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Welcome to the actual official proper
​John Dougherty website!

"One of the very best authors... for both schools and festival events"

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and writer of the multi-award-winning picture book:

​For full quotes and who gave them, see the Hare-Shaped Hole page on this site!

"Destined to be a modern classic"

- Dr Áine McGillicuddy, chair of the Children's Books Ireland judging panel

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The Bear-Shaped Hole
UK publication May 2025

Zooming the Zoo
John's latest poetry collection

"The Bear-Shaped Hole is going to be one of the most important picturebooks of 2025." - Jon Biddle

Longlisted for the KPMG Children's Books Ireland Awards 2025!

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John's the multi-award winning author of lots of amazing books, including:

• The Hare-Shaped Hole
• Zooming the Zoo
  
• the Stinkbomb & Ketchup-Face series
• There's a Pig Up My Nose
• Zeus on the Loose
• Dinosaurs & Dinner-Ladies​
• Mark & Shark: Detectiving & Stuff

and loads more. On this site you can find out about his books, his poems, his songs, and all kinds of other things including how to book one of his fantastic school visits!

You can also subscribe to his YouTube channel using the link on the right! 

2018 winner for
​There's a Pig Up My Nose!

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Subscribe to John's YouTube channel here!

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And follow him on Bluesky here!

"In an age where all-things electronic are vying for children's attention, John Dougherty is a wonderful ambassador for books" - PHILIP ARDAGH

John performing at Cornwall's wonderful Eden Project in 2017

Some of the things you'll find on this site:

•  WRITING - find out about John's books, poems & songs

•  SCHOOL VISITS - what John does when he visits schools, and how to get him to come to yours!

•  CONTACT - all the different ways you can get in touch with John

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•  MORE... - all the stuff that wouldn't fit on the other pages, including a page where you can buy copies of John's books, information about the fabulous Patron of Reading scheme, why he loves libraries, and more!

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Image © Becky Buckle

By the way - on this site, if you see some words in this shade of blue, it means they've got a link in them...

John is proud to be a Patron of Reading...

...and a supporter of Beanstalk.

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Just about everything on this site is © either me or somebody else. Things that are © somebody else include:

• all illustrations from The Hare-Shaped Hole, which are © the marvellous Thomas Docherty
• all illustrations from the Stinkbomb & Ketchup-Face books, which are © the jolly clever & talented Mr David Tazzyman​
• all illustrations from There's a Pig Up My Nose, which are © the fabulous Laura Hughes
• all illustrations from Mark & Shark: Detecting & Stuff, which are © the amazing Katie Abey
• all illustrations from the Zeus books, the Jack Slater books, and Niteracy Hour, © Georgien Overwater   
• all other illustrations & photos © whoever did the drawing or took the photo, which means YOU CAN'T USE THEM unless you're the photographer or illustrator or have their permission, ok?!? I'll probably put copyright credits on other pages but if I forget, it doesn't mean you can swipe stuff that doesn't belong to you.