Mayo to welcome Laureate na nÓg’s 'Whole Wide World' bus tour

Laureate na nÓg’s ‘Whole Wide World’ bus tour will be arriving in the West of Ireland this April.

School children and families in Mayo will have the chance to meet the creators of their favourite Irish books as part of Laureate na nÓg, Patricia Forde’s ‘Whole Wild World’ bus tour.

The route and schedule of the upcoming, first-of-its-kind tour was announced today, with Irish children’s writers and illustrators set to visit schools, libraries, bookshops and cultural venues in nine counties along the west coast of the country.

Speaking at the route announcement, writer Patricia Forde, said she is ‘very excited at the prospect of meeting young readers and writers in Mayo’.

“This tour is about igniting imaginations and ensuring that Mayo will have another generation of great writers and illustrators by bringing books and their creators to an audience that doesn’t often get a chance to meet them in their own local area” she said.

Taking in a total 1400 kilometres on a multicolour 30-seater coach, the tour begins at Ireland’s most northerly point, Malin Head in County Donegal, on April 14 and concludes at Kinsale Library in Cork on April 28. 

The ‘bus’ stop in Mayo on four occasiosn, including two in Belmullet, and one in both Newport and Westport on April 18.

Ms Forde will be joined in Mayo by authors and illustrators for workshops, readings and artist events for school groups, library groups and families, with the full line-up to be announced in March.

Elaina Ryan, CEO of Children’s Books Ireland said small, rural areas gaining access to ‘exciting and memorable experiences’ with Irish children’s books is ‘so important.

She added: “Patricia Forde is our first Laureate na nÓg from the West of Ireland, and her goal with the Whole Wild World Bus Tour is to make sure that young readers all along the west coast get to meet some of our most talented writers and illustrators and nurture the spark of creativity within themselves”.

Forde, who was announced as Laureate na nÓg last May, is a native of Galway and has published over 20 titles for children of all ages, in both Irish and English.

The former teacher, director of the Galway Arts Festival, and co-founder of the Baboró International Arts Festival for Children, is an advocate for children’s right to culture.

Director of the Arts Council, Maureen Kennelly, said they are ‘thrilled’ to support the tour, calling it ‘a pioneering initiative that will bring the magic of Irish children’s literature to communities along the ‘wild’ west coast of Ireland’. 

“This innovative journey, set against the backdrop of some of Ireland’s most breathtaking landscapes, embodies the spirit of adventure and imagination that is at the heart of storytelling. Through workshops, readings, and artist events, children and families will have the unique opportunity to engage with their favourite authors and illustrators, which will hopefully nurture a love of literature and creativity for years to come” she said. 

She concluded by commending Ms Forde and ‘all the participating authors and illustrators for their dedication to entertaining and inspiring young minds through the power of a story told well’.

The full programme of artists, illustrators and venues will be announced in the coming weeks

For more information, visit Laureate na nÓg’s website. 

To book the tour for school groups in Belmullet, email info@childrenslaureate.ie .