Book Launch: Declan Someone (The Journey of Declan Noone) by Kate McElderry featuring work of literary inspiration & IWC founder, Jack Harte

Join author, Kate McElderry for a reading and signing

with opening remarks from

Phillip Michael Shirley and Rosie Bissett

In her debut novel, Declan Someone (The Journey of Declan Noone),

author Kate McElderry delves into themes of belonging and neurodiversity through the lens of a young man in search of roots,

self-worth, and identity. Through a mystical journey spanning New York to Ireland, Declan learns about the transformative power of shapeshifting

1. Opening Remarks:

• Writer, Phillip Michael Shirley & Founder of Foreshore Publishing
• Neurodiversity leader, Rossie Bissett, CEO Dyslexia Ireland

2. Special Recognition:

To writer & IWC founder, Jack Harte, a literary influence for McElderry

3. Reading from DECLAN SOMEONE (The Journey of Declan Noone) by Kate McElderry
4. Book Signing/ Reception *flute by Mary Kells Curson

The Author

Kate McElderry is an author, programme director, and educator based in Baltimore, Maryland. Declan Someone (The Journey of Declan Noone) is McElderry’s debut novel and was inspired by her own neurodiversity, her students, and time spent writing in Ireland. McElderry is an international speaker who has served on panels and presented at numerous learning summits, conferences, and universities, including the 6^th European Dyslexia Association Conference in Athens, Oxford University, and UConn WISHfest. Over her career, she has served on educational boards and taught at a variety of institutions, including University of Maryland Baltimore County. As a Peace Corps Volunteer and Coordinator in Paraguay, McElderry taught and wrote published curricula. She has since returned to fictional writing and enjoys infusing myth and metaphor into contemporary realities, especially as they pertain to young people. McElderry enjoys spending summers unplugged reading, writing, and creating art. She is a member of writing guilds and organisations including AWP and the Irish Writers Centre.

Book Description

Declan Someone is a lyrical coming-of-age novel about a

neurodiverse New York teenager whose journey to Ireland

reshapes his understanding of identity, belonging, and self-worth. The book blends contemporary literary

fiction with Irish lore.

Publication Date: March 2026

ISBN: 978-1-9192526-1-2

About Special Guests:

Portrait of Jack Harte, Founder of the Irish Writers Centre, by artist Henry J Sharpe, in the foyer of the Centre.

Jack Harte is a novelist, short story writer, and playwright, and founder of the Irish Writers Centre and the Irish Writers Union. His fiction has been published in thirteen languages. His first novel, In the wake of the Bagger, based on his family’s displacement from the West of Ireland as economic migrants, has been described as ‘one of the great books about Ireland’ and one of the ‘101 Irish Novels You Must Read’. He has had 10 plays produced in Ireland and abroad since his first in 2015. Jack worked as a teacher and school principal and is the author of 24 school textbooks.

Harte’s work has been of great significance to McElderry.

Phillip Michael Shirley was born in Stoke-on-Trent in 1965 and lives in London. Early in his career he was a journalist; later he became an author with Harper Collins. His nonfiction, which includes The Soul of Boxing, was longlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year. His fiction, The Rivers That Run Through Us has earned strong reader praise for its vivid and unflinching vision. He is also the author of The Happening of Magic, a collection of poetry. He founded a London-based fiction small press. His new novel, Darlene, to be published in summer 2026, has been optioned for film.

Rosie Bissett is CEO of Dyslexia Ireland, the national association representing those with dyslexia and dyscalculia in Ireland. Services offered by Dyslexia Ireland include: information; specialist tuition; training courses; awareness raising; and lobbying and advocacy. Rosie led the development of Dyslexia Ireland’s online learning sites, the Dyslexia Hub and the Adult Dyslexia Hub. Rosie is also the current President of the European Dyslexia Association, the umbrella body for dyslexia and dyscalculia organisations across Europe.

Mary Kells Curson enjoys spending time with friends, reading books, learning French, volunteering, and participating in performing arts. Curson has been learning The Lonesome Boatman by Finbar Furey on flute. During the school year, she plays in an instrumental ensemble, collaborates in a band, and dances. Recent dance performances include MLK Celebration Day, Echoes of Snow, and the Nutcracker.