Prizewinning author Dara to release new book

Prizewinning author Dara to release new book

9 December 2020

NATURE lover Dara McAnulty is set to end 2020 on an incredible high with the news that his second book will be published next summer.

The 16 year-old from Castlewellan has secured a two-book deal with publisher Macmillan Children’s Books.

Wild Child is aimed at readers from seven years up and will be a family friendly guide to British and Irish nature.

It’s the latest achievement for the A-level student from Shimna Integrated College in Newcastle.

The youngest ever winner of the Wainwright Prize for nature writing the and youngest author long-listed for the Baillie Gifford Prize, Dara’s debut book, Diary of a Young Naturalist, won the coveted newcomer of the year category in the recent Irish Book Awards since it was released in May.

Critically acclaimed as a naturalist and a writer, Dara has enjoyed meteoric success this year amid also sitting his GCSEs.

He said: “Writing for younger children is a very special kind of conversation you have with your inner self. No word is wasted and each one carries such weight. 

“As a teenage author, it is such a privilege to have been afforded the opportunity to send a heartfelt message to younger children, to invite them into a world which is and always has been theirs to explore and learn from.”

He continued: “I really hope that many children and parents will gain a different perspective and a new way of looking at nature on, or near, our doorsteps. I’m also wildly excited to connect with younger readers and families, to hear their experiences and if there are barriers to accessing nature. I’d really like to explore how we can narrow any gaps there might be. Together.”

Wild Child begins in Dara’s back garden and takes the reader to hills, woods and ponds, with the author pointing out his favourite animals, flora and fauna.

He explains all elements of the environment that fascinated him at a younger age and which continue to do so.

His book also includes explanations of migration and  metamorphosis, categorisation in the animal kingdom and fantastic facts on native birds, animals and plants. Each section will finish with a recommended activity for readers.

Wild Child will be illustrated in colour by Barry Falls and published in hardback in July. The second book, as yet untitled, will follow in spring of 2022.