An Irish language book to be part of World Book Day 2022

Foras na Gaeilge is delighted to announce a project which is to be directed by Clár na Leabhar Gaeilge, An tOireachtas and World Book Day.

The project will see the winner of the 2021 Réics Carló Award (Book of the Year for Young Readers, one of the An tOireachtas Publishing Awards) available in a special World Book Day edition that can be exchanged for €1.50 tokens.

Cluasa Capaill ar an Rí by Bridget Bhreathnach and published by Futa Fata will be joining Deadly! Irish History: Fun with the Celts and the Vikings! by John Farrelly, published by The O’Brien Press, along with 12 other titles from Sharna Jackson, Michael Morpurgo and Matt Lucas amongst others. See the full €1.50 book line-up at worldbookday.com/books

Clár na Leabhar Gaeilge, Foras na Gaeilge will provide a funding contribution to the publisher, Futa Fata for the provision costs of the World Book Day edition of Cluasa Capaill ar an Rí for World Book Day 2022.

Speaking today, Tadhg Mac Dhonnagáin, Futa Fata said, “Books in Irish for young people have developed greatly in the last fifteen years, and with an Irish language book available as part of the World Book Day there has been another important step forward in this journey. We in Futa Fata are very proud that Cluasa Capaill ar an Rí is the book that has been chosen for 2022.”

In announcing the collaboration between Clár na Leabhar Gaeilge, Foras na Gaeilge and An tOireachtas today, Chief Executive of World Book Day, Cassie Chadderton said, “Our 25^th anniversary is a moment to look ahead to our ambitions for the future, and we are delighted to be partnering with Foras na Gaeilge to bring an Irish language book to children on World Book Day next year. The announcement of the €1.50 books and the authors and illustrators involved is always the exciting first step towards World Book Day in March. This important addition will mean we can do more to encourage all children across Ireland to love reading and books on World Book Day 2022.”

Laura Rawdon from Clár na Leabhar Gaeilge said, “Clár na Leabhar Gaeilge is delighted that there will a children’s Irish language book as well as support materials for children, parents and schools for Irish language reading at the heart of the World Book Day in Ireland major campaign. I hope children and families around the country will enjoy reading this wonderful Irish book and that it will encourage further reading of Irish language books at home.”

Máirín Nic Dhonnchadha, Acting Director of An tOireachtas, said, “It is a really significant step forward for a World Book Day edition of the 2021 Réics Carló Award Winner, Cluasa Capaill ar an Rí to be part of World Book Day in Ireland next year. This will support the promotion of the love of reading in the younger generation, starting a lifelong habit among them of reading Irish books. I welcome the opportunity this brand new platform will give Irish language book publishers to show the excellence, creativity and high standard of their work to a wider public.”

Join us on social media through the hashtags #LáDomhandanaLeabhar #WorldBookDayIE #WorldBookDayIreland #LoveLeabharGaeilge #LeabharanLae and link with the multifaceted World Book Day community on line. Follow us on social media to get the latest on all our news.

Clarification: An Irish language book to be part of World Book Day 2022

Foras na Gaeilge wishes to clarify an announcement which was made on 11 October in relation to World Book Day 2022.

Daifní Díneasár by Áine Ní Ghlinn, published by O’Brien Press, was the first Irish language book to be made available as part of World Book Day in 2009.

The book’s author and the publisher deserve recognition for taking this positive step to raise awareness about Irish language books among young people.

Foras na Gaeilge is delighted that an Irish language book will be made available as part of World Book Day 2022.

Further information:

Anna Davitt, Programme Manager: Communications, Marketing & Awareness, Foras na Gaeilge

Tel: 0035387 673 6175 Email: adavitt@forasnagaeilge.ie

Note to the editor:

The World Book Day edition of Cluasa Capaill ar an Rí will be available in Ireland for World Book Day on 3 March 2022 as part of thefantastic selection of brand new and exclusive £1/€1.50 books for 2022. World Book Day want to give every child and young person the opportunity to have a book of their own and to exchange their £1/€1.50 token for a book that they have chosen for themselves. More information on how you use your book token can be found at: worldbookday.com/books

This project is in connection only with World Book Day 2022.

About the writer

Bridget is an author and columnist who was born in New York and reared in Ros Muc, in Conamara.

Futa Fata have published two of her books: Lúlú agus an Oíche Ghlórach illustrated by Steve Simpson and Ní Mise a Rinne É! illustrated by Donough O’Malley. Her books have been translated to Chinese and Thai and they are also available in Scottish Gaelic. The Réics Carló Prize, Book of the Year for Young People, was awarded to Cluasa Capaill ar an Rí. Bridget has a large following for her column on family matters published weekly on Tuairisc.ie

About the illustrator

Shona Shirley McDonald is based in Waterford but is originally from Scotland.

Books she has illustrated include the graphic novel in Scottish Gaelic, An Smutag Ghaisgeil, and The Moon Spun Around, a poetry collection by W.B. Yeats (O’Brien Press, 2016). The Government of Ireland presented a copy of the book to the United States President, Barack Obama, in 2017 during a St. Patrick’s Day visit to the White House. Images from the same book were chosen for the Illustration Bienniel exhibition in Bratislavia in Slovakia the same year. The Réics Carló Prize, Book of the Year for Young People, was awarded to An Féileacán agus an Rí in 2020 and to Cluasa Capaill ar an Rí in 2021.

Information about World Book Day in Ireland is available at