Myra Zepf
Children and Young Adult Writer
Myra Zepf is the first ever Children's Writing Fellow for Northern Ireland. Based at the Seamus Heaney Centre for Poetry at Queen’s University in Belfast and supported by the Arts Council of NI, her role provides a voice for children’s literature in Northern Ireland and promotes an interest in reading and writing from an early age by encouraging creativity and engagement with books with children of all ages.
In this episode, Myra chats to us about language and creativity as well as imagination and ideas. Interestingly she describes imagination as a muscle that needs to be built up.
She also talks about her love of the Irish language and her first publication for Young Adults in Irish entitled 'Nóinín.' This verse novel won the 2020 KMPG Children's Book of the Year Award.
Part one of the episode is in English and part two is in Irish
Bain taitneamh as!
Some teacher reflection questions
Language and Creativity | 04.00 -13.00
Q. Myra talks about the benefits of other languages and how it’s good for us to have more. Do you agree?
Q. What do you do to encourage your own creativity?
Q. Myra talks about gathering ideas and taking notes/doodling. Do you find this is a central part of your creative process? In what way?
Q. Why might it be important to quieten the ‘self-critical voices’ at the beginning of a project?
Imagination and Ideas | 18.00 -21.30
Q. The act of reading a piece aloud is something that can change a text. Can you recall a time when reading a piece of work aloud changed your understanding/viewpoint of that piece?
Q. Myra describes imagination as a muscle that needs to be built up. What do you consider imagination to be?
Cruthaitheact sa Ghaeilge | 23.00 -30.30
Q. Ar léigh tú leabhar véarsaíochta riamh? Céard a cheap tú faoin seánra sin?
Q. Bhí daoine ag léamh leabhair Myra gan morán Gaeilge acu. An mbíonn deis agat riamh, sliocht Gaeilge a léamh gan gach focal a bheith ar eolas agat? Conas a bhraitheann tú sa phróiseas?
Q. Luaitear go bhfuil sé an-tábhachtach rud éigin a léamh ar mhaithe le pléisiúr a bhaint as, seachas chun píosa eolais amháin a fháil amach. An aontaíonn tú leis sin?