Niamh Sharkey Explained

Niamh Sharkey is an author and illustrator of children’s picture books.

Life

Sharkey was interested in reading and illustration at a young age.^[1]

Sharkey was a freelance illustrator and designer in Dublin after graduating with a degree in visual communication from the Dublin College of Marketing and Design.^[2] While living in Hobart, Tasmania, she illustrated her first full colour picture book.

She was named Laureate na nÓg in 2012.^[3]

Her books have been translated into 20 languages. She is a member of Illustrators Ireland.^[4] She is a co-founder of Towers and Tales, a book festival focused on children's literature.

Animation

Her book I’m a Happy Hugglewug was adapted into the animated pre-school series Henry Hugglemonster for Disney Television Animation.^{[5] [6] [7]} Sharkey is co creator of Disney's animated series Eureka! which premiered in 2022.

Awards

• Laureate na nÓg
• Mother Goose Award for best new illustrator
• Irish Book Awards Bisto Book of the Year, Tales of Wisdom and Wonder
• Irish Book Awards Bisto Book of the Year, The Gigantic Turnip
• 2010 Irish Book Awards Junior Book of the Year, On The Road With Mavis And Marge
• 2019 Children's Books Ireland/Tyrone Guthrie Centre bursary

Bibliography

• Irish Legends For The Very Young (1996, Mercier Press,)
• Tales From Old Ireland (2000, Barefoot Books,)
• Santasaurus (2004, Walker,)
• I'm A Happy Hugglewug (2006, Walker,)
• On The Road With Mavis And Marge (2010, Walker,)
• Cinderella
• The Ravenous Beast
• Jack And The Beanstalk
• The Gigantic Turnip
• Tales of Wisdom & Wonder

Notes and References

1. Web site: Author and Illustrator Q & A - with Niamh Sharkey Fingal County Council . 2024-10-28 . www.fingal.ie . en.
2. Web site: Biography . 2019-09-26 . Niamh Sharkey.
3. News: Niamh Sharkey is new Laureate na nÓg . https://web.archive.org/web/20190926143259/https://www.irishbookawards.irish/niamh-sharkey-is-new-laureate-na-nog/ . 26 September 2019 . 28 November 2023 . .
4. Web site: Niamh Sharkey . Illustrators Ireland.
5. Web site: Niamh Sharkey . Laureate na nóg . 2014-02-01 . 2019-09-26.
6. News: Power . Ed . 2015-01-29 . Henry Hugglemonster is huge hit for Irish illustrator Niamh Sharkey . 2019-09-26 . Irish Examiner.
7. Web site: Fegan . Joyce . 2013-02-04 . Sometimes fairy tales come true . 2019-09-26 . The Irish Independent.