3 September 2022
By Tom Collins
tom@TheCork.ie
An initiative to introduce young people in County Cork to Irish authors has returned for the second year in a row. One County, One Book is a programme by Cork County Council Library and Arts Service and is supported by Creative Ireland. The title for 2022 is ‘Not My Problem’ by Ciara Smyth.
One County, One Book is designed to showcase homegrown literature, with prominent placement in its branches, and to promote literacy as part of its community outreach programmes to young people. As part of the programme young adults and teens will be encouraged to read ‘Not My Problem’ and will have opportunities to meet the author and discuss the book in October and November 2022.
‘Not My Problem’ is a heart-tugging, coming-of-age novel that deals with issues such as addiction and loneliness but ultimately is filled with love and explores the deep bonds that go hand in hand with true friendship.
Ciara Smyth lives in Belfast and combines working as a full-time social worker with writing prize-winning young adult fiction. Her first novel, The Falling in Love Montage, was shortlisted for the An Post Irish Book Awards in 2020 and won the Junior Juries category of the KPMG Children’s Books Ireland Awards in 2021. Not My Problem is Ciara’s second young adult novel and won the Waterstones Children’s Prize Older Readers category in 2022 as well as being shortlisted for the An Post Irish Book Awards in 2022.
The Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr Danny Collins said, “Our libraries are a fantastic resource, a place where people of all ages can come to take a break and be entertained. Novels can transport us to faraway places and can help us to think about things in new ways. I hope that teens and young adults across the County will engage with this wonderful programme and that it helps instil in them a love of reading that will last a lifetime.”
The Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr Danny Collins
Emer O’Brien, Cork County Librarian, added: “Cork County Council Library is delighted to announce Not My Problem by Ciara Smyth as the 2022 One County, One Book read for teens. With this programme we aim to promote literacy and reading for pleasure amongst young adults while exploring emotions, themes and characters that they may experience in real-life through the medium of fiction.”
Copies of Not My Problem will be available in all branch and mobile libraries across the county from September 2022. The project is funded by Cork County Council Library along with Creative Ireland.
For more information visit https://www.corkcoco.ie/en/
