Cork author Leona Forde: 'Boys don’t tend to read books with a female character' 

The Milly McCarthy author on girls in sport, gender representation in books, Barry’s tea, and Roy Keane

Cork writer Leona Forde: "Ireland is so diverse now. Not all families are the same and we need to represent that in books."

When Leona Forde sensed she was being followed in her local supermarket, the eagle eye she met with was far from malevolent.

Leona was not being stalked — she was exhibit A, the rare specimen of a “teacher seen out in the wild.”

“A child was following me because they wanted their parents to ‘see me.’ All of a sudden, you’re looking around the bread aisle and they’re pretending to examine an apple to get a look at you.”

The Cork author cracks up thinking about the day one of her teachers came into school in a tracksuit.

“I was blown away because she always wore a skirt. I was like; ‘Has the principal seen her?’ It was for Sports Day.”

That’s the starting point for Leona Forde’s new children’s book, Milly McCarthy and the Sports Day Shambles. 

The Ballyphehane mother-of-four who attended Scoil Maria Assumpta is about to release the third instalment in her illustrated book for primary school children, and it’s inspired by her own school days.

“Sports Day was always one of the things I loved — and I was no good at sports. It was just being together with your class, having a day off from the usual work.”

I’m glad she said it, because the only “sport” I was good at in school was welly wanging or “throw the boot” as we called it.

Leona wants her readers to know that it’s okay not to excel at everything. Milly doesn’t. At times, she’s a “complete catastrophe.”

“You don’t have to be good at any of them — you just have to try. The fun is in being part of a team.”

REPRESENTATION

Milly McCarthy: the titular star of the series.

For many years, male characters have dominated the youth fiction sphere and as recent as 2021, a study of 3280 books revealed an overrepresentation of male characters in books for children.

Not seeing yourself represented in the books you read can negatively impact how you see yourself in the world, Leona says.

“I am conscious of representing different kids. One of the kids in the book, Aoife is in a wheelchair. She saves them in the tug of war.”

Against the backdrop of library protests due to books that deal with LGBTQ+ issues, Leona is cognisant of the importance of diversity in her books.

“In life, we have all different types of boys and girls, different skin tones. Ireland is so diverse now. Not all families are the same and we need to represent that in books.”

Milly’s friend in school has same-sex parents and Leona hopes it normalises the rights of gay couples to have children.

With support still far below that of their male counterparts, Leona is doing her part to champion girls and women in sport.

“Girls have just as much right to be in sports as boys do.”

When Leona tours schools, she is always curious to see what the children are reading and whether gender plays a role in their choices.

“The entire class will have read Diary of a Wimpy Kid or Big Nate but ask them if they have read Dork Diaries and it will only be girls who put up their hands. Boys don’t tend to read books with a female character.”

PLENTIFUL IRISH-ISMS

The Sports Day itself is a masterclass in pure nostalgia — and the illustrations from Karen Harte will tickle your funny bone.

This book is Irish through and through but ultimately, it is pure Cork. A proud Bandon woman, Leona saturates the book with Rebel County references.

“I very much put things in that are Cork, like Supervalu or Mega Value, the local newspapers and Roy Keane. Everyone in my class would know that phrase; fail to prepare, prepare to fail.”

The Irish-isms are plentiful with Brennan’s bread, Bono’s long-lost relative, and Ireland’s Fittest Family, but it’s in the Cork references that the book comes alive.

“We have this thing in West Cork called townies versus boggers. There’s this rivalry — the boggers are better at soccer and the townies are better at racing.”

The language in the Milly books is playful and inclusive.

“I choose words that have the Dolch list in them and are easily recognisable. I wanted it to be very much Irish. I would say ‘the messages’ instead of ‘the shopping.’”

The substitute teacher who transforms before our eyes from “scary sub” to “sporty sub” is the perfect fodder for schooltime reminiscing.

As a secondary school English and history teacher at Kinsale Community School, Leona knows that substitute teachers often have to work harder to gain their students’ respect.

One left an indelible impression on the young Leona more than two decades ago.

“She was the most exotic person I had ever come across. We took fairytales and turned them into something modern. Snow White decided to get rid of the seven dwarves because she wasn’t going to be a slave to men.”

It strikes me that Leona has her very own secret weapon; her students know not to act out because it might make it onto her next manuscript.

“My Leaving Certs will be like; ‘Will this end up in the next book’ every time something funny happens.”

Here’s hoping she doesn’t spill the tea on my Sports Day shenanigans which definitely didn’t involve tears, tantrums, or TCP.

• Milly McCarthy and the Sports Day Shambles is published by Gill