Here, I share a quick plan, plus a more detailed plan of what to expect at the book launch (with some photos).

Quick-view plan of the launch:

About the launch:

• The launch is for Niamh Garvey’s new book for kids and young people, ‘Growing Up Autistic’.
• It will take place upstairs in Dubray bookshop, on Patrick Street, Cork.
• You do not need to pay to come to the launch: it is free of charge.
• Recommended age for this launch is over 7 years old.

What will happen at the launch:

• When you arrive at the launch, there might be a bit of crowd.
• There will be a table with some free non-alcoholic drinks.
• The author Niamh Garvey will be there, and you are welcome to talk to her.
• There will be two speakers. The first speaker will let you know when the speeches are starting, and will introduce the new book and the author Niamh Garvey.
• Next, Niamh Garvey will speak. She will talk about why she wrote this book. She will say thank you to some people who helped her write the book. She will also read a little bit from the book.
• The illustrator of the book, Rebecca Burgess, will not be there (she lives abroad and unfortunately couldn’t travel for this).
• There will be some colouring sheets if you want to colour them in.
• Downstairs will be a quieter area to take a break in, if you need it.
• After the speeches, you can get your book signed if you want by joining the book signing queue. You need to buy the book before Niamh can sign it.
• The book launch will end after about forty minutes to one hour. You do not need to stay until the end unless you want to.

More detailed plan of the launch:

What is a book launch?

A book launch is a celebration of a new book. The author of the book will be there and will speak about their new book. A book launch is a chance to meet the author briefly, and if you want you can buy the book. You can choose whether you want the author to sign the book or not.

Who can go and does it cost money?

Anyone can go, but this launch will be most suitable for people over the age of 7.

There is no cost, anyone can go to the book launch and it is free.

When is it on:

The book launch for ‘Growing Up Autistic’ will be on Wednesday, the 25th November 2026, at 6:30pm

Where:

It will take place upstairs in Dubray bookshop, 83-85 Patricks Street, Cork. T12XA66.

This is what the bookshop looks like from the outside:

The launch will happen upstairs, in the children’s book section. There are stairs and an elevator to get upstairs. This is what they look like:

Noises to expect at the launch:

• The crowd might be noisy, especially before and after the speeches.
• The speakers will talk into microphones with speakers, for amplification.
• People might clap after the speakers talk.
• The cash registers downstairs might beep, but you probably won’t hear them upstairs.
• The elevator might make noise when the doors open and close.
• Some people in the audience might make noise, but most people will try to stay quiet when the speakers are talking. It is okay if you cannot help making some noise (this is autism friendly event after all, and lots of autistic people make noise even when they don’t mean to!).

What to do if you need some quiet at the launch:

The shop downstairs will be a quieter space during the launch, and you can go downstairs if you need a break from the crowd and noise upstairs.

The shop will be closed to people who are not attending the book launch, so downstairs should be quiet and spacious. If you need to leave the shop for a break, there will be someone at the door who can let you back in again.

If you want to stay upstairs but you find the crowd hard, you can try to find a quieter corner.

There will be some ear defenders to borrow if you find the launch too noisy. Some people will bring their own ear defenders or noise cancelling head phones.

Where you can sit at the launch:

There will be some chairs, some blankets on the ground and some cushions to sit on the floor. Some people will stand, and some might move around the bookshop.

Who will speak at the launch:

There will be two speakers at the launch. They will probably use a microphone, so everyone can hear.

The first speaker is Jen Wallace, who is a children’s writer who wrote the Dinosaur Pie kid’s book series. Jen will introduce Niamh’s book ‘Growing Up Autistic’ and say a few lines about it.

This is a photo of Jen and her books:

Next, Niamh Garvey will speak. She will talk about her new book ‘Growing Up Autistic’, and will read a little bit from it. She’ll explain a bit about how she wrote the book, and how she got lots of help from children and teenagers when writing the book.

This is a photo of Niamh:

If you want to buy the book and/or get it signed:

The new book “Growing Up Autistic” will be for sale at the launch. If you want to get your book signed by the author, you will need to buy it downstairs before you get it signed, so the bookshop can keep track of all the books! This is what the book cover looks like:

What else will happen at the launch:

During the speeches, there will be colouring sheets of illustrations from the book. You can choose whether you want to colour or not.

There will be fidgets available to play with.

Some people will choose to just sit and listen, and some people will choose to colour or play quietly with a fidget while the speakers speak.

Here are some examples of what type of fidgets there might be (but you can bring your own if you prefer):

Can you ask questions?

Yes! A book launch is a great place to meet an author and ask them questions.

If you have any questions, you can ask them:

• Before the speeches
• After the speeches
• You can put up your hand to ask a question during the speeches
• After the speeches, people tend to queue up to meet the author. You can get your book signed and/or ask any questions.

If you want to get your book signed:

After the speeches, Niamh will be signing books. You can join the queue to get your book signed.

When an author signs your book, you can ask them to just sign your name, or you can ask them to write a ‘dedication’, which means they write a little note to you or whoever you are buying the book for, and then sign their name.

If you find queueing too hard, just tell Jen, and she will ask Niamh to sign your book without you needing to queue. Or, you can come a bit early and ask Niamh to sign your book before the speeches.

Niamh is also happy to sign any of her other books (not just Growing Up Autistic), so feel free to bring them along. There will also be some for sale in the shop.

You are also very welcome to ask Jen to sign any of her books, which will also be for sale in the shop.

What happens after the speeches and book signing?

The book launch will end and the book shop will close.

Other information you might like to know:

• Toilets: Dubray bookshop does not have public toilets. The closest public toilets are in Paul Street shopping centre, which is about a 5 minutes walk. There is a small charge for these toilets. There are also plenty of cafes nearby with bathrooms for customers.
• Parking: Paul Street shopping centre is the closest car park, but there are also many bus routes nearby.

Accessibility questions:

If you have any accessibility questions about the venue, please enquire at cork@dubraybooks.ie .

If you have accessibility questions or want more information about what will happen at the launch, you can email Niamh at authorniamhgarvey@gmail.com .

Finally, here’s a sneak peek inside the book: