In her presentation to Secondary School students at Kilrush and Kilkee libraries, Clara Kumagai will introduce her YA novel Catfish Rolling with a reading and explanation of the inspirations behind it – the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Japanese myth. She will also ask students to think about mythical characters and monsters and discuss how they might use them to consider stories and characters in more depth. Clara will finish with a Q&A in which students can ask about anything, from writing advice to the path to publication.

Clara Kumagai is from Canada, Japan and Ireland. Her fiction and non-fiction for children and adults has been published in The Stinging Fly, Banshee, and The Kyoto Journal, among others. Catfish Rolling is her debut novel and has been shortlisted for the 2023 Great Reads Awards and nominated for the 2023 YOTO Carnegie Award.

10.30am – 11.30am in Kilkee Library
2pm to 3pm in Kilrush Library