Méabh McDonnell

As a bookseller and author I am passionate about the written word but have a special interest in children's and YA literature. I've honed my media and editing experience in a variety of national and regional publications, culminating in founding my own online magazine, Cinders, which I edited and designed for three years and which deepened my passion and immersion in the Irish publishing industry. My specialisation as a children's book manager and buyer in recent years has offered me invaluable opportunities to write book reviews for the Irish Examiner, Independent and Sunday Times. I've been able to use this experience in my work as an author, going into schools, libraries and arts festivals, delivering workshops and presentations on children's books, creative writing and my own novels, hopefully instilling the same passion for reading and writing in young children and teenagers that I was lucky enough to have.