Remarks at the announcement of Ireland’s second Laureate na nÓg
8th May 2012
A Chairde,
I am delighted to be in your company today. My thanks to the Arts Council and to Jenny Murray from Children’s Books Ireland for inviting me here to announce Ireland’s second Laureate na nÓg.
C.S. Lewis, the Belfast academic and writer, used to talk about the time he was having breakfast in a hotel dining-room. At a certain point, he said, a little too loudly, 'I loathe prunes.'
'So do I,' came an unexpected six-year-old voice from another table. "Neither of us thought it funny," he would say. "We both knew that prunes are far too nasty to be funny."
"And that," he would solemnly conclude, "is the proper meeting between man and child as independent personalities."
The creator of a classic of children's literature, Lewis understood that we must "meet children as equals in that area of our nature where we are their equals." He believed, as I do, that "the child as reader is neither to be patronized, nor idolized."
When it came to writing for children, the Narnia author believed that there are three approaches one can take.
The first - and worst - way is to look at children as just another niche market. You figure out what you think they want, and give it to them, however little you like it yourself.
The second is the kind that grows organically out of story told to an individual child. One thinks of Lewis Carroll and Alice Hargreaves, or A.A. Milne and his son Christopher Robin.
But the third approach, in Lewis' mind, was the best. In fact, it was really quite simple. Write a children's story because it's the best form to say what you have to say. Those who want to hear what you have to say will read it - or re-read it - at any age.
I think there's a great deal of truth to that. Whether it's Goodnight Moon or The Happy Prince, the classics of children's literature are treasured by children and adults alike, and in equal measure.
[Is fíor an méid sin. Más ‘Goodnight Moon’ nó ‘The Happy Prince’ tá an meas céanna ag óg agus aosta ar leabhair chlasaiceacha do pháistí.]
But how do we ensure our young people are introduced to the best children's literature of past and present, so that they can experience the sheer joy and enrichment of books from the earliest of ages? How do we raise the profile of this literature in Ireland, while strengthening this unique sector?
It was to answer such questions that the position of Laureate na nÓg was established. Each laureate may select a specific focus for their term. He or she can choose to participate in a range of events and initiatives. The laureate also engages in public discourse about literature and young people.
This requires the laureate to be a writer or illustrator. Naturally, he or she will have made a significant contribution to the field. And because this role entails connecting directly with children and young people, it needs someone who can marry enthusiasm with skill in promoting children's literature.
And it demands something more. After all, the power of a child's imagination is truly extraordinary. It can make bears walk, and talk. It can lead you hastily down all kinds of wonderful rabbit holes. It can even turn wardrobes into doorways to distant worlds. It's this imaginative power, innate to us all, that is most vivid, most alive in our youngest citizens. It is at once our society's greatest strength and greatest vulnerability. The stories we create for today's child, will shape the character and ideals of tomorrow's adult.
However, I'm glad to say that our new Laureate for Children's Literature understands this potential very well. She has established herself as a very talented children’s writer and illustrator. Books such as The Giant Turnip or On the Road with Mavis and Marge demonstrate her unique and imaginative style. The vibrant use of colour in her illustrations intrigues the reader and contributes with great effect to the telling of her stories.
So it gives me great pleasure now to present Niamh Sharkey with her new medal of office. My best wishes to you and all the young readers you will serve.
Comhghairdeachas Niamh.