Gods Don’t Cry Ellen Ryan and Conor Merriman
Age 7+ years
Gods Don’t Cry (HarperCollins Ireland) reawakens forgotten Irish gods, whose ancient tales redefine what it means to be a hero. Follow their adventures as they perform magic, overcome struggles and find the courage to be true to themselves. Join author Ellen Ryan for a reading from the book, and find out which Irish god you are with a fun quiz, then learn to draw a god with illustrator Conor Merriman.
Ellen Ryan is a writer and journalist from County Wicklow, who has contributed to the Irish Independent and Irish Times, among other media. Her debut book, Girls Who Slay Monsters: Daring Tales of Ireland’s Forgotten Goddesses won both the Children’s Books Ireland KPMG Book of the Year Award and the Children’s Books Ireland KPMG Junior Juries Award, 2023, as voted for by thousands of young readers across Ireland. Girls Who Slay Monsters also won Children’s Book of the Year: Senior at the An Post Irish Book Awards 2022.
Conor Merriman is an award-winning designer and illustrator from Dublin, Ireland. Conor specialises in narrative world-building through illustration, inspired by folklore, fantasy and pop culture. In addition, Conor runs a multi disciplinary design studio and works across a range of industries including film, hospitality, product design, and branding. Through children’s books, Conor’s goal is to make illustrative story telling an experience that allows readers of any age dive into incredible new worlds of imagination.