Last week I was delighted to attend the Great Reads Awards, run by the School Libraries Group of the Libraries Association of Ireland. My debut children’s book, ‘Being Autistic (and what that actually means)’, was short-listed for the 2026 prize.

When I began writing this book, my goal was to explain what it means to be autistic in a fun and accessible way. I wanted autistic kids to read the book, and feel that there was nothing wrong with them for being autistic. I wanted my readers to gain an understanding of how being autistic can impact our lives in many good ways, but also in challenging ways. While I had a gut feeling that the book would be well received by autistic kids (a huge part of my confidence was down to how wonderful the illustrations were, done by autistic illustrator Rebecca Burgess), I hadn’t expected all the mainstream interest in the book. I certainly hadn’t expected it be nominated for such a mainstream book award.

People often contact me to say what the book means to their autistic child; they tell me it has helped their children understand and accept their autism diagnosis much better. Many people also tell me that they hand out the book to explain autism to family members, friends, and teachers. I’ve had a considerable number of grandparents contacting me to say that after reading the book they now understand autism and how it affects their grandchild. It’s been such an honour to share that space with readers, and hear the stories of when the book has helped. Understanding takes away fear, which in turn takes away stigma. Dropping the stigma around autism will allow this generation of autistic kids to grow up without the shame that many autistic adults experienced as kids.

Thank you to everyone involved in the lovely award ceremony, and for making all the writers feel so comfortable. I went away from the ceremony feeling I was very much a part of something special; the celebration of children’s books.