Limerick poet recognised for outstanding contribution to children’s books

LIMERICK poet Gabriel Rosenstock has been recognised for his outstanding contribution to children’s books.

Originally from Kilfinane, the poet, author and translator is the 2023 recipient of the Annual Children’s Books Ireland Award for his endeavours.

The announcement, made at the Children’s Books Ireland International Conference, recognised his lifelong work to provide Irish children with access to stories in their native language.

Receiving the award, Gabriel said: “In a recent bilingual volume of poems Garsún: Boy (Arlen House), I reminisce on how the tales of Hans-Christian Andersen opened up my heart to the sufferings and the aspirations of others.

“This has been one of the guiding principles of my own original work for children, as well as countless translations and adaptations for such platforms as Léigh Leat and Free Kids Books, and it's in this spirit that I accept the award, gratefully.”

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CEO of Children’s Books Ireland, Elaina Ryan said: “For years, Gabriel Rosenstock has been a vital force in Irish children’s publishing, working across languages and disciplines to share illuminating and spellbinding stories.

In 2015, his book Haiku, Más é do thoil é! was recognised by the Children’s Books Ireland Awards for the Judges’ Special Award, and we are thrilled to present him today with this award on behalf of Children’s Books Ireland, and the wider Irish children’s books community, for his tireless work in bringing excellent literature to his readers.”

Gabriel has written several collections of poetry and stories for children in Irish and English. He has also worked extensively on translating popular books and television series for children into Irish.

Gabriel was nominated for the award by Jane Landy, Tadhg Mac Dhonnagáin and Amanda Bell, who describe him as having “revolutionised Irish poetry for youngsters”.

They also pointed out that his generosity in widening access to storytelling is most evident in his publishing of his titles for free through platforms such as ‘Léigh Leat’ and FreeKidsBooks.