Welcome

Working with young people is always rewarding particularly when it comes to something creative and this project was no exception. From the outset the children from Ashmore Youth Club and Glencairn Youth Initiative were bubbling with enthusiasm to commit their ideas to paper. The theme was kept quite loose - their thoughts on their lives today and hopes for the future. Along with animator Steven Noonan, I worked with the young people encouraging them to share their feelings and allow the reader the opportunity to take a glimpse into their world. We were delighted with the results. The young people displayed wonderful motivation and range in their chosen pieces.

It was an exciting project to be involved in and throughout the whole process we were indebted to the help and support of Heather Irwin from Ashmore Youth Club and Ann Rankin, Glencairn Youth Initiative, who assisted in keeping everything on course and helped make this collection what it is today. Michelle McCloy, Art Ability, helped co-ordinate the children's illustrations and thanks are also due to Roz Small, Greater Shankill Partnership, ShankillTourism and Julianne McCormick, Creative Youth Partnerships, who came up with the idea in the first place. We would like to thank the Creative Youth Partnership and The Paul Hamlyn Foundation for funding the project and EPIC for their assistance.

Last, but by no means least, Steven and I would like to thank the young people themselves, these bright young talents who made this such a worthwhile and enjoyable experience.

Stars over the Shankill have never seemed quite so close.

Declan Carville
CHILDREN'S AUTHOR