An exhibition of 44 handmade books, written and illustrated by Dublin primary school students takes up residence in the Long Room.
The ’Bookmarks: Journeys Ahead’ exhibition marks the culmination of the Trinity Access Programmes (TAP) Bookmarks initiative. Over a two-month period, students from two Dublin primary schools worked alongside authors, illustrators, and children’s book specialists to write and illustrate their own books.
Zofia Rogozik, Loreto Senior National School, Crumlin
This year students from Scoil Chaitríona, CBS, Lower Baggot Street, Dublin 2, and Loreto Senior National School, Crumlin Road, Dublin 12, participated in the programme. Their books showcase imaginative storytelling with titles including ’The Great Lollipop Adventure’, ’Undercover Royals’, ’Lorenzo the Lumberjack’, as well as ’ The Last Women Standing’, ’Aliens On Earth’, ’A Dream in a Dream’ and ’I Woke Up On Mars Again’. The students were supported by Transition Year mentors from Loreto College Crumlin, Dublin 12.
The initiative aims to inspire children to become the next generation of storytellers, artists, and creatives while encouraging them to see their future in higher education. Bookmarks is organised by TAP, which helps students from underrepresented backgrounds progress to further education.
The exhibition will be launched by Anne-Marie Diffley, Visitor Services Manager at the Old Library, along with children’s author and primary school teacher Kevin Moran, who recently published his debut children’s book, The Doomsday Club.
The exhibition is part of the Book of Kells Experience. See here to book tickets. The books will be on display in the Long Room until the end of May, after which they will become part of Trinity Library’s permanent collection, which includes over six million printed volumes, among them the world-renowned Book of Kells.
Speaking in advance of the event Librarian and College Archivist, Helen Shenton commented: "This exhibition has been a longstanding collaboration with Trinity Access Programmes’ Bookmarks initiative and is at the heart of the Library’s outreach programme. The books and artwork created each year by the school children are displayed in the Old Library’s Long Room and go on to become part of the Library collections. The participating school children are writers of the future and we are delighted to celebrate their wonderful achievements at the award event with their families and teachers."
Wendy Crampton, Director of Trinity Access Programmes , added: "The Bookmarks programme nurtures creativity and ambition in our youngest students, providing them with a platform to see themselves as authors, illustrators, and future university students. Year after year, we see how this initiative plants the seeds of confidence and determination, with many participants later progressing to higher education. It’s a privilege to witness their stories take shape and to celebrate their achievements in the inspiring setting of Trinity’s Old Library."
This year, writing and illustration workshops were led by author and editor Sinéad Quinn and illustrator Margaret Anne Suggs, focusing on the theme ’Journeys Ahead’.
For illustrator Margaret Anne Suggs it was her first year working on the programme: "I loved every minute of it. Both class groups were lively with so much imagination! It was a treasured experience that will stick with me."
Warren Farrell, Primary Outreach Coordinator in Trinity Access Programmes , concluded:
"Stories live in Trinity, and the stories of our primary school students are vital to the university’s future. Our outreach programmes engage over 10,000 students annually, and with continued support, many of these students will successfully transition to secondand third-level education."
Dublin children’s Bookmarks Exhibition on display in Old Library
