Continuing the debate - Children’s Book Forum
Last November CBI and Clé held a forum to discuss current issues in children’s book publishing in Ireland, my notes, and many others, are here. Now CBI and CLÉ want to continue the discussion that was started - and to develop it into an agreed action.
Chaired again by Seamus Cashman the panel has more who-be-whats-its of Irish literature - namely Siobhán Parkinson (Author/Editor), Michael O’Brien (Publisher), Mags Walsh (CBI Director) and Sarah Bannan (Arts Council - Head of Literature)
Some of the proposed topics/actions from November -
- Better promotion of Irish published writers and illustrators abroad as well as support for publishers to build their profile abroad
- Publishers working together to increase Irish market share
- Create better knowledge of available funding supports, particularly for cost prohibitive picture book publishing
- Increase literature sector access to funding through better lobbying
- Increase partnership between booksellers and publishers
- Increased media coverage of children’s books
(For instance why don’t the Irish Times cover Children’s books weekly/monthly? There is plenty to write about and more than enough willing reviewers) - High profile advocate - eg. UK Children’s Laureate
So if you think you have something to add to the debate - or if you just fancy listening to everyone else talking books - tag along tomorrow morning. Click for more details about the where, who, why and when.
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I love the laureate idea. How about Martin Waddell?
And it really couldn’t hurt the Irish Times to stick in a regular feature on children’s books. You’re right when you say there are plenty of willing reviewers. And they don’t have to be adults either.
Slightly off topic….it’s a pity they don’t have a regular children’s comic included. Remember how great The Funday Times used to be?!
Not even slightly off topic - in fact yer right in the thick of it.
Ye tagging along tomorrow morning??
[...] the aftermath of an interesting morning at the Dublin Book Festival - the CBI/CLÉ forum this time round was more a presentation on what actions should come next. There is a huge level of [...]