Amid the events marking World Book Day next Thursday, March 6th, watch out for the publishing debut of Gareth McNamara, a talented 15-year-old from Achill, Co Mayo.
The iconic children's publisher Evans Books will be launching an anthology of 12 short stories submitted by schoolchildren, and McNamara's story, "Times Two", is included.
It's a bleak, compelling and often violent tale of demon shapeshifters and evil doppelgangers trapped inside mirrors. The inspiration, he says, comes from his own reading. "I suppose I read a lot in the fantasy, crime fiction and horror genres - the likes of Alex Barclay and Stephen King. But I read a mix of other stuff too."
McNamara has been writing stories for years but only started entering competitions in the past year or two. "I get great enjoyment out of writing. Some people at school find the concept of me writing for pleasure unbelievable. I play video games sometimes but I always feel that I haven't achieved anything. There's a great sense of accomplishment in writing something."
So what's he working on now? "I have a few short stories on the go and I am a few chapters into a book. It's along similar lines to "Times Two" and some of the characters carry over into it." A future JK Rowling perhaps? "I would love to write professionally but the practicalities of it are that you have to be very successful at it. This is my first time being published and it's an amazing feeling to see something that you've worked on end up in print for everyone to see. I write all the time but people don't normally read it." Michael Kelly
For full details of events taking place on World Book Day in Ireland, see www.worldbookday.com. Library Ireland Week starts on Monday, with more than 200 events scheduled all over Ireland (www.libraryirelandweek.ie). If all that is not enough, the inaugural Dublin Book Festival takes place from Wednesday to Friday at City Hall. www.dublinbookfestival.com.