Shona Shirley Macdonald is an award-winning children’s book illustrator/author, living in the Déise Gaeltacht of Co. Waterford. Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, including at the Bratislava Illustration Biennial, 2017, 2019, 2021.
Her debut picture book The Pooka Party (The O'Brien Press 2018) was selected for the IBBY Honours List 2020, and nominated for an Irish Book Award 2018, CBI Award 2019 and LAI Award 2019 and chosen for the World Through Picture Books 2022.
Girls Who Slay Monsters which was written by Ellen Ryan is her latest illustrated book which won the Specsavers Children’s (Senior) An Post Book of the Year Award 2022, the KPMG Children’s Book of the Year Award and KPMG Junior Jury Award 2023. It has also been nominated for the Yoto Carnegie Illustration Medal 2024.
Other books include ‘The Moon Spun Round’ by W. B. Yeats, edited by Noreen Doody, (The O’Brien Press 2016) which was gifted to the White House by the Irish Government. Both her Irish language publications 'Cluasa Capaill ar an Rí' written by Bridget Bhreathnach (Futa Fata, Oct 2021) and 'An Féileacán agus an Rí' written by Máire Zepf (Futa Fata, Dec 2019) won the Gradam Réics Carló 2020 & 2021, with the latter winning an LAI Award 2021 also.
Shona is also a member of the Illustrators Guild of Ireland, and The Association of Illustrators
If you have any questions please feel free to get in touch.
shona.shirley@gmail.com +353(0)5857939
Publications:
- 'Girls Who Slay Monsters', written by Ellen Ryan, illustrated by Shona Shirley Macdonald, published by HarperCollins Ireland. Publication date: Oct 2022
- 'Cluasa Capaill ar an Rí', illustrated by Shona Shirley Macdonald & written by Bridget Bhreathnach, published by Futa Fata. Publication date: Oct 2021
- 'An Féileacán agus an Rí' illustrated by Shona Shirley Macdonald & written by Máire Zepf, published by Futa Fata. Publication date: Dec 2019
- 'The Pooka Party' by Shona Shirley Macdonald, published by The O'Brien Press. Publication date: Oct 1st 2018
- 'The Moon Spun Round' collection of poetry by W. B. Yeats, illustrated by Shona Shirley Macdonald & edited by Noreen Doody, published by The O'Brien Press. Pub. Oct 3rd 2016
Residencies:
- Tyrone Guthrie Centre, part of a group of children's illustrators and writers supported by Children's Books Ireland and Waterford County Council. November 2022
Exhibitions:
- Group show 'In Memory of the Future' in dlr LexIcon, Dún Laoghaire in Dublin, Aug-Sep 2023.
- Solo show 'The Pooka Party and Other Stories' in The Vault Café in Lismore, April 29th -May 13th 2022, as part of the Towers and Tales Festival.
- Group show 'Exquisite Portraits' in The Lab in Dublin & online, July-Dec 2020, and in The Riverbank Arts Centre from 13th January to February 18th 2022.
- Bratislava Illustration Bienniel, October 2021 - February 2022 (representing Ireland alongside 12 other Ireland based illustrators)
- Group show 'Peace Should be Learned in Childhood', Peace International Exhibition in Iran & online, Sep 2021.
- Bratislava Illustration Bienniel, 25th October 2019 - 6th January 2020 (representing Ireland alongside 10 other Ireland based illustrators)
- Group show 'Illustrators Ireland 'Welcome to the Flock' in Garter Lane Arts Centre in Waterford City from 9th May to end June 2019.
- Bratislava Illustration Bienniel, September 2017 (representing Ireland alongside 11 other Ireland based illustrators)
- Group show 'Illustrators Ireland 'Without the Words' in Garter Lane Arts Centre in Waterford City from 17th June to the 26th August 2017. Also was shown in the Luan Gallery, Athlone, from Nov 5th 2016, in the Riverbank Arts Centre from March 4th 2017, and in Galway Arts Centre from April 24th - May 13th 2017.
- Group show 'Summer Collection' in Gallery 20ten in Waterford City, 21st June - 2nd September 2017.
- Group show by lIlustrators Ireland and other selected artists 'The State of Us' in the Chocolate Factory in Dublin on 16/17th June 2017.
- Group show by lIlustrators Ireland 'Judging by the Cover' in Pearse street library March 2017, and travelling to Coolock Library Dublin in April 2017.
- Solo show 'Juniper' in Ards Arts Centre, in Newtownards, Northern Ireland, Dec-Jan 2016/17.
- Solo show 'Juniper' in the Town Hall Theatre, in Galway city as part of children's arts festival Baboró. October 17th - November 9th 2016.
- Group show 'Microcosm' in Grennan Mill Craft School, Thomastown, as part of the Kilkenny Arts Festival. 5th-14th Aug 2016.
- Group show 'Meet the Family' in the Summerhouse Café, as part of the Towers and Tales Festival in Lismore, Apr 16th-23rd 2016.
- Solo show 'Juniper' in Galway Arts Centre, as part of Cúirt International Festival of Literature, Apr 17th-24th 2016.
- Group show of Comic Art in Alliance Française, Mar 2nd-Apr 2nd 2016.
- Solo show 'Juniper' in Riverbank Arts Centre, Children's Gallery, Newbridge, Jan 9th-Feb 13th 2016.
- Solo show 'Juniper' in Carlow County Library, Shaw Room Gallery, Carlow, October 22nd-30th 2015.
- Solo show 'Juniper' in Rua Red Café Gallery, Dublin, August 1st-31st 2015.
- Solo show 'Juniper' in The Summerhouse Café in Lismore, Co. Waterford, 18th June-23rd July 2015.
- Solo show 'Juniper' in Mountmellick Gallery, Co. Laois, Ireland, 5th-29th May 2015.
- Group Show ‘Facial Expression’ in the United Arts Club in Dublin 26th Feb 2015.
- Solo show ‘Juniper’ in the Roe Valley Arts and Cultural Centre, 8th-30th August 2014.
- Group show ‘Being Here’ in Old Market House Arts Centre, Dungarvan, June 2014.
- Group Show ‘Once Upon a Time’ in the Roe Valley Arts & Cultural Centre, Limavady, Northern Ireland,5th Aug-24th Sep 2011.
- Group Show ‘Mail Art: Medium Without a Message’, Red Gate Gallery, London, Jul-Aug 2010.
Screenings: (of Stop-motion animated degree film The Forest of Cake)
- shown as part of solo show 'Juniper' in the Riverbank Arts Centre, Children's Gallery, Newbridge, Jan 9th-Feb 13th 2016.
- projected in Dublin, Ireland, by the Digital Hub, March 26th-28th 2010.
- Flip Animation Festival in Wolverhampton, England, 2008.
- Film Festival Banjaluka, Bosnia & Herzegovina, October 21st-25th 2008,
- Projector Animation Festival, Dundee, Scotland, 30th January 2008,
- Edinburgh Filmhouse, Scotland June 2007.