The Author Speaks

These pages will be updated at regular intervals: keep watching for more exciting interviews.

Also available: The Readers Speak

Two Wexford authors, Gerard Whelan and Eoin Colfer, were asked questions by senior pupils (aged 8 -- 12) in St Edan's Primary School, Ferns, County Wexford. There are ten questions asked of each author and the first six are the same for both. It is interesting to compare their answers to these questions. Here Eoin Colfer tells us about growing up in Wexford, about his bestselling novels and about life as a teacher in Wexford -- and in Tunisia!

Eoin explains where the character of Benny Shaw came from.

Ciara McGivern (age 9), one of Judi Curtin's biggest fans, gets to ask her favourite author a few questions ...

Aubrey runs into trouble at airports, and describes where he gets his inspiration from.

Aubrey feels very strongly about the issue of landmines in ex-warzones throughout the world, and wrote The Cinnamon Tree to help focus attention on this issue.

Aubrey describes where the ideas for the characters in Katie's War came from, and how they grew and developed into real people.

Annette Kelleher shares her thoughts on her childhood, female emancipation and noses.

Here are some suggested topic for discussion for reading clubs or groups, written by the author, Celine Kiernan.

Conor answers a range of questions from Oetinger, the German language publisher of Epic.

The massive growth in online gaming let to the thought: what if a game with millions of users actually mattered?

Morgan Llywelyn describes the adventure of writing historical fiction

Gregory Maguire describes how he overcame his fear of research and historical accuracy.

Creina Mansfield talks to us about manicure sets, Alexander Dumas, topiary trees and her naughty little sister.

Oisín explains how he came to write Mad Grandad's Flying Saucer and Mad Grandad's Robot Garden

Twenty questions from Ms Byrne's third class in St Teresa's school are answered by author Oisín McGann.

10: Reading a book doesn't make you swerve from side to side like an eejit.
See the rest of Oisín's countdown.

Cork author, Frank Murphy, was asked questions by third class pupils (aged 8-9) in Eglantine Primary School, Cork City. A former teacher, Frank has been a writer for over twenty years, though he didn't begin to write novels until he had retired from teaching. Here he answers twenty questions about his work, about his favourite authors and love of reading and about the pleasure he gets from long walks in the countryside.

Cork author Frank Murphy was asked questions by third class pupils (aged 8-9), in Eglantine Primary School, County Cork, about the inspiration behind Charlie Hart and his Two-wheeled Tiger and its characters, and whether he knows any of them.

Frank Murphy discusses what brought him to write Lockie and Dadge

How an Irishwoman came to write a book about arctic whales!

Where the idea of Sisters came from, and how it developed into the book.

Marilyn describes the life experiences that brought her to write about the Holocause.

Since the publication of Faraway Home and especially since it was chosen as the 1999/2000 Children's Books Ireland/Bisto Book of the Year, Marilyn Taylor has spoken in numerous schools and libraries all over Ireland, North and South. The visit to Millisle Primary School, which was the inspiration for the book, had special meaning. Here the author talks about the experience.

Marilyn Taylor talks about the Jackie & Kev Trilogy: Could This Be Love? I Wondered; Could I Love A Stranger?; and Call Yourself A Friend?

A look at the process of writing the third story in the Jackie & Kev trilogy:

A few thoughts on ways to think about the three owl babies

Two Wexford authors, Gerard Whelan and Eoin Colfer, were asked questions by senior pupils (aged 8 -- 12) in St Edan's Primary School, Ferns, County Wexford. There are ten questions asked of each author and the first six are the same for both. It is interesting to compare their answers to these questions. Here Gerard Whelan tells us about growing up in Wexford, about his four bestselling novels - and about his hairstyle!

An unusual glimpse inside the workings of a writer's mind, this should be of interest to readers aged 10-14, as well as to parents and teachers (not to mention publishers and literary critics!)