Home Children's Artists announced for inaugural Live Literature Mentorship Programme

Artists announced for inaugural Live Literature Mentorship Programme

Four début artists have been announced as the mentees for a fully-funded mentoring programme with Laureate na nÓg Patricia Forde.

Eilish Fisher (Fia and the Last Snow Deer)Isla McGuckin (April’s Garden), Judith McQuoid (Giant), and Molly Harris (The Big Squeeze) have been announced as the mentees on the Live Literature Mentorship Programme which launches next month.

The programme is a fully-funded initiative which aims to support début children’s artists to connect with the wider arts community and develop their live performance practice with guidance from award-winning children’s author and current Laureate na nÓg Patricia Forde.

Patricia Forde said she was delighted with the quality of the applicants. ‘These fabulous début authors are already accomplished writers, but performing in front of children is a different skill entirely. I look forward to discussing the challenges of performance with them and helping them to find the best way of presenting their work to young audiences.’

 Photo credit: Julien Behal
Read a Q&A with Patricia Forde here

Running until September 2025, artists will learn how best to present themselves and their work to a live audience for schools, libraries and festivals. Encompassing a range of creative and practical supports, Forde will host training sessions and live workshops.

Throughout the scheme the selected débuts will be provided with the tools and information to use in classrooms or on stage to help build and manage their live events during their careers. Supports will include professional headshots and an event pitch review from the team at Children’s Books Ireland, as well as attendance at the annual celebration of children’s books the Children’s Books Ireland International Conference which takes place in September 2025.

Molly Harris

The mentees are excited to get to work with Laureate na nÓg. Kildare-based author Molly Harris said that live reading is a part of the publishing experience you don’t really think about when you’re dreaming up stories and that there isn’t a lot of guidance out there about how to develop an event. ‘A picture book takes about 5 minutes to read… and then what?! I feel so lucky to be getting this opportunity so early in my career, with the Laureate na nÓg no less!’


Read an interview with Eilish Fisher here

Following the success of her début verse novel Fia and the Last Snow Deer which won the senior children’s category in the 2024 An Post Book Awards, Wicklow-based author Eilish Fisher praised the first of its kind scheme. ‘The launch of this programme is an inspired continuation of that support in our small and mighty community and I am so grateful to be a part of it.’

Director of the Arts Council Maureen Kennelly said that The Arts Council was delighted to support Patricia Forde’s Live Literature Mentoring Programme.

‘Live literature events are a significant way of bringing writers and young readers together. This is a wonderful opportunity for Laureate na nÓg Patricia Forde to share her vast experience as a leader in children’s literature and to encourage, support and inspire a new generation of writers and illustrators. Through this important initiative, the four Mentees will gain practical tools and supports and will have a unique opportunity to develop a wide variety of skills and experience to enhance their careers. We congratulate the artists and we wish them a fruitful and rewarding mentorship.’