of CBI and was on the CBI working group to renovate the Bisto Book of the Year awards.
On 10 May 2010, Parkinson was conferred by President of Ireland
Mary McAleese
as the first ever Laureate na nÓg
, a position she will hold until 2012. In her capacity as laureate she has expressed the wish that "every child in the country would have access to a [...] library where they could go and find the books that are going to open their minds".
award for Dialann Sár-Rúnda Amy Ní Chonchúir.
Roger Bennett. She has one adult son, Matthew.
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
writer. She writes for both children and adults and is the current Laureate na nÓg
Laureate na nÓg
Laureate na nÓg is a position awarded in Ireland once every two years to a distinguished writer or illustrator of children's books. It was set up by the Arts Council of Ireland in 2010...
.
Early life
Parkinson grew up in GalwayGalway
Galway or City of Galway is a city in County Galway, Republic of Ireland. It is the sixth largest and the fastest-growing city in Ireland. It is also the third largest city within the Republic and the only city in the Province of Connacht. Located on the west coast of Ireland, it sits on the...
and Donegal
Donegal
Donegal or Donegal Town is a town in County Donegal, Ireland. Its name, which was historically written in English as Dunnagall or Dunagall, translates from Irish as "stronghold of the foreigners" ....
, studied English Literature and German at Trinity College Dublin, and later completed her PhD on the poetry of Dylan Thomas
Dylan Thomas
Dylan Marlais Thomas was a Welsh poet and writer, Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 11 January 2008. who wrote exclusively in English. In addition to poetry, he wrote short stories and scripts for film and radio, which he often performed himself...
.
Career
She has published more than twenty books since 1992, winning numerous awards, and her books have been translated into multiple languages. She has written in both IrishIrish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
and English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, and also translated from German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
into English.
As of 2011, she was commissioning editor and publisher with Little Island, an imprint of New Island Books. She is a former co-editor of Bookbird, the magazine of international children's literature organisation IBBY, and former editor of Inis, published by Children's Books Ireland (CBI). She also teaches creative writing
Creative writing
Creative writing is considered to be any writing, fiction, poetry, or non-fiction, that goes outside the bounds of normal professional, journalistic, academic, and technical forms of literature. Works which fall into this category include novels, epics, short stories, and poems...
at Marino Institute of Education, and has held numerous Writers-in-Schools short-term residencies, with a particular emphasis on working with children with special needs. She has been writer in residence to Dublin City and the Irish Writers' Centre, to Waterford City
Waterford
Waterford is a city in the South-East Region of Ireland. It is the oldest city in the country and fifth largest by population. Waterford City Council is the local government authority for the city and its immediate hinterland...
, and the Church of Ireland College of Education; she is a former board member of CBI and was on the CBI working group to renovate the Bisto Book of the Year awards.
On 10 May 2010, Parkinson was conferred by President of Ireland
President of Ireland
The President of Ireland is the head of state of Ireland. The President is usually directly elected by the people for seven years, and can be elected for a maximum of two terms. The presidency is largely a ceremonial office, but the President does exercise certain limited powers with absolute...
Mary McAleese
Mary McAleese
Mary Patricia McAleese served as the eighth President of Ireland from 1997 to 2011. She was the second female president and was first elected in 1997 succeeding Mary Robinson, making McAleese the world's first woman to succeed another as president. She was re-elected unopposed for a second term in...
as the first ever Laureate na nÓg
Laureate na nÓg
Laureate na nÓg is a position awarded in Ireland once every two years to a distinguished writer or illustrator of children's books. It was set up by the Arts Council of Ireland in 2010...
, a position she will hold until 2012. In her capacity as laureate she has expressed the wish that "every child in the country would have access to a [...] library where they could go and find the books that are going to open their minds".
Books for children
- Four Kids, Three Cats, Two Cows, One Witch (Maybe) (Won the Bisto Merit Award)
- The Moon King (Won the Bisto Merit Award; also awarded Certificate of Honour for Writing by IBBY in 2000)
- Sisters... No Way! (won the Bisto Book of the Year Award 1996/97)
- Breaking the Wishbone
- The Love Bean
- Kathleen: The Celtic Knot
- Second Fiddle: How to Tell a Blackbird From a Sausage
- Something Invisible (Bisto Honour Award 2006)
- Amelia
- No Peace for Amelia
- Animals Don't Have Ghosts
- Cows Are Vegetarians
- Blue Like Friday
- The Henny Penny Tree
- The Leprechaun Who Wished He Wasn't
- Dialann Sár-Rúnda Amy Ní Chonchúir
- Call of the Whales
Other books
- All Shining in the Spring: The Story of a Baby Who Died - a non-fiction book, intended for children and families dealing with the death of a young child.
- The Thirteenth Room (2005) - a novel for adults.
- Painted Ladies (2010) - a novel for adults.
Translations
- The Great Rabbit Revenge Plan by Burkhard Spinnen
- Over the Wall by Renate Ahrens
Awards
Parkinson has been shortlisted eleven times for the Bisto Book of the Year award, which she won on one occasion, for Sisters... No Way!, in 1997. She has received Bisto Merit and Honour Book awards four times and has had two IBBY Honours and several White Ravens. Most recently she won an OireachtasOireachtas
The Oireachtas , sometimes referred to as Oireachtas Éireann, is the "national parliament" or legislature of Ireland. The Oireachtas consists of:*The President of Ireland*The two Houses of the Oireachtas :**Dáil Éireann...
award for Dialann Sár-Rúnda Amy Ní Chonchúir.
Personal life
Parkinson is visually impaired, and uses audiobooks and computers to do her work. She lives in Dublin with her husband, woodturnerWoodturning
Woodturning is a form of woodworking that is used to create wooden objects on a lathe . Woodturning differs from most other forms of woodworking in that the wood is moving while a stationary tool is used to cut and shape it...
Roger Bennett. She has one adult son, Matthew.