Sheena Wilkinson Wins Two Children’s Books Ireland Awards

Sheena Wilkinson is the second author ever to win both the Book of The Year Award and the Children’s Choice Award, an extraordinary achievement, only once before accomplished by Celine Kiernan. Set in a bleak, contemporary Belfast, Grounded is the story of a talented show-jumper from the wrong side of the tracks and his struggle to cope with his responsibilities as a boyfriend, son, employee and friend. Grounded is the sequel to Sheena’s debut novel Taking Flight, which won both the CBI Honour Award for Fiction and the Children’s Choice Award in 2011, as well as an International Youth Library White Raven Award and a 2012 IBBY Honour List place for Ireland. Little Island publisher Siobhán Parkinson who was herself shortlisted for this year’s awards, for her book Spellbound, said, “It’s great to have our opinion of Grounded as a truly outstanding novel affirmed by both the CBI adult judging panel and the young judges.” Sheena’s most recent novel, Too Many Ponies, will be published this week by Little Island, and is her first book for younger readers aged 9 plus. Inis magazine described it as ‘An exciting read for lovers of horses and underdog stories’ and the website ponymadbooklovers.co.uk rated it “5 horseshoes – excellent! One of the best pony stories of the year.” Clare County Library is delighted to announce that Sheena Wilkinson will be one of the authors who will tour our branches during Children’s Book Festival in October 2013.