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Will Graham Norton Be Visiting Thurles & Templemore During Summer 2021 ?

Graham Norton’s book “Holding” to be adapted for television and filmed here in Ireland.

So will Mr Graham Norton be visiting Thurles & Templemore, Co. Tipperary, during the Summer of 2021 ?

County Cork born author and top television presenter has revealed that British television company ITV, has commissioned the adaptation of his novel ‘Holding’, to be made into a four-part TV series.

The book was Mr Norton’s first piece of fiction work, first published back in 2016.

The novel itself is set in the remote Irish, backwater village of Duneen, Co. Cork. Human remains, suspected to be those of local Tommy Burke, latter a former lover of two local women, are discovered on an old farm. The village’s dark past soon raises its ugly head, and it is up to the local Garda Sergeant, one Mr P.J. Collins, to solve a genuine murder case for the first time in his professional life. In doing so he manages to unearth a community’s wrath, their resentments, their secrets and regrets.

Our own much-loved town of Thurles, Co. Tipperary, gets a mention in his novel; same playing a part in bringing Garda Sgt. Collins to the remote town of Duneen, quote, “After Graduating from Templemore, he had been stationed in Thurles. He liked the job well enough. In Thurles he worked longer hours than anyone else and was always the first to volunteer for the shifts that nobody else wanted”.

The television series, ‘Holding’ will be directed by Kathy Burke and the award-winning Northern Ireland actor (two Laurence Olivier Awards and two Tony Award nominations), Conleth Hill (‘Lord Varys’ in Game of Thrones), will take on the leading role of Sergeant P.J. Collins.

The series will be filmed in Ireland this summer, with details of further casting to be released closer to the start of the production.

Holding” by Graham Norton is published by Hodder & Stoughton and is available to purchase online from Amazon.co.uk.

‘Class Reads’ For Children & Young People

Children’s Books Ireland is a national organisation that champions, through its many activities, a love of reading in children and young people. One of its most recent activities has been to research lists of ‘must read’ books for primary and secondary school pupils in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Children’s Books Ireland, like parents and teachers, love to hear children acclaim, ‘This book is class!’ and that’s why their latest resource is entitled ‘Class Reads’.

They have drawn together six lists of recommended reading for pupils from Junior Infants to Fourth Year. Titles include books by Irish authors and books in the Irish language. In addition, each of the six ‘Class Reads’ resources includes story summaries, guidance on quality questions to ask about picture books, tips for reading aloud, as well as links to other excellent reading resources.

We highly recommend that any parent or teacher looking for books that will inspire a love of reading should check out the ‘Class Reads’ resources and videos, all available to access HERE.
They really are ‘class’ resources!

Five Great Easter Books for Children.

If you are looking for some great books to read with children this Easter, here are some suggestions we are sure all children will enjoy.

Note: These books can be purchased in Easons, Thurles Shopping Centre, Thurles [Tel: (0504) 24588] and in Bookworm, Liberty Square, Thurles, [Tel: (0504) 22257], so do remember to shop local when you can.

The Easter Story by Russell Punter.
Given Easter’s religious significance, it is only fitting that the first book on our list is a retelling of the Easter Story for children.

Russell Punter’s retelling combines simple language with vibrant artwork in this beautiful picture book.

The Rabbit, the Dark and the Biscuit Tin by Nicola O’Byrne.

Easter is a time when we think of bunnies and this is a story about a bunny rabbit who is very reluctant to go to bed. Winner of the Oldhum’s Brilliant Book Awards 2014 and the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2014, this hilarious story will be treasured by young and old and might even help get little ones to bed on time despite the bright evenings.

Peter Rabbit: A Fluffy Easter Tale by Beatrix Potter.
This gorgeous board book is the ideal gift for little ones and introduces children to Beatrix Potter’s classic character Peter Rabbit. With touch and feel elements on every page, this simple story is sure to delight your tiny tots this Easter.

The Guns of Easter by Gerard Whelan.
For older children, Gerard Whelan’s award winning novel tells the story of twelve year old Jimmy Conway who finds himself torn between the British army and rebels of the Easter Rising in the Dublin slums of 1916. First published in 1996, Whelan’s master storytelling continues to capture young readers interest in historical fiction.

Ten Women of the Easter Rising by Ann Carroll.
Another title suitable for older readers, “Ten Women of the Easter Rising” introduces children to the struggles and influences that shaped some of the 1916 Easter Rising’s leading female figures. It is one of sixteen titles that form part of the Poolbeg “In a Nutshell Heroes” series for children, which includes other titles relating to the Easter Rising and is well worth investing in for young historians (Click HERE).

Enjoy

Recommended Reads For Children & Teenagers.

Top 5 Bookfinder Resources.

The award winning children’s author Emilie Buchwald is credited with the saying “Children are made readers on the laps of their parents”.

The gift of reading is one that every parent strives to bestow on their child, but finding good books for children and teenagers to read can sometimes be a challenge.

With the Easter Holidays on the horizon and many teenagers still engaged in remote schooling, here are five helpful resources to help parents find recommended reading for their children and teenagers.The gift of reading is one that every parent strives to bestow on their child, but finding good books for children and teenagers to read can sometimes be a challenge.

Lists of recommended reads categorised according to age group and compiled by Irish public librarians are available on the Libraries Ireland website (Click HERE).

BookTrust, the UK’s largest children’s reading charity, offer a fantastic bookfinder resource that enables parents to find their child’s next favourite read by searching according to age range and theme (Click HERE).

Reading Rockets, a superb website of researched based information on literacy learning, enables parents to search through a database of children’s books categorised according to age, genre and format (Click HERE).

World Book Day took place recently on March 3rd and WorldBookDay.com provide a parents’ bookfinder resource available to access HERE.

The New York Times Best Sellers Lists include the following children and young adult categories Children’s Middle Grade Hardcover (Click HERE), Children’s Picture Books (Click HERE), Children’s Series (Click HERE) and Young Adult Hardcover (Click HERE).

Realise Your Writing Dreams During Lockdown.

Free Online Writing Courses

They say “everyone has one book in them” and it was the quick-minded English polemicist or controversial debater, Christopher Hitchens, who added that “in most cases that’s where it should stay”.

All joking aside, if you feel you have something worth putting into writing, then lock-down is the perfect time to achieve this goal.

You may not have a book in you. Instead you may want to write a poem, a short story or a song. If you do, but aren’t sure how to get started, FutureLearn.com offers free online courses from some of the world’s top universities.

Hereunder are just some of the writing courses on FutureLearn.com available to access for free: –

An Introduction to Screenwriting
UEA (University of East Anglia). Click HERE.

Start Writing Fiction
The Open University. Click HERE.

How to Write Your First Song
The University of Sheffield. Click HERE.

How To Make A Poem
Manchester Metropolitan University. Click HERE.

Remember “Nothing ventured, nothing gained”