Author who appeared in The Crown and EastEnders has new children's book out

CUSTOMERS may recall Stephen Dunne from his years working as an interior designer at Caseys Furniture on Cork’s Oliver Plunkett St.

Sharp-eyed viewers might also have spotted him playing minor TV roles in EastEnders and The Crown, or dancing with Olivia Colman in the recently-released Sam Mendes film Empire Of Light.

The latest twist in a varied creative career, which saw Stephen leave Cork for London in 2012, now brings him back, at least in a literary sense, to the scenes of his childhood near the Cork-Waterford border.

The author and illustrator of five children’s books, Stephen drew on his memories of growing up in the Irish countryside to inform tales of the “simplicity and innocence of childhood” amid today’s “very fast world”.

His stories of young Molly and her everyday adventures featuring ponies, donkeys, and birds have a gentle, pastoral quality far removed from the hi-tech, magical-realm, or fast-action adventure themes of much modern children’s fiction. 

“It’s important to give children a simple and easy-to-read story,” says Stephen. “Growing up in the countryside was wonderful as it gave me a good understanding of nature and the peaceful world around me.

I encountered a wide range of animals every day and they gave me great inspiration for my stories.

“The books are aimed at a young age group,” he says of the five titles, which double as colouring books. “I wanted to introduce all types of encounters that a child might have in their day-to-day lives.”

Some of Molly’s favourite encounters are with the residents of Farmer Jack’s animal sanctuary, the first of Stephen’s stories introducing a donkey named Nelly whose loneliness inspires the addition of animal companions at the farm.

Molly’s own companion on many of her countryside adventures is her beloved Nan, with whom she stays after school while her parents are at work. In fact, it was the stories told by Stephen’s own Nan - who herself had a donkey named Nelly - that helped inspire his writing.

“I wrote down what I could remember of the stories she used to tell me,” says Stephen. 

“Another story, Molly And The Pretty Pony, was based on a real pony called Cloudy that my Dad once had as a boy.”

The simple stories of Molly’s visits to feed Nelly treats of apples, carrots, and sugar lumps, while telling the donkey tales about her day at school, are set in and around the author’s home village of Clashmore, a few miles from Youghal bridge.

Though he had always loved sketching, attending Grennan Mill Art and Craft College in Kilkenny after finishing school, Stephen did not put his skills as an illustrator to use until he found himself with time on his hands following his move from London to the Kent coast with his husband more than two years ago.

I had always wanted to write but I never had the time or the confidence to do so.

“I lived in Cork city for 20 years and most of that time I spent working for Caseys furniture on Oliver Plunkett St, as their interior designer.

“I moved to London in 2012 and worked for John Lewis on Oxford Street. After a year or so, I decided that I would like a career change and moved into the world of TV and film.

“I was lucky enough to get small walk-on parts in The Crown and EastEnders quite quickly, and my acting career took off from there.

Recently, I was chosen after a lengthy audition process to be Olivia Colman’s dance partner in Empire Of Light, directed by Sam Mendes.

“It’s a world I never thought I would find myself in. But if you don’t take the risks, you’ll never know,” adds Stephen, who has just finished performing in a production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s HMS Pinafore.

Taking the plunge as an author-illustrator also seems to be working out for Stephen, whose children’s books are now available online via Amazon, as well as in shops in Youghal and Ardmore.

The biggest test for any aspiring children’s author, though, is the reaction of young readers to their work. On a recent visit home to the Cork-Waterford border, Stephen was invited back to his former primary school to read from his books and “it went down a treat”, he says. “They loved it.”

Molly And The Lonely Donkey, by Stephen Dunne (Amazon €5.25)