OnTheTown: 'J.K. Rowling made a big mistake bringing out Harry Potter the same week as Second Fiddle," said Siobhán Parkinson's father, Harry Parkinson, with a glint in his eye. Despite the timing of her latest novel, Siobhán Parkinson saw the funny side of things at the launch in Dubray bookshop on Grafton Street on Tuesday.
She pointed to an early passage from Second Fiddle, which reads: "No ghosts, dwarfs, wicked counts or gothic castles". "That's completely coincidental," she laughed.
Second Fiddle is Parkinson's 14th children's novel and her first to be published by Puffin Books, which has always been a dream, she said.
Valerie Coghlan, who works in the book business and has read Second Fiddle, said: "I'd recommend it to girls and thinking, new-age boys."
Orla Parkinson, the author's sister, said her nine-year-old son, Oisín, is a living example of a new-age boy, because he thoroughly enjoyed the book.
Shannen O'Flaherty and Sophie Noonan, both aged 12, held their copies of Second Fiddle proudly and pointed out their names on the dedication page. Both girls attend St Catherine's School in Cabra West, Dublin, where Parkinson was involved in a writer-in-residence scheme two year's ago. "I can't wait to go home and read it," said Shannen.
One girl who really couldn't wait was 10-year-old Amelia McConville, who stood quietly in the corner of the bookshop reading her newest purchase. "I'm a really big fan," Amelia said.
Marie Heaney, Seamus Heaney's wife, said she is a great admirer of Parkinson's writing. Authors Marita Conlon-McKenna and Tony Hickey were also full of praise. "It's a very funny book," said Hickey. "Siobhán has such an independent voice."