thisbluespirit: (reading)
thisbluespirit ([personal profile] thisbluespirit) wrote in [personal profile] osprey_archer 2022-05-03 09:22 am (UTC)

Yes, that does happen in Hounds although they do at least still meet up with Cooroo the fox, even if they don't remember why.

I think part of the reason is also that some of the biggest Scottish and Irish names aren't thought of that way - J M Barrie was Scottish, as was Kenneth Grahame; Oscar Wilde (who also wrote children's fairy tales) and CS Lewis were both Irish, and all of them are about as iconic as it gets.

Anyway, I had a think and googled to jog my memory, and for Irish writers, idk so many older ones, but Oscar Wilde's fairy tales.
For 20th C - Joan Lingard (as we mentioned before)
Marita Conlon-Mckenna, who I think might be slightly more what you're looking for

and some big current Irish children's authors are Eoin Colfer (Artemis Fowl series, Half Moon INvestigations etc.), Derek Landy (Skulduggery Pleasant) & Kate Thompson.

(I've read Colfer & Landy, they're both fantastical & good fun. Landy is full on fantasy, although v wacky, with high death counts, I'm not entirely sure they'd be your thing, but is very Irish in background; Artemis Fowl is Irish Faerie, Half-Moon Investigations more real world set)

Scotland obv has R L Stevenson, but also R M Ballantyne.

20th C - Mollie Hunter (seconding the rec - haven't read, but she's definitely a Name in the field), Patricia Leitch (author of the Jinny horse books), Frances M Hendry (inc. historical, probably the sort of thing you;re after), Catherine MacPhail (more contemporary), Mairi Hedderwick (author Katie Morag & others, lots of HIghland illustrations, def. iconic), Lavinia Derwent's Sula series, Nicholas Stuart Gray (infl. fantasy author)

(I also spotted Sheila Stuart who seems to have written mid20th C Scottish girls series.

Googling also gave me some people I haven't heard of but do seem to have maybe written the kinds of old school books you are maybe after: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marion_Adams-Acton#Writings
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henrietta_Keddie
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Henry_Oliphant_Smeaton

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