I feel very privileged that this year I was invited to participate in the Hay Festival in Kells. I am not usually nervous about the ‘performance’ side of writing – schools, writing workshops, festivals etc. – but for some reason I was nervous about this one.
Turned out there was no need. The Hay Festival staff and volunteers in Kells were, one and all, wonderful. So welcoming, helpful and efficient. They made it all feel so easy. And the white rose at the end of each session was a lovely touch.
I enjoyed the two different sessions I ran – one which was storytelling and reading and the other which was a writing workshop. The workshop was challenging as I had all ages there – an age range I think of about seventy years. But I think it all worked. In the space of an hour there is really not a whole lot you can teach anyone about writing – as I said to the organisers the most I could aim to do was to fan a small breeze across a writing spark that was already there in every one of the people who attended. I hope I managed to do that.
The town had a lovely feel to it over the festival – a strong sense of involvement from everyone living there. The people who took writers and performers to their sessions were all volunteers from the community, and many of them doubled up as informal tour guides to the town. Mine did anyway! Shop windows were full of books and posters, the pharmacy proclaiming that there was ‘No Hay Fever in our Hay Festival’, Granny Lil’s Sweetshop offering free Cross Stitch Lessons, the opticians with books by Seamus Heaney and Dervla Murphy in the window and much much more.
So, thank you the Hay Festival, thank you to Kells and thank you to those who came to my sessions – I loved meeting you.
On the day of the CBI Awards Ceremony I received this email from Ms. Mackey’s wonderful class in St. John’s School in Kilkenny. My own children went to this school and I hold it dear to my heart.
I got the email while I was waiting, with trepidation, for the awards ceremony to begin. What more did I need than these 29 awards!? And then on top of this to get the Special Judges Award, my day was made.
Dear Paula,
CONGRATULATIONS! You are the winner of 29 AWARDS. 
Ms Mackey’s Class would like to award you for the following reasons … 
Title of Award: For Writing the Most Adventurous Stories
Presented by: Nicholas Mullins
Title of Award: For Being an Amazing Author and a Great Person in General
Presented by: Louise Dullard
Title of Award: For Writing Two Fantastic Novels and For Playing Games With Us
Presented by: Tamas Sebok
Title of Award: For Putting Us on the Edge of Our Seats
Presented by: Leah Anderson
Title of Award: For Writing the Best Children’s Books
Presented by: Jamie Doran
Title of Award: For Writing Books That Fill Children’s Hearts with Wonder and Joy
Presented by: Laura Ryan
Title of Award: For Giving Us Stories That Come To Life
Presented by: Mark McBride
Title of Award: For Writing Unusual and Funny Books
Presented by: Courtney O’Dwyer
Title of Award: For Writing My Two Favourite Books Ever
Presented by: Nicole O’Leary
Title of Award: For Writing Such Amazing Novels and Giving Us Such Enjoyment
Presented by: Josh Curran
Title of Award: For Writing My Favourite Books
Presented by: Candice Keating
Title of Award: For Being a Truly Magnificent Writer
Presented by: Ayianna Piggott
Title of Award: For Writing The Best Books in The Entire Galaxy
Presented by: Marata Evelyn Sida
Title of Award: For Being the Best Author in The World
Presented by: Ryan Walsh
Title of Award: For Being The Best Author and for Making us Feel Happy
Presented by: Jordan Wall
Title of Award: For Having a Great Imagination
Presented by: Alex Molloy
Title of Award: For Having the Best Books in the World
Presented by: Anthony Walsh
Title of Award: For Giving Away the Most Chocolates and Sweets 
Presented by: Tom Byrne
Title of Award: For Writing Books that Our Class LOVE
Presented by: Amy Hennessy
Title of Award: For Coming into Our Class and Telling Us Amazing Stories
Presented by: Sinead Hayes
Title of Award: For Telling Us How to Milk a Snake
Presented by: Niamh Hayes
Title of Award: For Making Children Laugh
Presented by: Orla Doheny
Title of Award: For A Great Imagination and for Writing Fascinating Stories
Presented by: Ioana Burghelea
Title of Award: For Being My Favourite Female Author
Presented by: Chelsea Comerford
Title of Award: For Taking the Time to Come and Visit Us
Presented by: Naoise Ryan
Title of Award: For Making us Feel So Excited and Happy When You watched Our Plays Based on The Sleeping Baobab Tree
Presented by: Stephen Power
Title of Award: For Being Someone We Can Look Up To and Admire
Presented by: Jack Brennan
Title of Award: For Giving Us Chocolate
Presented by: Daniel Valadkevich
Title of Award: For the Best Writer in The World
Presented by: David Kulaga
No one else has ever won these awards. That’s how special we think you are. You have made a huge difference to our lives. We have not met many authors. You are the one that stands out to us. We will remember you even when we are as old as Nokokulu. We love that you always listen to us and take our questions seriously. We love the ideas that you have and the way you tell stories to us in your books and when you’re in our classroom. WE LOVE YOU! 
We began this morning by saying a prayer for success. We would be so happy if The Sleeping Baobab Tree won an award. Anyway we have decided that it doesn’t matter what the fancy judges think, you are definitely the best writer in our opinion.
Best of Luck, Paula. We have all our fingers and toes crossed for you. We hope to hear good news soon because we are getting very uncomfortable. You will always be the best to us. 
Ms Mackey’s Class
P.S We hope to see you before school ends so that we can present you with your trophy!!!!!!!
Perfectly delighted to have been awarded the Special Judges Award in the CBI Book of the Year awards. A big thank you to CBI, to everyone I know and love and congratulations to all of those on the shortlist and to Marie Louise Fitzpatrick for her overall Book of the Year award.
What the judges said about The Sleeping Baobab Tree :
• Special Judges’ Award: Paula Leyden for The Sleeping Baobab Tree. The judges said, ‘Combining robust character development with vivid descriptions of the Zambian landscape, Leyden skilfully creates an evocative and atmospheric narrative that explores themes of friendship, family and human rights.’
Yesterday was a happy writing day.
Robert Dunbar in the Irish Times had this to say about the Sleeping Baobab Tree …
Finally, with Paula Leyden’s The Sleeping Baobab Tree , we travel to Zambia for a mind-opening novel featuring twin sisters, the boy next door and his formidable greatgrandmother: a car journey involving all four provides a wonderfully sustained piece of comic writing in a novel that nevertheless engages with serious contemporary themes.
But as for the “best”? My Honour Award for fiction would go to the Paula Leyden title, which, as some duplication is allowed, would also carry off the book-of-the-year award.
Now. I know this is one person’s opinion – and as I said in a previous post, the shortlist is a strong one and I am a newbie so my expectations are low – but I am thrilled to be on the list and his comments warmed my heart. I especially loved that he was amused by the book ..Thank you Robert!
Then, a review of Tom O’Neill’s book (Tom is my partner) Fionn and the Legends of the Blood Emeralds by Mary Esther Judy of Fallen Star Stories
FIONN AND THE LEGEND OF THE BLOOD EMERALDS
author: Tom O’Neill
HeroicRealm.com (2013)
ISBN: 9781909483279
Dark McLeans’ Uncle Connie has been struck down by a mysterious illness: an illness of alarmingly rapid progress with no obvious cause or treatment; an illness that is killing him. Dark is now in a race against time to find a cure. Their sinister neighbour is shadowing Darks’ every move, his friends are abandoning him and Dark is losing hope and courage. Each night, Dark ventures into a nearby fairy ring in desperation. Perhaps the Old People know of a cure. Each night, Dark is told a tale….. a tale of a young man called Matha who, long ago, was on a similar quest to his own; a tale of Fionn MacCumhaill and ancient journeys, of bards and battles and a magical land. As time is running out for Uncle Connie, Dark begins to understand the true meaning behind his uncles’ words: “They walk among us.”
Tom O’Neills’ previous book, “Old Friends: The Lost Tales of Fionn MacCumhaill” was thoroughly gripping.
This one is even more. This one is simply spell-binding, packed with lyrical story-telling, raw and complex emotional impact and evocative characters and setting. The flow of the contemporary story into the mythical is smooth, and the correlations drawn between the two stories create an ebb and flow that pulls the reader into the tale. Each chapter is genuine, believable and intriguing. The power behind the words is tangible and will keep you awake well into the night reading on…. and casting your vision out into the night wondering what is actually going on out there in the trees and hills. A wondrous adventure that blurs the lines between reality and mythology. Just loved it!
Watched a brilliant documentary the other evening on David Bowie entitled Five Years. What was consistently striking about it was his dedication to his craft and the fact that he constantly evolved and changed what he was doing. Musically he never stood still – as evidenced by the extraordinary variety in his music throughout his life right up to his recent release The Next Day.
David Bowie Five Years
Like him or hate him there is a lot to admire about him and a lot to be reminded about as writers.
Number one is discipline. The discipline to sit down and write, to research, to promote, to learn more about the craft – but above all to write. To use the time that you have (and this varies for everyone, it can be snatched moments between work, children, daily life or it can be unfettered time) in the best way. It is a mega cliché but time passes and once it has gone it has gone – so you owe it to yourself as a writer to use it well.
Number two is to make sure that with each project you take on you extend your abilities, move yourself on – go forward. This is no different than in any type of work or occupation if you are lucky enough to be working in an area that allows for this – take yourself to the next level. Make it better. Stretch your brain. Never be satisfied. In writing we can do this as it is self directed, it is up to us as writers to manage what we do and how we do it.
Number three is cooperation – and this is different for musicians than for writers. The evolution of a song is very different to the evolution of a novel. Writing is a solitary occupation – but it does not have to be lonely. Being part of a writers group is one way of cooperating – or getting the corners rubbed off you! Sharing your writing with a partner, your children, writing friends, illustrators is another. This is not for everyone. I know of writers who work till its done and then let it out into the light. I am not like that – I like feedback, I think it improves my writing.
And Number Four is I suppose be true to yourself. To do this you have to know yourself, but when you do be true to who your are. Because it shows.
Now I just have to go and remind myself to listen to my own advice – far easier to give advice than to follow it.
What is not love about the Kilkenny bookshops? Stonehouse Books, The Book Centre and Dubray books all with beautiful window displays of The Sleeping Baobab Tree! How privileged am I, as an author, to be living in a city like this? And not just bookshops – but bookshops staffed by dedicated and passionate booksellers. Couldn’t ask for more.
In brilliant company in Dubray Books, Kilkenny
And a fearsome lion at work in The Book Centre
Sunny Stonehouse Books
Dubrays in Market Cross centre
The Book Centre
Stonehouse Books, Kieran Street (launch venue)
The sequel to The Butterfly Heart, The Sleeping Baobab Tree, is slowly becoming a reality – link to it now up on Amazon and release date is May 2nd.
Been a long writing journey but I hope the end result is a good one, I’m looking forward to holding it in my hands. While I do read eBooks I am pleased this is not the only format available – I remember the day I received my first copy of The Butterfly Heart from Walker Books and the excitement I felt holding it in my hands and turning the pages. I cannot imagine I would ever get the same thrill from opening a Kindle file…..
