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Maura Farrelly

@blikablika

School librarian. YLG National committee and conference team. Former Carnegies chair of judges. She/her

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17.11.2024
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Latest posts by Maura Farrelly @blikablika

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The Shortlist for the #Carnegies2026 Medal for Illustration is here! πŸ’«Showcasing a diverse range of unique artistic styles, these illustrations will capture your heart. Congratulations to all the talented illustrators. 🎨

https://carnegies.co.uk/2026-shortlists-announced/

10.03.2026 15:45 πŸ‘ 18 πŸ” 15 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 2
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The Shortlist for the #Carnegies2026 Medal for Writing is here! πŸ“– With subversive storytelling, reimagined folklore, and inventive verse and chronology, this shortlist has a story for everyone. πŸ“š
Congratulations to the talented writers.

https://carnegies.co.uk/2026-shortlists-announced/

10.03.2026 15:50 πŸ‘ 22 πŸ” 14 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 3

πŸŽ‰ Today is the day! Watch this space at 3:45pm GMT πŸ‘€

10.03.2026 09:24 πŸ‘ 5 πŸ” 3 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

πŸ₯³πŸ₯³πŸ₯³

09.03.2026 19:38 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
Conference on Children's Literature 2026 A conference on children's literature at the Seamus Heaney Centre at Queen's, hosted by the Children's Writing Fellow.

Fantastic free conference in Belfast for everyone with an interest in books /writing for children and teens.

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/conference...?

07.03.2026 18:19 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 1

Another fantastic list! And a good day for some book shopping 🫣

05.03.2026 19:14 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

There is a bursary up for grabs for the YLG Conference #YLGOxford26 for someone that lives &/or works in London, from @ylglondon.bsky.social (ticket price only). Deadline to apply is 20th March, details in link below www.cilip.org.uk/events/Event...

03.03.2026 08:44 πŸ‘ 5 πŸ” 8 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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March is full of brilliant new Irish books for young readers of all ages, from toddlers to teens. Check them out! Together let’s help children and teens #DiscoverIrishKidsBooks and see themselves on the pages of the books they read.
Please do share these new titles posters widely.

01.03.2026 09:28 πŸ‘ 6 πŸ” 6 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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If you need some inspiration for children, teens, or young adult books, pop in and pick up one of these free brochures. It's packed full of books by authors & illustrators from this little corner of the island. We have some amazing talent here, and this brochure proves it!
@childrensbooksireland.ie

24.02.2026 11:08 πŸ‘ 9 πŸ” 4 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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CILIP Youth Libraries Group (YLG) annual conference, 12-13 Sep in Oxford #NYoR #GoAllIn www.cilip.org.uk/events/event...

21.02.2026 10:30 πŸ‘ 4 πŸ” 3 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Join Nathanael Lessore, Theo Parish & Tia Fisher, hosted by Jake Hope.

Shadowing, AI & creativity, copyright with ALCS + a new ALCS competition.

3 March | 12PM | Online
Register: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/HmaQxnFFQGa9ya5YR8t8DA#/registration

20.02.2026 13:01 πŸ‘ 7 πŸ” 7 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 1
Pen& Inc front cover. Children playing near a large horse statue at sunset, one holding a red balloon and another riding a scooter beside a white goose.

Pen& Inc front cover. Children playing near a large horse statue at sunset, one holding a red balloon and another riding a scooter beside a white goose.

Calling booksellers & children’s/YA librarians! πŸ“š

Pen&inc. the free EDI-focused Children’s & YA magazine from CILIP, is now fully digital, open access & completely FREE!

Sign up to get all editorial + listings straight to your inbox: https://ow.ly/a3P150Yi6bC

19.02.2026 14:40 πŸ‘ 11 πŸ” 7 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 2
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πŸ“š For the National Year of Reading, we’re joined by
@gntread24.bsky.social from the @youthlibrarygroup.bsky.social to talk about youth librarians, the Carnegie Awards & building reading communities for young people.



17.02.2026 23:30 πŸ‘ 9 πŸ” 5 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 3

Come join us. It's going to be a fantastic weekend!

17.02.2026 19:10 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Announcing the longlist for the #Carnegies2026 Medal for Illustration!πŸ…πŸŽ¨

Featuring lively colours and immersive mediums, these 19 works beautifully portray themes of identity, relationships, nature, and life’s journey. πŸ“šπŸŒŸ

https://carnegies.co.uk/2026-longlists-announced/

10.02.2026 09:00 πŸ‘ 30 πŸ” 22 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 4
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Revealing the longlist for the #Carnegies2026 Medal for Writing! πŸ…βœ’οΈ

Highlighting diversity and community, these 19 works span from humorous narratives and creative reimaginings to artfully using history to explore identity and relationships . πŸ’«πŸ“–

https://carnegies.co.uk/2026-longlists-announced/

10.02.2026 09:05 πŸ‘ 33 πŸ” 21 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 10
Bold white text on red background announces readiness for the National Year of Reading 2026 by The Carnegies.

Bold white text on red background announces readiness for the National Year of Reading 2026 by The Carnegies.

πŸ“š Today we’re celebrating the launch of the #NationalYearOfReading2026.

Reading and young people’s voices are what #Carnegies2026 shadowing is all about – making it the perfect way to go all in on reading this year and beyond.

carnegies.co.uk/take-part/
#GoAllIn2026

13.01.2026 17:05 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Presenting the shortlist for this years KPMG Children’s Books Ireland Awards 🀩

These 10 titles will compete for six awards at the award ceremony on May 19th. Congratulations to this years long and shortlistees. The standard was exceptional. ⭐️

πŸ”—
childrensbooksireland.ie/news-events/...

04.02.2026 12:54 πŸ‘ 15 πŸ” 7 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 2
Graphic showing the longlist for the 2026 Branford Boase Award. Odd Girl Out by Tasneem Abdur-Rashid, edited by Rosie Fickling (David Fickling Books)
Letty and the Mystery of the Golden Thread by Penny Boxall, edited by Katie Sinfield (Puffin)
Shadow Thieves by Peter Burns, edited by Lucy Courtenay (Farshore)
The Book of Heartbreak by Ova Ceren, edited by Ruth Bennett and Ella Whiddett (Hot Key Books)
Tart by Becki Jayne Crossley, edited by Cathy Liney (Bloomsbury)
How to Roller Skate with One Leg by Ella Dove, illus by Jennifer Jamieson, edited by Anne Marie Ryan (Orchard Books)
The Wicked Lies of Habren Faire by Anna Fiteni, edited by Asmaa Isse (Electric Monkey)
Grumpfort by Jamie Hammond, ed Sarah Stewart (Usborne)
The Girl Who Raced the World by Nat Harrison, edited by Ruth Bennett (Bonnier)
Evie and Maryam's Family Tree by Janeen Hayat, ed by Bella Pearson (Guppy Books)
The Misadventures of Mina Mahmood by Farhana Islam, e by Asmaa Isse (Farshore)
Love on Sight by Asli Jensen, ed Shalini Vallepur (Chicken House)
Inkbound by Philippa Leathley, ed Natalie Doherty (HarperCollins Children’s Books)
Gloam by Jack Mackay, ed Katie Jennings (Rock the Boat)
A Beautiful Terrible Thing by Miranda Moore, ed Meggie Degurney & Liz Cross (David Fickling Books)
Wildlands by Brogen Murphy, ed Linas Alsenas (Puffin)
Rock Band Music and Misfits by Leah Osakwe, ed by Mattie Whitehead & Karelle Tobias (Little Tiger)
Marty Moose: First Class by Claire Powell,ed GrΓ‘inne Clear (Walker Books)
The Doughnut Club by Kristina Rahim, edited ZoΓ« Griffiths (Nosy Crow)
The Girl with Gills by Becca Rogers, edited by Fiona Kennedy (Zephyr)
Run Away With Me by J.L. Simmonds, edited by Amina Parchment-Youssef (Penguin)
The Romantic Tragedies of a Drama King by Harry Trevaldwyn, edited by Emma Jones and Charlie Castelletti (First Ink)
Augmented by Kenechi Udogu, edited by Natasha Brown and Jenny Glencross (Faber)
My Dog by Olivia Wakeford, edited by Megan Reid (HarperCollins Children’s Books)

Graphic showing the longlist for the 2026 Branford Boase Award. Odd Girl Out by Tasneem Abdur-Rashid, edited by Rosie Fickling (David Fickling Books) Letty and the Mystery of the Golden Thread by Penny Boxall, edited by Katie Sinfield (Puffin) Shadow Thieves by Peter Burns, edited by Lucy Courtenay (Farshore) The Book of Heartbreak by Ova Ceren, edited by Ruth Bennett and Ella Whiddett (Hot Key Books) Tart by Becki Jayne Crossley, edited by Cathy Liney (Bloomsbury) How to Roller Skate with One Leg by Ella Dove, illus by Jennifer Jamieson, edited by Anne Marie Ryan (Orchard Books) The Wicked Lies of Habren Faire by Anna Fiteni, edited by Asmaa Isse (Electric Monkey) Grumpfort by Jamie Hammond, ed Sarah Stewart (Usborne) The Girl Who Raced the World by Nat Harrison, edited by Ruth Bennett (Bonnier) Evie and Maryam's Family Tree by Janeen Hayat, ed by Bella Pearson (Guppy Books) The Misadventures of Mina Mahmood by Farhana Islam, e by Asmaa Isse (Farshore) Love on Sight by Asli Jensen, ed Shalini Vallepur (Chicken House) Inkbound by Philippa Leathley, ed Natalie Doherty (HarperCollins Children’s Books) Gloam by Jack Mackay, ed Katie Jennings (Rock the Boat) A Beautiful Terrible Thing by Miranda Moore, ed Meggie Degurney & Liz Cross (David Fickling Books) Wildlands by Brogen Murphy, ed Linas Alsenas (Puffin) Rock Band Music and Misfits by Leah Osakwe, ed by Mattie Whitehead & Karelle Tobias (Little Tiger) Marty Moose: First Class by Claire Powell,ed GrΓ‘inne Clear (Walker Books) The Doughnut Club by Kristina Rahim, edited ZoΓ« Griffiths (Nosy Crow) The Girl with Gills by Becca Rogers, edited by Fiona Kennedy (Zephyr) Run Away With Me by J.L. Simmonds, edited by Amina Parchment-Youssef (Penguin) The Romantic Tragedies of a Drama King by Harry Trevaldwyn, edited by Emma Jones and Charlie Castelletti (First Ink) Augmented by Kenechi Udogu, edited by Natasha Brown and Jenny Glencross (Faber) My Dog by Olivia Wakeford, edited by Megan Reid (HarperCollins Children’s Books)

We are pleased to announce the longlist for the 2026 #BranfordBoase Award, recognising the year's outstanding debut writers for children AND their editors πŸ‘#kidlit #booksky

Thank you to @alcs.co.uk & @walkerbooksuk.bsky.social for their support.

branfordboaseaward.org.uk/2026-longlist/

21.01.2026 08:37 πŸ‘ 40 πŸ” 26 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 13
The covers of the 17 longlisted titles on a pink background.

The covers of the 17 longlisted titles on a pink background.

Your first look the KPMG Children’s Books Ireland Awards 2026 longlist 🀩

The quality of titles this year were truly extraordinary. Our judges have managed to narrow it down from a total of 151 submissions to these 17

Congratulations to all nominees πŸ†
childrensbooksireland.ie/news-events/...

21.01.2026 12:03 πŸ‘ 13 πŸ” 11 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 3

Yay Alison!

12.12.2025 15:37 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Ireland is voting for its stories πŸ’š

From Derry to Dingle, readers everywhere are casting their votes for the books that moved, thrilled, & inspired them this year.

Have you voted yet? Join readers across Ireland and help choose the 2025 winners.

VOTE: scxo9qtv33a.typeform.com/apiba25-vote

07.11.2025 11:47 πŸ‘ 10 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Text reads 'They're almost here' with the Carnegies logo on an orange background and dark green books flying in the air which give the vibe of bats.

Text reads 'They're almost here' with the Carnegies logo on an orange background and dark green books flying in the air which give the vibe of bats.

A new chapter begins Monday β€” the Carnegie Nominations are coming. πŸ‘»πŸ“šπŸ•―οΈ
#Carnegies2026

31.10.2025 07:55 πŸ‘ 13 πŸ” 3 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

🎡🎢It's the final countdown 🎢🎡

Don't forget to pop your nominations in before midnight tonight! I'm so looking forward to seeing what my reading list is going to look like for the next few months as a Judge!

26.09.2025 15:02 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Don’t miss out! Make sure you nominate by tomorrow night!!

25.09.2025 18:35 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

This looks so good!

16.09.2025 17:30 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
Graphic reading 'Nominations for 2026 are open!', 'Find out what this means and how you can get involved at: carnegies.co.uk/nominations'

Graphic reading 'Nominations for 2026 are open!', 'Find out what this means and how you can get involved at: carnegies.co.uk/nominations'

πŸ“š Calling all @cilip.bsky.social members! It's that exciting time once more!
Join us in nominating your favourite children's and YA books for the 2026 Carnegies. Each member can nominate one exceptional title per Medal. πŸ…
πŸ—“οΈ Submit yours by 26 September carnegies.co.uk/nominations

15.09.2025 14:58 πŸ‘ 13 πŸ” 9 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 1

Amazing news!!

30.07.2025 10:26 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
Two photos. One of the Award which has text on it as follows: "2025 Awards Awards. Best Development of an Existing Awards Event. CILIP. Yoto Carnegies 2024". The second photo is from the awards ceremony with awards team members on stage accepting the award and the screen behind them announcing the win.

ICYMI: The 2024 Yoto Carnegies won Best Development of an Existing Awards Event at the 2025 #AwardsAwards πŸ†

Judges praised the β€œvibrant, youth-powered reinvention” as β€œmassively scaled, emotionally resonant, and culturally important.” We’re honoured!

Read more πŸ‘‰:

30.07.2025 10:01 πŸ‘ 6 πŸ” 3 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 0
The Boy Lost in the Maze - Just Imagine Myths are a thing of liquid. They flow to fit the vessel into which they are poured, curving into each crevice and curling into every cornerβ€”the same water taking on new and unrecognisable shape. Each...

β€œManhood’s become a rock / I cannot lift alone.”

Joseph Coelho’s The Boy Lost in the Maze remakes the Theseus myth into a mirrorβ€”reflecting modern masculinity, identity and the timeless search for self.

My review for @justimaginecentre.bsky.social

justimagine.co.uk/childrens-bo...

20.07.2025 12:40 πŸ‘ 6 πŸ” 3 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0