!!!! Opportunity for Artists: Children’s Books Bursary – One-week residency at Tyrone Guthrie Centre
Fingal County Council
Deadline: 15 August, 4pm
Fingal County Council Arts Office, in partnership with Children’s Books Ireland and the Tyrone Guthrie Centre, are pleased to announce an opportunity for a Professional Artist to avail of a week-long residency, to take place between 3rd and 10th November and 17th and 24th November 2025.
The bursary is designed specifically for mid-career children’s books authors or illustrators, working in English or Irish, who require time and space to focus on their craft to the benefit of their continuing careers.
With a focus on creative exchange and collaboration, Fingal County Council Arts Office will support one bursary and welcomes applications from all artists who meet the criteria.
In addition to the cost of a week’s stay at Tyrone Guthrie Centre, the bursary also provides a financial stipend of €325. To be eligible to apply applicants must be from, have studied or currently reside in Fingal.
How to Apply
Applications will be assessed by a selection panel comprised of representatives of Children’s Books Ireland, the Tyrone Guthrie Centre and local authority partners. The successful applicants will be notified by early September.
The closing date for applications is Friday 15th August 2025 at 4pm.
All awarded bursaries must take place between 3rd and 10th November or 17th and 24th November 2025 to allow for creative exchange and collaboration between artists where appropriate.
Artists wishing to apply should contact info@childrensbooksireland.ie. For more information, visit fingalcc-newsroom
!!!! Children and young people’s reading in Ireland report published by Children’s Books Ireland
Children’s Books Ireland
July 2025
Are Irish children and young people reading? If so, are they reading for pleasure? Children’s Books Irelands latest research report indicates more work required to support children and young people’s reading habits.
Children’s Books Ireland have published a new research report which provides a detailed insight into children’s and teenagers’ reading in the Republic of Ireland. The Children and young people’s reading in Ireland report reveals the most popular genres of books children and teens are reading, whether they are reading, how many books they own at home, factors that influence how adults choose books for children and more. The report is based on data collected by Ipsos B&A in December 2024 in a nationally representative online omnibus survey.
Respondents were first asked how many children up to eighteen years they have, and then asked the questions separately for each child with findings separated into three categories: aged under 4, aged 5–12, and aged 13–18.
Akin to recent research from the UK’s National Literacy Trust, the captured data uncovers a worrying pattern of plummeting rates in reading enjoyment and book ownership in children and young people.
Key Findings from the report:
- More than 1 in 5 Irish children under the age of four are not being read to
- 24% of Irish teenagers (13–18) and 19% of boys across all age categories are not reading for pleasure
- The average child owns 20 books, a drop from 30 books as recorded in 2023
- 21% of parents believe that the most important factor when choosing a book for their child is that it will teach them something