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The O'Brien Press is an Irish publisher of mainly children's fiction and adult non-fiction.

History

The O'Brien Press was founded in 1973 by Michael O'Brien (July 4,1941- July 31, 2022), then a graphic artist. It evolved out of his father Tom´s family-run printing and type-house. Its first publication came in November 1974 with a biography of Peadar O'Donnell and a book by Éamonn MacThomáis. Apart from school books, there was very little publishing in Ireland in the 1970s. The industry was dominated by Britain. In the mid 1970s, Michael O'Brien went to the Frankfurt book fair for the first time in order to land an international contract and managed to sell the rights for 2 books to McGill–Queen's University Press in Canada. The trade became digital in the early 1990s, with the help of Michael s son Ivan O´Brien,. At the same time children's books were started, as there had been no tradition of children's books publishing in Ireland at all, with Under the Hawthorne Tree by Marita Conlon-McKenna. The newer publishers shared experiences in meetings namely John Spillane from Mercier Press, Anne Tannahill from Blackstaff Press and Seamus Cashman from Wolfhound Press.

In 1997, they published Follow your dream by Daniel O´Donnell for commercial reasons.

In 2008, the company survived the financial crisis by turning to Irish tourist books. O´Brien was the first to publish a book on the Wild Atlantic Way.

According to Michael O Brien 4 large conglomerates have offered to buy the publishing house, but tehy wanted to stay independent.

O'Brien published books are regularly shortlisted for the Bisto Book of the Year Awards. As of 2007, no less than 24 books published by the O'Brien Press have won a Bisto Book of the Year Awards.

Successes

The O'Brien Press is notable for launching the career of international, bestselling author, Eoin Colfer, publishing the "Benny Books" and The Wish List, and have also published The General by Paul Williams, which was made into a major film by John Boorman in 1998.

It is the only Irish publishing house to have received the prestigious International Reading Association Award.

Authors published

• Marita Conlon-McKenna (born 1956) – a children's novels author, including Children of the Famine trilogy
• Judi Curtin – author of Alice and Megan series, including Alice Next Door
• Paul Howard (born 1971) – journalist and author of the Ross O'Carroll-Kelly series
• Gerry Hunt (born 1936) – an Irish comics writer and artist
• Conor Kostick – a historian and writer, including the Avatar Chronicles
• Oisín McGann (born 1973) – a children and young adult author and illustrator
• Shay Healy (1943–2021) – a songwriter, broadcaster and journalist
• Elizabeth Shaw (artist) (1920–1992) – an Irish artist, illustrator and children's book author
• Gerard Whelan (born 1957) – a children's author

Brandon

Brandon is an imprint of O'Brien Press. Brandon Books was independently established in Dingle, County Kerry by Steve McDonogh but subsequently folded when he died. Authors published by Brandon include Gerry Adams, Alice Taylor, Mary Morrissy and Frank McGuinness.

See also

• Children's literature

References

1. Gill Distribution - Our Clients
2. Publishers
3. Mick Heaney (November 11, 2014). "Michael O'Brien: the reluctant publisher who 'doesn't tell lies'". Retrieved 2024-11-29.
4. O'Brien Press
5. IMDb
6. "Brandon". O'Brien Press. Retrieved 27 July 2020.

External links

• Official website

• Book publishing companies of Ireland