[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":11},["ShallowReactive",2],{"blog-post-dublin-book-festival-2022":3},{"_type":4,"body":5,"bodyHtml":6,"excerpt":5,"featuredImage":5,"publishedAt":7,"slug":8,"tags":9,"title":10},"blogPost",null,"Visiting \u003Ca href=\"https://halfwayupthestairs.ie/\">Halfway Up the Stairs\u003C/a> bookshop in Greystones, just outside of Dublin, has been a big goal of mine...\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/1178950_original-ea762b395d.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\n...ever since Kevin beat me to it on our 'Reeve & McIntyre Big Up Bookshops' virtual tour during Lockdown (with \u003Ca href=\"https://philipreeve.com/\">Philip Reeve\u003C/a>, of course). It was funny walking up to the front of the bookshop, which I could spot from a long way away, because I knew the fittings \u003Ci>so well\u003C/i> from painting them! \u003Ca href=\"https://jabberworks.livejournal.com/884615.html\">You can read Kevin's interview with the owner, Trish Hennessy, here.\u003C/a> \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/1179233_original-0cb350c66f.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nBig thanks to everyone who came along to our Unicorn event! There was a great local turnout and it was fun to meet everyone and get drawing. \\r\n\\r\n\u003C!--more Click here to read more!-->\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/1179539_original-78e33fef58.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nAuthor and in-store Events Manager \u003Ca href=\"https://www.sarahwebb.info/\">Sarah Webb\u003C/a> set up the event for me \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/trish_hennessy1\">Trish\u003C/a> and here with are with \u003Cb>Meriel\u003C/b> on the bookshop team. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/1179857_original-607765d202.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nHanging out with Irish people is always the best fun; we went for dinner nearby afterward - here's Trish, \u003Cb>Amanda\u003C/b> and Meriel:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/1180007_original-439b08c0a0.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nAnd I also got to meet Irish debut author \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/EllenRyanWrites\">Ellen Ryan\u003C/a>, who was such a good laugh; I was practically wheezing by the time I left. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/1180307_original-7968f51685.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nThe main reason I was able to come out was \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/DublinBookFest\">Dublin Book Festival\u003C/a>, and our main event was on Saturday. Here are two of the most fun people in Ireland: Sarah Webb and author-illustrator \u003Ca href=\"http://www.alannolan.ie/\">Alan Nolan\u003C/a>, who chaired the events. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/1177718_original-5203245783.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nI took part in two events under the name 'Proper Book' (as in 'Why don't you read a proper book?') As a bookseller, Sarah Webb encounters this often with parents who aspire to have their children to read books without pictures, and get sniffy about picture books and comics. She has a lively explanation to help them understand that picture books and comics are indeed proper books: if people want to read them, it helps them develop a lifelong love of reading and is to be encouraged. And it helps people develop their visual vocabulary, which is ever more important in the digital age. Photo by \u003Ca href=\"https://childrensbooksireland.ie/\">Children's Books Ireland\u003C/a>'s \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/rurooie\">Ruth Ennis\u003C/a>:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/1178845_original-a093c199d2.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nOn the first panel we had Alan Nolan, Andrew Donkin, Sarah Webb, \u003Cb>Bruno Batista\u003C/b> of \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/TheBigBang_\">Big Bang Comics\u003C/a> and me. And in the second panel, I got to meet writer and artist \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/Aoife_Dooley\">Aoife Dooley\u003C/a>!\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/1177890_original-2df53e452f.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nScholastic had asked me to write a blurb for her book's back cover ages ago, so I'd been curious about her and wondering if I'd ever meet her. Hurrah! She's great to listen to and I really enjoyed hearing about how she makes comics. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/1178160_original-e00bf158bc.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nHere's \u003Ca href=\"https://www.andrewdonkin.co.uk/\">Andrew Donkin\u003C/a>, who's probably best known for co-writing comics with Eoin Colfer. (They've recently been working on Illegal with artist \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/rigano_giovanni\">Giovanni Rigano\u003C/a>.) \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/1178469_original-549a26eb13.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nBig thanks to Sarah and Alan for organising those events, \u003Cb>Anna\u003C/b> and \u003Cb>Róisín\u003C/b> from Dublin Book Festival, and the \u003Ca href=\"https://gutterbookshop.com/\">Gutter Bookshop Dalkey\u003C/a> for hosting book sales (which I \u003Ci>did\u003C/i> manage to visit on my afternoon off!) \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/1182184_original-a6d2a0c667.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nSince I was making the trip over, Sarah Webb also generously organised a visit to \u003Ca href=\"https://www.alexandracollege.eu/\">Alexandra Junior College\u003C/a>, to talk with the girls there about Grumpycorn, Kevin the Roly-Poly Flying Pony, coming up with stories and drawing pictures. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/1180986_original-6c773c6e35.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nUsually I have kids draw Kevin, but this time I had them draw minor guinea pig characters Neville & Beyoncé (sidelining most prominently in \u003Ci>\u003Ca href=\"https://jabberworks.co.uk/kevin-and-the-biscuit-bandit/\">Kevin and the Biscuit Bandit\u003C/a>\u003C/i>). We didn't have time for a formal comic making class, but some of them managed to draw comics anyway! \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/1181605_original-69979ff070.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nThe staff were so warm and helpful: the school's Head \u003Cb>Avril Lamplugh\u003C/b> was the best, really enthusiastic. And we were joined by Scholastic Ireland publicist \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/HelenGleedOC\">Helen McKean\u003C/a> and Vivienne and Catherine from the Rathmines branch of \u003Ca href=\"https://www.dubraybooks.ie/search\">Dubray Books\u003C/a>. Thanks so much to everyone who helped out!  \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/1181329_original-6b3c36774f.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nThe big star of the show was Sarah Webb, who made everything possible; Sarah is an absolute legend of connecting everyone in children's book world. Thank you \u003Cb>SO MUCH\u003C/b> for taking the time in your busy schedule, Sarah!! Here we are, having a festival dinner with agent \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/LydiaRSilver\">Lydia Silver\u003C/a> (on a panel after mine) and Andrew Donkin. \\r\n\\r\nOh, one more thing, I got to catch up with pro photographer \u003Ca href=\"https://www.gerhollandphotography.com/\">Ger Holland\u003C/a> (pronounced 'Ger' as in Geraldine, not 'Ger' as in Gertrude), who's taken so many amazing photos from events in years past! Do follow her on social media to see amazing landscape shots and festival celebs, etc. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/1180561_original-339f2f1956.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nA couple of Ger's photos from years past. I hope I'll get to return to Ireland soon for some more good craic. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/1180747_original-41470ac857.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">","2022-11-15T22:05:00.000Z","dublin-book-festival-2022",[],"Dublin Book Festival 2022",1776628731511]