Expressions of interest for PR services invited
*Please note we are no longer accepting applications*
Children's Books Ireland is inviting expressions of interest for PR services in 2027.
Requirements
One of Children’s Books Ireland’s strategic aims is to share our expertise and enthusiasm with adults who influence children’s reading. We provide the tools for families, teachers, librarians and booksellers to connect young readers with books they will love. We guide these adults to nurture children and young people’s reading and connect them with high-quality books from birth throughout their childhoods and into their teenage years.
In order to establish Children’s Books Ireland as a leader in the area of children’s literature and reading, and to ensure that the maximum amount of people can access our resources, we need to communicate the aims, successes and activities of the organisation to local and national audiences on a regular basis.
Children’s Books Ireland is currently a go-to organisation for coverage of children’s books across various media including Ireland AM (Virgin Media Television), Oliver Callan (RTÉ Radio 1), RTÉ KIDS (digital) as well as regular round ups and features in the Sunday Independent (print and online) and The Irish Times (print and online).
What we are looking for in 2027
We want to extend the reach of this media coverage, both nationally and regionally, and to highlight not just ongoing projects, but Children’s Books Ireland as a charity, in order to raise awareness and garner support for our work. To reach a broader audience on a more regular basis and support our Communications Manager we wish to work with a public relations agency or professional to develop a clear plan to maximise coverage in both national and regional media from January to December 2027.
The support required will span a range of our key projects including;
- the KPMG Children’s Books Ireland Awards (February and May)
- the launch of our annual publication The Best Irish Books reading guide (September)
- key advocacy asks or set research undertaken during the year
- general brand awareness for Children’s Books Ireland as a charity and arts organisation.
As well as these areas, we would like press coverage where possible to highlight brilliant books for children and young people in Ireland, bringing our expertise and recommendations to readers, listeners and viewers island-wide. This will help us towards our goal of making Children’s Books Ireland a household brand and first port of call for inspiration and advice about children’s books and reading from birth through age 18.
About Children's Books Ireland
Children’s Books Ireland’s vision is simple: every child a reader. Our mission is:
- to inspire a love of reading in children and young people on the island of Ireland
- to share our expertise and enthusiasm with the adults who guide and influence young readers
- to encourage schools and early childhood settings to build a positive culture of reading and reading aloud
- to support and promote authors and illustrators and connect them with their audiences through our work.
Children’s Books Ireland is a registered charity, celebrating its 30th birthday in 2027. We deliver numerous projects that bring the joy of reading to children all over the island of Ireland including the Laureate na nÓg initiative, (the children’s literature laureate), the KPMG Children’s Books Ireland Awards, Book Clinics, Inis magazine, a free annual reading guide, an annual conference and various book-gifting schemes (supported by corporate and philanthropic partners) which ensure that children and young people in areas of need have access to books.
For more information, read our Strategic Plan 2024-2028 at the link below.
Timeline
Ideally, this working relationship will start in January 2027, through to the end of the calendar year. There will be an option to extend the partnership beyond this point, which will be reviewed in late 2027.
Budget
The maximum budget available for this work, from January through the end of December 2027, is €27,850 (including VAT if VAT is chargeable). This will include all expenses, meetings, preparation of documents, ongoing account management, including press releases, a project impact report and all relevant media monitoring clippings.
How to express your interest
If you have expertise and experience working with arts organisations and/or charities and wish to work with Children’s Books Ireland, please write to Emma Carville, Communications Manager on emma.carville@childrensbooksireland.ie with a detailed proposal.
Please note, Children’s Books Ireland is an all-island organisation and our communications should reflect this. Children’s Books Ireland works in English and Irish; a partner who can work with Irish language media is desirable, but not essential, as our own Oifigeach Gaeilge will work closely with the successful candidate to ensure that our strategy is inclusive of Irish-speaking families and professionals.
Your proposal should include:
- Your previous relevant experience
- Information on any personnel who would be assigned to work with Children’s Books Ireland
- Your proposed approach
- Suggested media outlets to target and your rationale
- A suggested timeline with clear, ambitious, achievable targets.
Expressions of interest should be received by 4 p.m on Friday 21st August 2026. If you have any questions, please contact Emma Carville on emma.carville@childrensbooksireland.ie.
