Back at the ranch | CBF 2010

Meanwhile, some people have been busy. The Children's Books Festival (aka CBF) has been kicked off with gusto up and down the country. For plenty of worshops, talks, readings, etc. wherever you might be, check out the CBI website. They have an events calendar and a festival blog.
If, however, you're desperate to go but are stuck at home with a bad case of flu, pesky attention-seeking babies or a heavy wardrobe accidentally resting on your chest (stuff happens), you can also enjoy some action from home on Tuesday 12 October at 11.30. Read on:

To celebrate Children's Books Festival, Laureate na nÓg Siobhán Parkinson will participate in a special webcast. Siobhan will be in conversation with Bisto Award winning author and illustrator Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick and school and library groups all over the country are encouraged to tune in from their own classroom or library via South Dublin Libraries live stream.This event will be live streamed from County Library, Tallaght. You can tune in live on October 12th or you can view the interview at a later date by visiting www.southdublinlibraries.ie/videos
Young readers can submit their questions to Laureate Siobhan Parkinson in advance
of the broadcast by emailing info@childrensbooksireland.ie. A selection of questions will be answered during the event and any questions that don’t get answered on the day will be answered afterwards by Siobhán on the Laureate’s special website - http://www.childrenslaureate.ie/.

So off you go now!

Our new laureate

You've problably read this in a heap of places, but here goes anyway: Siobhán Parkinson has become Ireland's first children's laureate and what an excellent choice that is!

‘I am thrilled and honoured to be chosen as the first Laureate na nÓg. I believe that children's literature lays the foundations of the imaginative life of a people, and that every child deserves to have access to a reading haven -- a well-stocked and well-run library in their school and in their community.’

If you want to know how Siobhán will go about her new role, have a look at this, visit the dedicated website  or come to the CBI conference this weekend where she will give a keynote address at 10am in the National Gallery this Saturday.