Marita Conlon McKenna is one of Ireland's best loved children's authors.
Her book Under the Hawthorn Tree, the first in her 'Children of the Famine' trilogy, has sold over a quarter of a million copies in Ireland since its publication in 1990.
She will be speaking at the International Literature Festival, which takes place across Dublin from 19 to 27 May, including a special talk called 'The World of Under the Hawthorn Tree', which will feature images from the Coming Home: Art and the Great Hunger exhibition.
The book tells the story of the three O'Driscoll siblings, who go on a journey across Ireland during the famine to find their aunts after their baby sister dies and they are left without their parents.
Marita says she never originally expected it to be published: "I wrote it for my own daughter with no intention of it being published, but it was. It was a big risk when it came out because they find a body, a baby dies and horrific things happen."
She thinks the book has been so successful because "it's very honest and fast-paced and is told totally through the eyes of children. Children just loved it, because they wanted to read a story about children like themselves."
"I found when I'd read books up to then about Irish children, they were always stupid. When I wrote this for my daughter I said, these are not going to be victims, these are going to be very strong, courageous children."
The famine was an event that devastated the country, with over a million people dying and many more emigrating to escape the hunger and hardship. But Marita says she learned very little about it at school, probably because "it was a terrible time in Irish history, and people didn't want to really dwell on it because there was no triumph."
"But I think now, perception of the famine has changed and people are really interested in it."
She describes harrowing scenes of people crawling on their hands and knees to get to soup kitchens: "What people had to deal with, it's impossible for us to imagine. The more you find out about it, the worse it is."
As a result of books like Under the Hawthorn Tree, children are more aware of the famine than ever before. Marita feels art plays an important role in giving people a better understanding of the past.
"History is very alive, and to go and see it is brilliant, but if you can't go to the places and see them, books help you."
"I think children love the books because it is our story."
For more information on Marita's talks at the International Literature Festival, see ilfdublin.com.
To catch the full chat press the play button on the image on the top of the screen
