Rita agus an tEachtrán

Andrew Whitson

As Béal Feirste ó dhúchas d’Andrew Whitson (Mr. Ando) agus is maisitheoir, údar agus  oideachasóir é. Tá leabhair maisithe aige ar ghnéithe éagsúla de mhiotaseolaíocht na hÉireann, ina measc The Creatures of Celtic Myth, The Field Guide to Irish Fairies agus The Dark Spirit. Ó 2007 ar aghaidh, tá sraith de phictiúrleabhair mhór-ráchairte do pháistí maisithe aige: Gaiscíoch na Beilte Uaine (gearrliosta Bisto agus buaiteoir Ghradam Réics Carló 2007); Balor (Gradam Réics Carló 2009); An Gréasaí Bróg agus na Sióga (gearrliosta Bisto agus Réics Carló 2010); Mac Rí Éireann (2011); Ó Chrann go Crann (gearrliosta CBI, buaiteoir Ghradam Réics Carló 2012 agus ghradam R.A.I. 2013). Bronnadh duais onórach Bisto le haghaidh maisiú leabhar ar Andrew in 2011. I gcomhar le Caitríona Nic Sheáin, tá 4 leabhar ficsin do pháistí, idir scríobh agus léaráidí, déanta ag Andrew, mar atá, Gaiscíocht na Beilte Uaine, Cogito, Cúraille agus Pop! I gcomhar le Caitríona Hastings, tá 4 leabhar ficsin do pháistí, idir scríobh agus léaráidí, déanta ag Andrew, mar atá, Balor, Mac Rí Éireann, An tÉan Órga agus Ó Chrann go Crann! Ar na leabhair is déanaí atá maisithe aige, tá sraith mhóriomrá ‘Rita’, scríofa ag Máire Zepf;  sraith ‘Muireann’, scríofa ag Malachy Doyle; agus sraith ‘Nano’ do pháistí óga, scríofa ag Caitríona Nic Sheáin agus atá díreach foilsithe. Is stiúrthóir ealaíne é le An tSnáthaid Mhór, foilsitheoir aitheanta neamhspleách. Is oideachasóir é Andrew fosta le breis agus 25 bliain de thaithí aige ar dhea-chleachtas san earnáil sainriachtanais. Is stiúrthóir é Andrew le déanaí den chomhlacht léiriúcháin An tSnátháid Mhór a léirigh  6 chlár Rita bunaithe na leabhair Rita do Tg4 le maoiniú ón gCoiste Craoltóireachta Gaeilge (CCL) agus Tg4. Tá an t-iliomad ceardlanna cruthaitheacha éascaithe ag Andrew dírithe ar an léitheoireacht agus na healaíona a éascú do lucht féachána leathan. Andrew Whitson (Mr. Ando) is originally from Belfast and is an illustrator, author and educator. He has illustrated books on various aspects of Irish mythology, including The Creatures of Celtic Myth, The Field Guide to Irish Fairies and The Dark Spirit. From 2007 onwards, he has illustrated a series of popular children’s picture books: Gaiscíoch na Beilta Uaine (Bisto shortlist and winner of the Réics Carló Award 2007); Balor (Réics Carlo Award 2009); The Shoemaker and the Fairies (shortlisted Bisto and Réics Carló 2010); King of Ireland (2011); From Tree to Tree (CBI shortlist, winner of the Réics Carló Award 2012 and R.A.I. award 2013). Andrew was awarded the Bisto honorary prize for book illustration in 2011. In collaboration with Caitríona Nic Sheáin, Andrew has produced 4 children’s fiction books, both written and illustrated, such as Gaiscíoch na Beilte Uaine, Cogito, Cúraille and Pop! In collaboration with Caitríona Hastings, Andrew has produced 4 children’s fiction books, both written and illustrated, such as Balor, Mac Rí Éireann, An tÉan Órga agus Ó Chrann go Crann! The most recent books he has illustrated include the famous ‘Rita’ series, written by Máire Zepf;  series ‘Muireann’, written by Malachy Doyle; and a ‘Nano’ series for young children, written by Caitríona Nic Sheáin and which has just been published. He is art director with An tSnáthaid Mhór, a renowned independent publisher. Andrew is also an educator with over 25 years of experience of good practice in the special needs sector. Andrew has recently become a director of the production company An tSnátháid Mhór which has produced 6 Rita programmes based on the Rita books for Tg4 with funding from the Irish Language Broadcasting Board (ILBF) and Tg4. Andrew has facilitated numerous creative workshops aimed at facilitating reading and the arts for a wide audience.