Siobhán Parkinson
Genres: Translator, Editor, Childrens' author, Novelist
Is as Baile Átha Cliath í Siobhán Parkinson. Tógadh í, áfach, i mBaile Locha Riach, áit mar a bhfuil muintir aici, agus Leitir Ceanainn. D’fhoghlaim sí an Ghaeilge ar scoil, agus tá meascán de Ghaeilge Chonamara agus Gaeilge Thír Chonaill aici.
Tháinig sí ar ais go Baile Átha Cliath mar iníon léinn. Bhain sí amach céim i litríocht an Bhéarla agus an Gearmáinis, agus lean sí ar aghaidh fhad leis an PhD, i gColáiste na Tríonóide.
Is eagarthóir í ar feadh na mblianta, agus bhunaigh sí Little Island Books, foilsitheoir don aos óg, sa bhliain 2010. Foilsíonn Little Island leabhair de chuid scríbhneoirí Éireannacha, scríbhneoirí nua san áireamh, mar aon le leabhair aistrithe as teangacha eile. Aistríonn Siobhán leabhair don aos óg as an Ghearmáinis ó am go ham.
Thosaigh sí ag scríobh ficsean don aos óg sna nóchaidí, agus d’fhoilsigh sí roinnt mhaith le The O’Brien Press agus le foilsitheoirí Sasanacha chomh maith. An t-úrscéal is déanaí a tháinig amach uaithi ná Miraculous Miranda (Hodder Children’s Books 2016).
Tar éis di bualadh le Liam Ó Muirthile ar thuras liteartha sa tSín, spreag an file í chun scríobh as Gaeilge. D'fhoilsigh Cois Life dhá leabhar dá cuid don aos óg: Maitríóisce agus Dialann Sár-Rúnda Amy Ní Chonchubhair. Tá úrscéal do dhaoine fásta ar bheatha Ghráinne Ní Mháille, leabhar nach bhfuil teideal air go fóill, díreach críochnaithe aici do Chois Life. Tá cúpla leabhar Béarla scríofa aici do dhaoine fásta chomh maith.
Tá go leor gradaim bainte amach aici agus ainmníodh ina Laureate na nÓg í sa bhliain 2010, an chéad laureate riamh sa tír.
Cónaíonn sí féin agus a fear chéile — Roger Bennett, deileadóir adhmaid — i gCrois Araild i mBaile Átha Cliath, agus chuireadar fáilte i mbliana roimh a gcéad garmhac, Séamus. Is aoibhinn leis bheith ‘ag léamh’.
Siobhán Parkinson is a Dubliner, but she grew up in various parts of Ireland and her strongest family links are to Loughrea, Co Galway. She learned her Irish at school, particularly in Loreto Letterkenny, and in Coláiste Anagaire in Donegal.
She studied English and German in Trinity, and went on to take her PhD there also. She has worked as an editor ever since, and is currently publisher of Little Island Books, a children’s publishing house she set up in 2010. Little Island offers publishing opportunities especially to new Irish writers. It also publishes books in translation, some of which Siobhán translates herself from German.
She began writing children’s fiction in the early 1990s, and published for several years with The O’Brien Press. She is currently published by Hodder Children’s Books. Her last book from Hodder was Miraculous Miranda (2016). Rocking the System, which appeared in 2018 from Little Island was her first non-fiction book. She has published two children’s novels in Irish with Cois Life, Maitríóisce and Dialann Sár-Rúnda Amy Ní Chonchubhair. She also writes occasionally for adults, and her next book from Cois Life is intended for grownups (title undecided).
Her books have received multiple awards and have been translated into several languages. She was Ireland’s first laureate for children’s literature (2010–12).
She lives in Harold’s Cross with her husband, Roger Bennett, who is a woodturner. Her first grandchild, Séamus, is coming up to one year old and is gratifyingly interested in books.