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 HERE

Find Rontu, Gráinne's creative writing coaching service, HERE

Find Kenny's Bookshop, where Gráinne is Children's Buyer, HERE

Books mentioned in this week's episode include Gráinne's own:

A Limerick Fairytale

Solo

And the stories which shaped her include:

Big Magic, by Elizabeth Gilbert

These Are the Words, by Nikita Gill

The work of Sarah Crossan

The life and work of Mary O'Shea, elementary school librarian in Palo Alto, CA

Ramona Quimby, by Beverly Cleary

The Baby-sitters' Club, by Ann M. Martin

Wayside School Gets a Little Stranger, by Louis Sachar

Holes, by Louis Sachar

The Magician of Tiger Castle, by Louis Sachar

The Goosebumps books, by RL Stine

The work of Maeve Binchy

Flowers in the Attic, by Virginia Andrews

The work of Marian Keyes

JAWS, by Peter Benchley

I Capture the Castle, by Dodie Smith

The work of Jessica Townsend

The Murder Most Unladylike series, by Robin Stevens

The Song of the Lioness, by Tamora Pierce

Nina Peanut Is Amazing and Nina Peanut, Mega Mystery Solver, by Sarah Bowie

Pablo and Splash, by Sheena Dempsey

Notes from a Coma, by Mike McCormack

The work of Sarah Moore Fitzgerald

The work of Donal Ryan

The work of Joseph O'Connor

The Book of Secrets, by Alex Dunne

Under the Hawthorn Tree (trilogy), by Marita Conlon-McKenna

Creative Writing for Dummies, by Maggie Hamand

Atmosphere, by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Our 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.

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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 website

Books mentioned in this week's episode include Eve's own:

The Bird Singers

The Wildstorm Curse

Clem Fatale Has Been Betrayed

And the stories which have shaped her include:

Movies:

The Maltese Falcon

The 39 Steps

Strangers on a Train

The Big Sleep

Stage Fright

Dial M For Murder

Double Indemnity

Some Like It Hot

Sunset Boulevard

The Ladykillers

The Wrong Arm of the Law

Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid

Night Train to Munich

Castle in the Air and the Chrestomanci books, by Diana Wynne Jones

The Just William Stories, by Richmal Crompton, read by Martin Jarvis

The Chronicles of Narnia, by CS Lewis

The Roman Mysteries, by Caroline Lawrence

Lizzie Zipmouth, by Jacqueline Wilson

Fantastic Mr Fox, by Roald Dahl

The Worst Witch, by Jill Murphy

Noughts and Crosses, by Malorie Blackman

Anna Karenina, by Tolstoy

Madame Bovary, by Gustave Flaubert

Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen

On Beauty, by Zadie Smith

Heartburn, by Nora Ephron

The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood

Rebecca, by Daphne du Maurier

American Wife, by Curtis Sittenfeld

The Poetry Pharmacy Comfort Poems Collection

Our 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.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Glasses

The President's Cat

The President's Dog

The President's Surprise

The Dead Zoo

The Great Discovery

Up on the Mountain

Little Wolf

And the stories that shaped him include:

The Cat in the Hat, by Dr Seuss

The Selfish Giant, by Oscar Wilde, illustrated by Lisbeth Zwerger

The Selfish Giant, by Oscar Wilde, illustrated by PJ Lynch

The work of PJ Lynch

Monty Python, British TV comedy

The Prince of Egypt, animated movie on which Peter worked

Anastasia, animated movie on which Peter worked

Tilly and Friends, by Polly Dunbar

This is Ireland, by Miroslav Sacek

The work of Mac Barnett

The work of Jon Klassen

The Fairy Isle, by Síne Quinn, illustrated by Dermot Flynn

Beanie the Bansheenie, by Eoin Colfer, illustrated by Steve McCarthy

Our 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.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 HERE

Books mentioned in this week's episode include Nate's own:

Steady for This

King of Nothing

Solving Crimes is NOT My Superpower, illustrated by Simran Diamond Singh

And the stories which have shaped him include:

Avocado Baby, by John Burningham

Burglar Bill, by Janet and Allan Ahlberg

Double Act, by Jacqueline Wilson

The Lottie Project, by Jacqueline Wilson

Tracey Beaker (TV series), original novels by Jacqueline Wilson

Vicky Angel, by Jacqueline Wilson

Scribble Boy, by Philip Ridley

Harry Potter, by JK Rowling

Noughts and Crosses, by Malorie Blackman

Knife Edge, by Malorie Blackman

The work of Flannery O'Connor

The Chronicles of Narnia, by CS Lewis

Glasgow Boys, by Margaret McDonald

TV Shows:

Scrubs

Friends

Boondocks

Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

Family Guy

Spiderman (comic books)

The work of Spike Milligan

Conn of the Dead, by Dave Rudden

The Door of No Return, by Kwame Alexander

Happy Head, by Josh Silver

Our 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.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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, Marginalia

Books mentioned in this week's episode include Kel's own:

A Fix of Light

And the stories which have shaped them include:

The Sleeping Giant, by Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick

Cailín an Bhúrna/Colleen of the Barley, a local ghost story

The Raven Boys, by Maggie Stiefvater

Shiver, by Maggie Stiefvater

The Demon's Lexicon, by Sarah Rees Brennan

The Inkheart trilogy, by Cornelia Funke

Reckless, by Cornelia Funke

Wintersmith, by Terry Pratchett

Shadow and Bone, by Leigh Bardugo

Six of Crows, by Leigh Bardugo

The work of John Green

The Ruby Redfort books, by Lauren Child

Beowulf, the Old English epic (HWAET!)

Judith and Holofernes, the Old English poem

The Poetic Edda

The Prose Edda, compiled by Snorri Sturluson

Summer Sons, by Lee Mandelo

All For the Game, by Nora Sakavic

Don't Let the Forest In, by CG Drews

The Three Body Problem, by Cixin Liu

The work of NK Jemisin

The work of Ursula le Guin

The work of RF Kuang

Sentimental Garbage podcast - The Phantom of the Opera with Rebecca Kuang

Our 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.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 here

Stories mentioned in this week's episode include:

The Good Immigrant, ed. Nikesh Shukla

Sesame Street

Roy of the Rovers football comic

The work of JD Salinger and Jack Kerouac

Dr Dolittle, by Hugh Lofting

The Wizard of Oz (movie version)

Mythologies, by Roland Barthes

Elmer, by David McKee

Tusk Tusk, by David McKee

The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck

Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte

Wuthering Heights, by Emily Bronte

The work of Charles Dickens

Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott

Sight and Sound magazine

The Buddha of Suburbia, by Hanif Kureishi

The Chronicles of Narnia, by CS Lewis

Oliver Twist, by Charles Dickens

Robinson Crusoe, by Daniel Defoe

Sing, Unburied, Sing, by Jessamyn Ward

Freud in Oz, by Kenneth Kidd

James, by Percival Everett

Our 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.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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:

1. What children's book that you read as an adult do you wish you'd read as a child?
2. Will we find out more about the Ancients?

Books mentioned in this week's episode include:

The work of Enid Blyton

The work of JRR Tolkien

A Wizard of Earthsea, by Ursula le Guin

The Moomins, by Tove Jansson

The Hounds of the Morrigan, by Pat O'Shea

The World Between the Rain, by Susan Cahill

Fighting Fantasy book series, created by Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone

Stone of Farewell, by Tad Williams

The work of Robin Hobb

Mort, by Terry Pratchett

The work of Terry Pratchett, especially the Tiffany Aching series

Good Omens, by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman

Lords and Ladies, by Terry Pratchett

Watership Down, by Richard Adams

Neuromancer, by William Gibson

Escape Room: Game Zero, by Christopher Edge

I Am Wolf, by Alastair Chisholm

The Bone Ships, by RJ Barker

October, October, by Katya Balen

The Storm and the Sea Hawk, by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

I Am Raven, by Alastair Chisholm

A Fix of Light, by Kel Menton

On Midnight Beach, by Marie Louise Fitzpatrick

The work of Jamie Littler, esp. Frostheart

The music of Pearl Jam and Nirvana and Soundgarden

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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 HERE

And 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.

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