Arts Week with Judy Murphy

The Whole Wide World Bus Tour, packed with children’s authors and illustrators and headed by Laureate na nÓg, Patricia Forde, will visit Galway this Friday and Saturday. The group will be in Leenane and Furbo this Friday before arriving in the city on Saturday, when nine writers and illustrators – variously working in Irish and English – will take over Middle Street for an afternoon of free activities for children of all ages.

Starting at 2pm, there will be an interactive storytelling event at An Taibhdhearc as part of the Cúirt International Festival of Literature.

Out on the street, there will be Book Clinics for families, offering tailored reading recommendations for children. That also starts at 2pm.

At 3pm, there will be a ‘Monster Doodle’ draw-along, also on Middle Street. This will be led by Niamh Sharkey, with illustrators Ashwin Chacko and Paddy Donnelly on hand to help children fill two ten-metre-long canvases that will be rolled out the street.

And later that evening, at 6.30pm, An Taibhdhearc will be the venue for Properbook: Making It Up as We Go Along.

Billed as “a must-attend for aspiring authors and illustrators for children”, this event will include advice from Patricia Forde as well as authors Dave Rudden, Márie Zeph, Sarah Webb and Oein DeBhairduin.

Elaina Ryan from Children’s Books Ireland as well as agents and publishers from Little Island and Futa Fata will join the programme which will cover everything from creative practices to practical advice and information on how to become a published author or illustrator.

Pictured: The Whole Wild World Bus Tour is making over 40 stops in nine counties over a two- week period.  Pictured in Malin Head, County Donegal, at the start of the trip on Monday were Laureate na nÓg Patricia Forde, Paul Howard, Sadhbh Devlin and Isla McGuckin, with pupils from Scoil Naomh Mhuire, Malin Head. PHOTO: JULIEN BEHAL PHOTOGRAPHY.