Storyshaped

Gráinne O'Brien is no stranger to anyone on the Irish book scene! A bookseller, a creative writing coach, and a published author, she released her debut YA novel in April 2025 to instant acclaim. We were delighted that she made time in a very busy day - with thanks to The Campus Bookshop in UCD, Sinéad's old workplace, for giving her somewhere to set up her computer so she could talk to us! - and we had a brilliant natter about stories, books, and the importance of listening to the voices in your head. (If you know, you know!)Find Gráinne online HEREFind Rontu, Gráinne's creative writing coaching service, HEREFind Kenny's Bookshop, where Gráinne is Children's Buyer, HEREBooks mentioned in this week's episode include Gráinne's own:A Limerick FairytaleSoloAnd the stories which shaped her include:Big Magic, by Elizabeth GilbertThese Are the Words, by Nikita GillThe work of Sarah CrossanThe life and work of Mary O'Shea, elementary school librarian in Palo Alto, CARamona Quimby, by Beverly ClearyThe Baby-sitters' Club, by Ann M. MartinWayside School Gets a Little Stranger, by Louis SacharHoles, by Louis SacharThe Magician of Tiger Castle, by Louis SacharThe Goosebumps books, by RL StineThe work of Maeve BinchyFlowers in the Attic, by Virginia AndrewsThe work of Marian KeyesJAWS, by Peter BenchleyI Capture the Castle, by Dodie SmithThe work of Jessica TownsendThe Murder Most Unladylike series, by Robin StevensThe Song of the Lioness, by Tamora PierceNina Peanut Is Amazing and Nina Peanut, Mega Mystery Solver, by Sarah BowiePablo and Splash, by Sheena DempseyNotes from a Coma, by Mike McCormackThe work of Sarah Moore FitzgeraldThe work of Donal RyanThe work of Joseph O'ConnorThe Book of Secrets, by Alex DunneUnder the Hawthorn Tree (trilogy), by Marita Conlon-McKennaCreative Writing for Dummies, by Maggie HamandAtmosphere, by Taylor Jenkins ReidOur podcast bookshop in Ireland is Halfway Up the Stairs: www.halfwayupthestairs.ie. You might also like to check out www.kennys.ie for free shipping within the Republic of Ireland!In the UK, check out our storefront on: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/Storyshaped. Disclaimer: If you buy books linked to our site, we may earn a commission from bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops.

Eve Wersocki Morris has been called 'the best-kept secret in children's publishing' by no less than Lemony Snicket himself, so who are we to argue! We were delighted to get a window into her delightfully noirish Storyshaped life. Come with us as we discover the stories - movies, books, the lot! - which have shaped her and her work, right from her first novel (written when she was thirteen!) to the present day.Find Eve online at her websiteBooks mentioned in this week's episode include Eve's own:The Bird SingersThe Wildstorm CurseClem Fatale Has Been BetrayedAnd the stories which have shaped her include:Movies:The Maltese FalconThe 39 StepsStrangers on a TrainThe Big SleepStage FrightDial M For MurderDouble IndemnitySome Like It HotSunset BoulevardThe LadykillersThe Wrong Arm of the LawDead Men Don't Wear PlaidNight Train to MunichCastle in the Air and the Chrestomanci books, by Diana Wynne JonesThe Just William Stories, by Richmal Crompton, read by Martin JarvisThe Chronicles of Narnia, by CS LewisThe Roman Mysteries, by Caroline LawrenceLizzie Zipmouth, by Jacqueline WilsonFantastic Mr Fox, by Roald DahlThe Worst Witch, by Jill MurphyNoughts and Crosses, by Malorie BlackmanAnna Karenina, by TolstoyMadame Bovary, by Gustave FlaubertNorthanger Abbey, by Jane AustenOn Beauty, by Zadie SmithHeartburn, by Nora EphronThe Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret AtwoodRebecca, by Daphne du MaurierAmerican Wife, by Curtis SittenfeldThe Poetry Pharmacy Comfort Poems CollectionOur podcast bookshop in Ireland is Halfway Up the Stairs: www.halfwayupthestairs.ie. You might also like to check out www.kennys.ie for free shipping within the Republic of Ireland!In the UK, check out our storefront on: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/Storyshaped. Disclaimer: If you buy books linked to our site, we may earn a commission from bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops.

We were thrilled to get the chance to sit down with Peter Donnelly, one of Ireland's foremost illustrators and picturebook makers, to discuss life, work, inspiration, and everything in between! Listen in for a chance to hear about how Peter was inspired by a mountain, and how NOT getting into art college was the best thing that ever happened to him. If you've ever wondered: how did Peter Donnelly come up with the brilliant idea to write a picturebook about the President of Ireland, then you've found your happy place. Come and join us as we winkle out Peter Donnelly's Storyshaped secrets!Books mentioned in this week's episode include Peter's own:The President's GlassesThe President's CatThe President's DogThe President's SurpriseThe Dead ZooThe Great DiscoveryUp on the MountainLittle WolfAnd the stories that shaped him include:The Cat in the Hat, by Dr SeussThe Selfish Giant, by Oscar Wilde, illustrated by Lisbeth ZwergerThe Selfish Giant, by Oscar Wilde, illustrated by PJ LynchThe work of PJ LynchMonty Python, British TV comedyThe Prince of Egypt, animated movie on which Peter workedAnastasia, animated movie on which Peter workedTilly and Friends, by Polly DunbarThis is Ireland, by Miroslav SacekThe work of Mac BarnettThe work of Jon KlassenThe Fairy Isle, by Síne Quinn, illustrated by Dermot FlynnBeanie the Bansheenie, by Eoin Colfer, illustrated by Steve McCarthyOur podcast bookshop in Ireland is Halfway Up the Stairs: www.halfwayupthestairs.ie. You might also like to check out www.kennys.ie for free shipping within the Republic of Ireland!In the UK, check out our storefront on: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/Storyshaped. Disclaimer: If you buy books linked to our site, we may earn a commission from bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops.

Get ready to pull on your nonsense shoes and go dancing on the kooky side of the street as we chat to the brilliant Nathanael (Nate) Lessore, author of the hilarious Steady for This and King of Nothing for teen readers, and Solving Crimes is NOT My Superpower, for slightly younger readers. This conversation will answer all the questions you have about life, including the most important one: how DO you give CPR to a mosquito? I mean, you can't deny it's something we've all wondered about...Find Nate online HEREBooks mentioned in this week's episode include Nate's own:Steady for ThisKing of NothingSolving Crimes is NOT My Superpower, illustrated by Simran Diamond SinghAnd the stories which have shaped him include:Avocado Baby, by John BurninghamBurglar Bill, by Janet and Allan AhlbergDouble Act, by Jacqueline WilsonThe Lottie Project, by Jacqueline WilsonTracey Beaker (TV series), original novels by Jacqueline WilsonVicky Angel, by Jacqueline WilsonScribble Boy, by Philip RidleyHarry Potter, by JK RowlingNoughts and Crosses, by Malorie BlackmanKnife Edge, by Malorie BlackmanThe work of Flannery O'ConnorThe Chronicles of Narnia, by CS LewisGlasgow Boys, by Margaret McDonaldTV Shows:ScrubsFriendsBoondocksFresh Prince of Bel-AirFamily GuySpiderman (comic books)The work of Spike MilliganConn of the Dead, by Dave RuddenThe Door of No Return, by Kwame AlexanderHappy Head, by Josh SilverOur podcast bookshop in Ireland is Halfway Up the Stairs: www.halfwayupthestairs.ie. You might also like to check out www.kennys.ie for free shipping within the Republic of Ireland!In the UK, check out our storefront on: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/Storyshaped. Disclaimer: If you buy books linked to our site, we may earn a commission from bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops.

This Storyshaped chat is a feast for the soul. We were delighted to get a chance to sit down with Kel Menton, debut author, and talk to them all about their brilliant first novel, A Fix of Light, and the stories that have shaped not only the book, but Kel themself. We went on a fantastic trip from local ghost-lore to titans of the fantasy genre all the way to the Prose Edda and Poetic Edda - because, of course you'd end up there! Come on and join us for a fantastic meander through a marvellously Storyshaped life.Find Kel on their newsletter, MarginaliaBooks mentioned in this week's episode include Kel's own:A Fix of LightAnd the stories which have shaped them include:The Sleeping Giant, by Marie-Louise FitzpatrickCailín an Bhúrna/Colleen of the Barley, a local ghost storyThe Raven Boys, by Maggie StiefvaterShiver, by Maggie StiefvaterThe Demon's Lexicon, by Sarah Rees BrennanThe Inkheart trilogy, by Cornelia FunkeReckless, by Cornelia FunkeWintersmith, by Terry PratchettShadow and Bone, by Leigh BardugoSix of Crows, by Leigh BardugoThe work of John GreenThe Ruby Redfort books, by Lauren ChildBeowulf, the Old English epic (HWAET!)Judith and Holofernes, the Old English poemThe Poetic EddaThe Prose Edda, compiled by Snorri SturlusonSummer Sons, by Lee MandeloAll For the Game, by Nora SakavicDon't Let the Forest In, by CG DrewsThe Three Body Problem, by Cixin LiuThe work of NK JemisinThe work of Ursula le GuinThe work of RF KuangSentimental Garbage podcast - The Phantom of the Opera with Rebecca KuangOur podcast bookshop in Ireland is Halfway Up the Stairs: www.halfwayupthestairs.ie. You might also like to check out www.kennys.ie for free shipping within the Republic of Ireland!In the UK, check out our storefront on: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/Storyshaped. Disclaimer: If you buy books linked to our site, we may earn a commission from bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops.

We were privileged today to speak to the authors of the brilliant essay anthology, Beyond the Secret Garden, which is a vital critique of the current state of children's literature and its inclusivity problem. Dr Chetty and Prof Sands-O'Connor have written for many years over at Books for Keeps around these vital issues, and today they bring us through the importance of decolonising the children's literature canon - while also giving us an insight into their own Storyshaped lives, and what stories led them to the work they do today.You can purchase your copy of Beyond the Secret Garden hereStories mentioned in this week's episode include:The Good Immigrant, ed. Nikesh ShuklaSesame StreetRoy of the Rovers football comicThe work of JD Salinger and Jack KerouacDr Dolittle, by Hugh LoftingThe Wizard of Oz (movie version)Mythologies, by Roland BarthesElmer, by David McKeeTusk Tusk, by David McKeeThe Grapes of Wrath, by John SteinbeckJane Eyre, by Charlotte BronteWuthering Heights, by Emily BronteThe work of Charles DickensLittle Women, by Louisa May AlcottSight and Sound magazineThe Buddha of Suburbia, by Hanif KureishiThe Chronicles of Narnia, by CS LewisOliver Twist, by Charles DickensRobinson Crusoe, by Daniel DefoeSing, Unburied, Sing, by Jesmyn WardFreud in Oz, by Kenneth KiddJames, by Percival EverettOur podcast bookshop in Ireland is Halfway Up the Stairs: www.halfwayupthestairs.ie. You might also like to check out www.kennys.ie for free shipping within the Republic of Ireland!In the UK, check out our storefront on: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/Storyshaped. Disclaimer: If you buy books linked to our site, we may earn a commission from bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops.

We don't have *much* in common with the Terminator around here, it must be said, but one of the things we do share is this: we come back. So, here we are! This is a special LIVE episode, recorded in May 2025 at the brilliant International Literature Festival Dublin in front of an audience of Kieran Larwood fans (and, perhaps, one or two who were there to see us), and we had the most fun. We chatted fantasy, Tolkien, the powers of maps as ways into story, 90s music, and loads more.Our very special thanks to the team at International Literature Festival Dublin for facilitating this dream come true for us - it has long been our ambition to record a live episode, and we were delighted to get the chance to do just that as part of this fantastic festival, which happens in Dublin in May every year. We hope the recording gives you a flavour of how much we enjoyed talking to Kieran and getting an insight into his very special Storyshaped life.PLEASE NOTE: The audio didn't pick up the audience, so during question time, the questions we are responding to are as follows:What children's book that you read as an adult do you wish you'd read as a child?Will we find out more about the Ancients?Books mentioned in this week's episode include:The work of Enid BlytonThe work of JRR TolkienA Wizard of Earthsea, by Ursula le GuinThe Moomins, by Tove JanssonThe Hounds of the Morrigan, by Pat O'SheaThe World Between the Rain, by Susan CahillFighting Fantasy book series, created by Steve Jackson and Ian LivingstoneStone of Farewell, by Tad WilliamsThe work of Robin HobbMort, by Terry PratchettThe work of Terry Pratchett, especially the Tiffany Aching seriesGood Omens, by Terry Pratchett and Neil GaimanLords and Ladies, by Terry PratchettWatership Down, by Richard AdamsNeuromancer, by William GibsonEscape Room: Game Zero, by Christopher EdgeI Am Wolf, by Alastair ChisholmThe Bone Ships, by RJ BarkerOctober, October, by Katya BalenThe Storm and the Sea Hawk, by Kiran Millwood HargraveI Am Raven, by Alastair ChisholmA Fix of Light, by Kel MentonOn Midnight Beach, by Marie Louise FitzpatrickThe work of Jamie Littler, esp. FrostheartThe music of Pearl Jam and Nirvana and Soundgarden

In this special mini-sode of Storyshaped, I (Sinéad) sat down with Ruth Ennis (writer, book-expert, book reviewer, general Queen of Irish children's and YA literature and legend in her own lifetime) to discuss something close to both our hearts: the situation in Palestine.Nobody will be unaware of the reality; the situation in Palestine, and in particular in Gaza, has been described as 'genocide' by bodies such as Médecins sans Frontieres, the United Nations, and Amnesty International. Innocent civilians have been mercilessly killed, day and night, for almost the past two years, and the onslaught has had a particularly horrific impact on Palestinian children.As authors for children and young people, Ruth and I couldn't stand by and do nothing. So, we set up the Irish KidLit for Palestine Fundraiser, which runs between August 4th and 17th, 2025. Our chosen charity is Medical Aid for Palestinians, who can be found HEREAnd the link to the Irish KidLit for Palestine Fundraiser, where you can help us to raise money AND get yourself some snazzy kidlit-related goodies, is HERE Our sincere thanks to the 30+ authors, illustrators, artists and creatives who made this Fundraiser possible by donating their work and their time. Míle buíochas! Stay tuned for more Storyshaped in the autumn.