Let me tell you about the weird business that delivers art into our lives, and what it means for the long-term careers of artists. This piece was prompted by yet another newspaper article on how authors are paid, and the inevitable reactions from the ‘people-would-pay-if-it-was-worth-it-to-them’ brigade, but much of it applies to the arts more generally. First, it’s important…
Back in 2003, the O’Brien Press suffered a major cut in Arts Council funding – a huge blow to one of the country’s top publishers, and unquestionably our most successful and influential native children’s publisher. I responded by writing a letter to the council, appealing for that decision to be reversed. I was only one of many, and the…
Congratulations to Niamh Sharkey, on becoming our new Children’s Laureate. The announcement was made by President Michael D Higgins at a ceremony in the headquarters of the Arts Council this morning. To my great disappointment, I couldn’t attend because I did my back in over the weekend, and am currently walking around like some lop-sided zombie, but I wish…
Caroline Horn has an article in ‘The Bookseller’ that tells a sobering story about the current state of the children’s publishing industry in the UK – one that can obviously be applied to Ireland as well. Many well established children’s authors and illustrators are really struggling to make a living, partly due to a reduction in sales, partly due…