Books by Dublin children join Book of Kells for Bookmarks exhibition

Posted on: 04 April 2017

An exhibition of 70 handmade books written and illustrated by Dublin children, and inspired by works from the Pollard Collection at Trinity College was launched by Laureate na nÓg PJ Lynch in the Long Room of the Old Library at Trinity. The exhibition runs until Monday 17th April 2017.

The event marks the culmination of Bookmarks, a two-month writing, illustration and bookbinding programme featuring workshops with authors, artists and children’s book specialists. The project, organised by the Trinity Access Programmes (TAP), aims to inspire the children to become the next generation of writers, illustrators and publishers.  

This year’s Bookmarks programme involved 5th and 6th class girls from Our Lady of Good Counsel GNS, Drimnagh; Loreto Senior Primary School, Crumlin and the Marist Primary School, Crumlin. The schools are linked to Trinity through TAP, which supports students from under-represented backgrounds to progress to further education.

Over the course of the programme, writer Catherine Ann Cullen, artist Angela McDonagh and editor Síne Quinn delivered workshops to the girls in their schools. Each child wrote, illustrated and bound her own unique book, focusing on this year’s theme ‘Travels and Discoveries’ which marks the 350th anniversary of the birth of Jonathan Swift.

Kathleen O’Toole-Brennan of Trinity Access Programmes said: “TAP is very proud of the Bookmarks initiative and the unique opportunity it provides for children to acquire new skills and to be exposed to the world of children’s literature in a very hands-on way. This year the quality of books produced by the children on the theme of ‘Travels and Discoveries’ is excellent. We are delighted to unveil these beautiful works of art and literature. Our outreach programmes attract over 4,000 students annually, and with continued involvement, these students and their peers will successfully make the transition to both second and third level.”

The wide range of topics that fired the children’s imagination is evident from the titles of their books this year which include:

• The World Beyond Knowing by Caithlín Balfe, Marist Primary School, Crumlin.
• Sylvia and the Unicorns by Fruzsina Czene, Marist Primary School, Crumlin.
• Bloom and the Evil Flowers by Sarah Buzakhar, Loreto Primary School, Crumlin.
• A Wood to the World Beyond by Erin Crowe, Loreto Primary School, Crumlin.
• The Lost Land of Beautiful Lakes by Rachael Joseph, Our Lady of Good Counsel GNS, Drimnagh 
• Dolls in Danger by Sarah Kavanagh, Our Lady of Good Counsel GNS, Drimnagh.

Extracts from the girls’ books show the quality of the writing and imagination in the books:

• “She remembered spinning at the speed of lightning, everything went black, she was being pushed into invisible walls,” wrote Daria from Marist Primary School, in Crumlin.
• “Once Melissa got off the train, she saw the Unicorn Veterinary Clinic,” wrote Smilte from Loreto Primary School in Crumlin.
• “Jodie slowly got out of the kangaroo’s pouch and ran over to them,” wrote Kacey, from Our Lady of Good Counsel GNS, Drimnagh.
• “Tears as small as raindrops started running down his little green face,” wrote Erica from Our Lady of Good Counsel GNS, Drimnagh.

Other workshops, delivered by staff from the Department of Early Printed Books and research students from the School of English, allowed the girls to engage with passionate advocates for children’s literature and to appreciate vintage books in Trinity’s Special Collections.

The children were introduced to the Pollard Collection of over 10,000 historic children’s books left to Trinity by librarian Mary ‘Paul’ Pollard. They also had access to a blog written by Catherine Ann Cullen (tarryathome.wordpress.com) which gave background history of selected books and authors, information about Pollard herself, and photographs of the children's own work in progress. For the theme, ‘Travels and Discoveries’, books selected from Pollard included Gulliver’s Travels, Robinson Crusoe, and works by Irish authors, including Maria Edgeworth, Edith Somerville and S. Rosamund Praeger.