Siobhan Parkinson named as Ireland's first children's laureate
14th May 2010
Internationally acclaimed author Siobhan Parkinson has been named as Ireland's first children's laureate.
The award-winning author, who has written more than 20 books for young people, including Blue Like Friday and Sisters... No Way!, will be tasked with engaging young people with 'high quality children's literature' and highlighting the importance of literature in young people's 'cultural and imaginative life'.
Parkinson claimed: 'I believe that children's literature lays the foundations of the imaginative life of a people, and that every child deserves to have access to a reading haven.'
She added that literature plays a unique role in questioning the modus operandi of society as a whole, as well as providing young people with a means of understanding what it means to be human.
'This is an exciting and valuable initiative and it comes at a time when good news and optimism, particularly in relation to children and young people, are vital,' she concluded.
Recently, ex-poet laureate Andrew Motion announced plans to write a sequel to Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island.