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claralaherty.bsky.social
clara
@claralaherty.bsky.social
330 followers 160 following 1.1K posts
✍️ Writer (Oestrogeneration, Poetry Ireland)
🚸 @childrensbooksireland.ie Raising Voices Fellow
🏳️‍⚧️ editor of the trans zine CAMP CRASH FILTH
🖌️ pfp by @kimberleychiu.bsky.social (my fiancé whom I love), header by Milly Meredith
🌱 pronouns sídhe/her
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claralaherty.bsky.social
kim made this yesterday
White-and-grey cat with ginger bits edited to be wearing a fedora and smoking a cigarette. The brim of the hat is edited so that it fits his ears.
November 30, 2025 at 10:49 AM
claralaherty.bsky.social
That's right
Wake Up Dead Man: 5 stars. Die My Love: 3 stars. Bogonia: 5 stars. V for Vendetta: 4 stars.
November 28, 2025 at 10:31 PM
claralaherty.bsky.social
I'm in this! 'ON BEING AN ARTIST', ed. Caoilfhinn Geary, with contributions by myself and other artists.

A zine that aims to break down the artistic process and offer an insight into what being an artist can look like.

Available at Dublin Art Book Fair and Cork Zine Fest!
One image on top of another, with the lower image forming a border. In the top image, a hand holds a zine. The cover reads 'ON BEING AN ARTIST' in large, green handwriting alongside black, typewriter-style text reading 'ON BEING AN ARTIST', 'A ZINE BY CAOILFHINN GEARY'. The border image is of Caoilfhinn's work desk, with several copies of 'ON BEING AN ARTIST' and other materials.
November 28, 2025 at 8:04 PM
claralaherty.bsky.social
Such a lovely weekend at the Dublin Book Festival, especially the Raising Voices Showcase yesterday.

Thank you to @childrensbooksireland.ie and @dublinbookfest.bsky.social for having me!
Me speaking behind a podium at the Grafton. I have dark, curly hair and wear round glasses and a denim jacket and skirt. I'm leaning forward in a kind of intense storyteller way.
November 9, 2025 at 4:05 PM
claralaherty.bsky.social
I'll be speaking at @dublinbookfest.bsky.social about my Irish-mythology YA novel!

Swing by the Bartley's Lounge at the Grafton Hotel, Dublin on Saturday, 8 November at 4.45pm. Tickets free, booking necessary: dublinbookfestival.com/event/raisin...
A graphic reading "RAISING VOICES SHOWCASE", "Amelia Etherton, Caoimhe Hennessy, Clara Laherty, Coireall Kent, Eve Magrahan and Laura Ambrose", "Sat 8 Nov, 4.45pm | Bartley's Lounge, The Grafton", "TICKETS: dublinbookfestival.com". There are headshots of all six participants. The logo for Dublin Book Festival is in the top-right, and the logo for Raising Voices is in the bottom-left.
October 29, 2025 at 4:32 PM
claralaherty.bsky.social
This might bear some relation to the original Starbucks logo! Their website says the designer Terry Heckler looked through "old marine books".
The original Starbucks logo, depicting a two-tailed mermaid. The tails are spread suggestively. She also, it must be acknowledged, has her boobs out.
October 16, 2025 at 6:25 PM
claralaherty.bsky.social
they mixed up the labels for Intermediate and Advanced
Completed 'Intermediate' newspaper sudoku in red ink
October 4, 2025 at 11:14 AM
claralaherty.bsky.social
Meme with an image of Batman on the top and Joaquin Phoenix Joker on the bottom. The Batman image says in the Impact meme font: "CHILDHOOD IS WHEN" "YOU IDOLISE BATMAN". The Joker image says "ADULTHOOD IS WHEN" "YOU REALIZE CHEESE IS REALLY EXPENSIVE".
September 29, 2025 at 1:45 PM
claralaherty.bsky.social
Graffiti on the bridge down to the Crescent Shopping Centre in Limerick
On a grey boundary beside a footpath, there is graffiti of a fluffy, anthropomorphic cartoon animal laying horizontal as if being blown along by the flow of traffic. They have pointed, tufted ears and a spiral in the centre of their torso.
September 29, 2025 at 11:59 AM
claralaherty.bsky.social
Limerick has a faintly terrifying brutalist obelisk just outside the city centre. Used to form part of the mill Ranks.

There used to be two of these, one on either side of the road. But it took ages to bring the other one down. They tried to blow it up four times but it stayed standing. Too much HP
September 27, 2025 at 10:43 AM
claralaherty.bsky.social
I don't usually cop out and crosspost Insta stories outright but I like how I look here. Happy bi visibility day 🤸‍♀️
September 23, 2025 at 11:07 AM
claralaherty.bsky.social
This was such an exciting, mental weekend – I feel like I've really joined the whole kids lit world this year.

All thanks and praise due to @childrensbooksireland.ie for organising the conference and for making it possible for me to come along!

Here's me with my friends Coireall and Nene:
Nene Lonergan sits in an orange chair and reads a book with a played-up hand-on-chin thoughtful expression. To the right, Coireall Kent and I both sit on a rug on the floor, each holding a hand to our own faces with exaggerated expressions of awe and wonderment. Behind us, there is a bookcase.Two display bookcases on a stage. To the left, there is a signpost with three signs pointing in different directions, reading: 'WHOLE', 'WILD', 'WORLD'. On top of the right-hand-side bookshelf stack, there is a hand-drawn peace sign and a hand-drawn sign reading 'RESISTANCE' in orange bubble font.
September 21, 2025 at 11:30 PM
claralaherty.bsky.social
Jessica Love really got me thinking about 'representation' – when picture books try to Teach Kids About Racism, does that just leave the kid feeling scared, like "I'm supposed to fix this?!"

Instead, she says: "It's not a lesson. It's a rehearsal."
Jessica Love speaks to an audience. She wears a yellow cardigan over a light-yellow top. A spread from 'Júlio is a Mermaid' is projected behind her. In the spread, a dark-skinned child with a mermaid tail is underwater, in among a shoal of fish in all the colours of the rainbow.
September 21, 2025 at 10:40 PM
claralaherty.bsky.social
this explains itself
A Dav Pilkey cartoon of Dog Man with his trademark bubble writing reading "TÁ DOG MAN AG TEACHT AN GHAELTACHT"
September 21, 2025 at 10:26 PM
claralaherty.bsky.social
Tadhg Mac Dhonnagáin told us the history of
⭐ Irish-language kids press Futa Fata
⭐ the Irish language
⭐ himself, for the craic

The illustrations were so fun!

And you know the speaker is good when the ISL interpreter is communicating tone with expressions like that
Tadhg Mac Dhonnagáin speaks to an audience in front of a bookcase display, his expression a little intense. An ISL interpreter to the left of him is signing, and her expression is very intense. A black-and-white illustration of an old woman telling a story to three people. Over their heads, four swans fly through the air. A cartoon of a cross King Henry the Eighth sayjng "SPEAK ENGLISH!" A black-and-white cartoon of a happy child saying, in three speech bubbles, "Tá Gaeilge agam!", "Eu falo Portugués!", and "I speak English!". The child has long hair and wears a hoodie and shorts with a fish pattern (don't trust fish).
September 21, 2025 at 9:55 PM
claralaherty.bsky.social
Black and Irish founder Leon Diop talked about his new memoir 'Mixed Up' and about being mixed race – how much his life improved when he stopped thinking of himself as half-anything and instead as "100% of everything I am."
Leon Dip speaks to an audience. He wears a grey jacket and dark trousers.
September 21, 2025 at 9:42 PM
claralaherty.bsky.social
Kids are under a lot of pressure to be good readers. Here's a guide on how to be a *bad* reader, supposedly by @louiestowell.bsky.social but really by Loki, God of Mischief.
September 21, 2025 at 9:32 PM
claralaherty.bsky.social
Lauren O'Hara's talk included a live painting of a BEAUTIFUL Firebird, complete with Stravinsky:
September 21, 2025 at 9:27 PM
claralaherty.bsky.social
Day 2! With so many outstanding writers and illustrators – and a bookstand that threatens financial ruin for me
Multiple tables covered in a varied, colourful range of children's books.
September 21, 2025 at 9:15 PM
claralaherty.bsky.social
It's a gorgeous event: the chats, the buzz, being in a room packed with people who care about the things you care about.

Here ends day 1
Two display bookcases on a stage. To the left, there is an orange armchair and a signpost with three signs pointing in different directions, reading: 'WHOLE', 'WILD', 'WORLD'. On top of the right-hand-side bookshelf stack, there is a hand-drawn peace sign and a hand-drawn sign reading 'RESISTANCE' in orange bubble font.
September 20, 2025 at 10:42 PM
claralaherty.bsky.social
And the launch of 'Making It Up As You Go Along: A Children's Guide to Writing Stories'.

A gorgeous thing to make. Mary Murphy's illustration is so funny and smartly pitched. And Trish – well. She's kids-lit's answer to Miggeldy, complete with cries of "Please don't go!"
A hand holding a copy of 'Making It Up As You Go Along: A Children's Guide to Writing Stories'. In the background and out of focus, Mags Walsh addresses an audience. She's seated around a coffee table with Patricia Forde and Mary Murphy.
September 20, 2025 at 10:35 PM
claralaherty.bsky.social
The Children's Books Ireland Annual Award went to Tadhg Mac Dhonnagáin, founder and director of Futa Fata!
September 20, 2025 at 10:26 PM
claralaherty.bsky.social
Loads of amazing stuff today:

⭐ Two Children's Laureates in conversation, Patricia Forde and Frank Cottrell-Boyce – SO funny
⭐ Anna McQuinn on US book bannings, the racism that causes them, and how to fight that – with stories
⭐ Briony May Smith on her new book Hogbert (the art is gorgeous???)
Frank Cottrell-Boyce and Patricia Forde laugh together. They're both sitting in chairs behind a coffee table. Frank wears a white shirt, dark trousers, and loafers. Patricia wears all black shirt and trousers. Anna McQuinn addresses an audience from behind a podium. She wears a pink shirt and dark trousers. Briony May Smith beams at something lut of frame, up and to the left. She wears glasses, a light-coloured top, and a dark skirt. A sign-language interpreter stands to the right of her. The cover of 'Hogbert' by Briony May Smith on a screen. It's an illustration of a baby boar in bushes with flowers and strawberries.
September 20, 2025 at 10:24 PM
claralaherty.bsky.social
I'm up at the Light House Cinema for the @childrensbooksireland.ie Conference! Stacks of children's writers, illustrators, and all the different people who make it happen – all in one place.
A street near the Light House Cinema in Dublin city. Nene Lonergan poses for a photograph in the Light House Cinema, gesturing to a sign with the Children's Books Ireland logo. Nene has dark, chin-length hair and wears glasses, a light-brown jacket, and... I think those are jeans.
September 20, 2025 at 10:11 PM
claralaherty.bsky.social
Had a gorgeous week on residency at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre last week!

@childrensbooksireland.ie have done loads for me – I'm halfway through my second draft now, somehow.

And I adore everyone else in Raising Voices 💜
In the Tyrone Guthrie Centre, Caoimhe Hennessy, Eve Magrahan, Amelia Etherton, me (Clara Laherty), and Coireall Kent sit around a table having a conversation in a bay window. A room with a wooden desk and chair in front of a window. The desk holds a laptop, cup and saucer, lamp, and various books and notebooks. There is a bookcase to the left of the desk. Through the window, a grassy area and a lake can be seen. In the Tyrone Guthrie Centre, I stand by a piano looking at Coireall Kent, who sits with their hands on the keys. We both wear glasses and green shirts. Coireall has dark hair cut short. I have big, dark, curly hair and wear yellow trousers with vertical and horizontal lines.
September 16, 2025 at 7:45 PM