Tadhg Mac Dhonnagáin writes books, screenplays and songs and works predominantly in the Irish language. His creative fiction-style biography of the 19th-century poet and songwriter, Antoine Ó Raiftearaí, Mise Raiftearaí an Fíodóir Focal (I am Raiftearaí, the Word-Weaver) was awarded the premier Irish-language Book of the Year Award, Gradam Uí Shúilleabháin, 2015. His season song book/CD Bliain na nAmhrán (The Year of Song) won a Children’s Books Ireland Book of the Year Award, was included in the White Ravens Annual Catalogue of excellent children’s publications from around the world by the International Youth Library, Munich, Germany and won the Irish-language Book of the Year, Gradam Réics Carló, 2017. Screenwriting credits include the TV drama Aifric (Telegael, 2006-08 for TG4), which he co-created with director Paul Mercier and Telegael. The series won three consecutive Irish Film and Television Awards for best youth programme (2007, 2008 and 2009) and the Celtic Media Festival Bronze Torc Award for best young peoples’ production, 2009. The show has been broadcast in Europe, Latin America and Asia. His books for children have been translated to languages as diverse as Chinese, Breton, Korean, Danish and Faroese. His novel, Madame Lazare, was awarded the An Post Irish Book Award in 2021 for a work in Irish and was Ireland’s nominated book for the European Union Prize for Literature, 2022 where it was one of five novels to be awarded a Special Mention. Tadhg Mac Dhonnagáin lives and works in An Spidéal, in the Conamara Gaeltacht, or Irish-speaking region, on the west coast of Ireland.

 

(c) 'íomhá le caoinchead thogra Phortráidí na Scríbhneoirí Gaeilge' / 'image with permission from the Portráidí na Scríbhneoirí Gaeilge project'