Pádraig Kenny is an Irish writer from Newbridge in Co. Kildare. Previously an arts journalist, a teacher and a librarian's assistant, he now writes full time.
His first novel TIN was a Waterstones Book of the Month and was nominated for the Carnegies, as well as being shortlisted for the An Post Irish Book Awards. His second novel POG was Independent Bookseller's Book of the Month when it was published in April 2019. His third novel, The Monsters of Rookhaven, was published by Macmillan Children's Books in September 2020 and was followed by the sequel, The Shadows of Rookhaven, in 2021. Both The Monsters of Rookhaven and The Shadows of Rookhaven won the KPMG Children's Books Ireland Honour Award for Fiction in 2021 and 2022 respectively. His fifth novel, Stitch, was published by Walker Books in 2024. His latest novel, After, was published by Walker Books in March 2025.
EVENTS
Behind the scenes – becoming a writer | Event
4 p.m. | Pugin Hall | €7.50/€2.50 | for age 9-12
Have you ever wondered how you become a writer? Where do you start? Will you be brilliant straight away? This event with the award-winning author of Stitch, Tin, Pog and the Rookhaven books will bring you right back to when Pádraig Kenny started writing. You’ll find out about the stories of monsters and robots that captured his imagination, and hear a reading from his latest novel, After, a dystopian adventure about what it means to be human. Perfect for aspiring young writers.
Children must be accompanied by an adult, tickets are required for adults & children
Character Creations with Pádraig Kenny | Workshop
2 p.m. | The Red Hall | €10 (Carers free) |
for age 10-12
At the heart of every great story is a character the reader will love – or love to hate. But how do you create characters that feel real, and start to build a story around them?Find out with this hands-on workshop for young writers, with award-winning author Pádraig Kenny. Whether you’re creating heroes or villains, you’ll learn the tricks of the trade and come away bursting with ideas for your own stories.
Children must be accompanied by an adult for the duration of the workshop.
RECENT PUBLICATIONS:
After (Walker Books, 2025)
Stitch (Walker Books, 2024)
The Shadows of Rookhaven (Macmillan Children's Books, 2021)
The Monsters of Rookhaven (Macmillan Children's Books, 2020)
POG (Chicken House, 2019)
Tin (Chicken House, 2018)
RECENT AWARDS / NOMINATIONS:
Shortlisted for the KPMG Children's Books Ireland Awards 2025
KPMG Children's Books Ireland Honour Award for Fiction 2022 (The Shadows of Rookhaven)
KPMG Children's Books Ireland Honour Award for
Fiction 2021 (The Monsters of Rookhaven)