Researcher Details |

Keith O'Sullivan

Dr.

Keith O'Sullivan is an associate professor and deputy chair of the MA in Children's and Young Adult Literature degree programme in the School of English. From 2021 to 2024, he served as head of school.

Before joining the School of English, he was senior lecturer and head of English at the Church of Ireland College of Education, Rathmines. At tertiary level, he taught English on the BEd programme at Church of Ireland College of Education; the BA, BEd and MA programmes at St Patrick’s College, Drumcondra; the MPhil (in children's literature) programme at Trinity College Dublin; and the PGDipEd programme at University College Dublin.

His doctoral research was in the areas of twentieth-century children’s/young adult literature and late-eighteenth/early nineteenth-century Romantic literature, while his master's degree focused on poetry and criticism, 1830 to 1890.

He is a founder member of the Irish Society for the Study of Children’s Literature, a member of the International Research Society for Children’s Literature, and a past member of the board of directors of Children’s Books Ireland. He also served as a member of the judging panel for the Reading Association of Ireland Book of the Year Awards and as chair of the Children's Books Ireland Book of the Year Awards.

He was a visiting scholar at the University of Cambridge (Homerton College, Centre for Research in Children's Literature); the inaugural David Almond research fellow (Newcastle University and Seven Stories); a recipient of a Friends of the Princeton Library research grant; and, an Irish Research Council grant-awardee (with Dr Pádraic Whyte, TCD).

He is currently DCU co-principal investigator, with Dr ?ine McGillicuddy (SALIS), for the 'G-Book 3' project (which aims to develop audience engagement activities for the social and emotional education of EU teens through gender-positive literature and digital technology). This €1.4 million project is co-funded by the European Commission and led by Centro MeTRa, Department of Interpretation and Translation, University of Bologna (see g-book.eu).

Edited Book

	Year	Publication
	2026	Keith O'Sullivan, Jennifer Mooney, Gabriel Dukels, Peter Hunt and Cristina Rhodes (Ed.). (2026) The Routledge Companion to Young Adult Literature. New York and London: Routledge,
	2024	Keith O'Sullivan and Pádraic Whyte (Ed.). (2024) Padraic Colum: 'That Queer Thing, Genius'. New York and London: Routledge,
	2017	Keith O'Sullivan & Pádraic Whyte (Ed.). (2017) Children’s Literature Collections: Approaches to Research. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan (2019 International Research Society for Children's Literature Edited Book Award),
	2014	Keith O’Sullivan & Pádraic Whyte (Ed.). (2014) Children’s Literature and New York City. New York and London: Routledge,
	2011	Keith O’Sullivan & Valerie Coghlan (Ed.). (2011) Irish Children’s Literature and Culture: New Perspectives on Contemporary Writing. New York & London: Routledge,

Book Chapter

	Year	Publication
	2026	Keith O'Sullivan; Jennifer Mooney (2026) '‘Teenaged Virgils': Young Adult Poets' In: The Routledge Companion to YA Literature. New York and London : Routledge.
	2026	Keith O'Sullivan; Raffaella Baccolini; ?ine McGillicuddy; Roberta Pederzoli (2026) 'YA Fiction in Translation' In: The Routledge Companion to YA Literature. New York and London : Routledge.
	2025	Keith O'Sullivan; Jennifer Mooney (2025) 'Coming of Age: Genders and Sexualities in Irish Young Adult Fiction' In: The Companion to the Contemporary Irish Novel. Syracuse : Syracuse University Press.
	2024	Keith O'Sullivan; Max Barrett (2024) 'Framing the Poetic Landscapes of Padraic Colum’s The Golden Fleece' In: The Writings of Padraic Colum: ‘That Queer Thing, Genius'. New York and London : Routledge.
	2024	Keith O'Sullivan; Pádraic Whyte (2024) ''With my words, with my words'' In: The Writings of Padraic Colum: ‘That Queer Thing, Genius’. New York and London : Routledge.
	2018	Keith O'Sullivan (2018) 'Panoptic and Synoptic Surveillance in The Hunger Games Series' In: 21st-Century Popular Fiction. Edinburgh : Edinburgh University Press.
	2017	Keith O'Sullivan (2017) 'The Puffin Story Book Phenomenon: Popularization, Canonization and Fantasy, 1941–1979' In: Children's Literature Collections: Approaches to Research. Basingstoke : Palgrave Macmillan.
	2017	Keith O'Sullivan and Pádraic Whyte (2017) 'Introduction: Collections as Artefacts and Architecture' In: Children's Literature Collections: Approaches to Research. Basingstoke : Palgrave Macmillan.
	2014	Keith O'Sullivan (2014) ''Without Contraries is No Progression': Romantic Constructions of Childhood and Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials' In: Philip Pullman. Basingstoke : Palgrave Macmillan.
	2014	Keith O'Sullivan (2014) 'Striated Space and Smooth Space in Nick McDonell’s Twelve' In: Children's Literature and New York City. New York & London : Routledge.
	2014	Keith O'Sullivan and Pádraic Whyte (2014) 'Introduction' In: Children's Literature and New York City. New York and London : Routledge.
	2013	Keith O'Sullivan (2013) 'The Hobbit, the Tale, Children’s Literature and the Critics' In: J. R. R. Tolkien. Basingstoke : Palgrave Macmillan.
	2011	Keith O'Sullivan and Valerie Coghlan (2011) 'Children's Literature in the Church of Ireland College of Education' In: The Bicentenary Book: From the Kildare Place Society to the Church of Ireland College of Education, 1811-2011. Dublin : CICE Publications.
	2011	Keith O'Sullivan (2011) 'Binding with Briars: Romanticizing the Child' In: Irish Children's Literature and Culture: New Perspectives on Contemporary Writing. New York & London : Routledge.
	2011	Keith O'Sullivan & Valerie Coghlan (2011) 'Introduction' In: Irish Children's Literature and Culture: New Perspectives on Contemporary Writing. New York & London : Routledge.

Peer Reviewed Journal

	Year	Publication
	2024	Keith O'Sullivan; Raffaella Baccolini; ?ine McGillicuddy; Roberta Pederzoli (2024) 'The G-Book Projects: Digital Humanities and the Promotion of Diversity in Children’s Literature'. The Lion and the Unicorn, 48 (2).
	2022	Keith O'Sullivan and Pádraic Whyte (2022) 'Beyond Traditional Hierarchies: Creating Space for Children’s Literature Collections'. Jahrbuch der Gesellschaft für Kinder- und Jugendliteraturforschung (GKJF), :165-174. [DOI]
	2010	Keith O'Sullivan (2010) 'Democratizing Literature: His Dark Materials as Crossover Fiction'. Journal of Children's Literature Studies, 7 (1):74-86.

Encyclopedia Entry

	Year	Publication
	2010	Keith O'Sullivan (2010) Emily Bront?. New York: ENC

Conference Contribution

	Year	Publication
	2023	Keith O'Sullivan; ?ine McGillicuddy (2023) Con Altre Parole: Traduzione E Società (With Other Words: Translation and Society Il Progetto G-Book 2: Una Prospettiva Irlandese (The G-Book 2 Creative Europe Project: An Irish Perspective) Forlì, .
	2023	Keith O'Sullivan; Sophie White (2023) DCU School of English and DCU Arts and Culture DCU All Hallow’s ‘Horrorcon’ DCU All Hallow’s Campus, Dublin, .
	2022	Keith O'Sullivan (2022) DCU Centre for Research in Children's and Young Adult Literature ‘Children’s literature from a gender perspective: literary, gender and translational issues’ by Raffaella Baccolini and Roberta Pederzoli Dublin City University, School of English, .
	2022	Keith O'Sullivan; ?ine McGillicuddy (2022) Teaching and Researching Children’s Literature in the Digital Age: New Perspectives and Technologies The G-Book 2 Project: Opportunities and Challenges during the Covid-19 Pandemic Ca’ Foscari University of Venice (International Symposium), .
	2022	Keith O'Sullivan; Dave Rudden (2022) DCU School of English and DCU Arts and Culture ‘HIS NAME IS SPOKEN’ — A Celebration of Pratchett and Discworld DCU St Patrick’s Campus, Dublin, .
	2021	Keith O'Sulilvan (2021) DCU Centre for Research in Children’s and Young Adult Literature 'Girls on a Mission' by Maria Tatar Dublin City University, School of English, .
	2021	Keith O'Sullivan (2021) DCU Centre for Research in Children’s and Young Adult Literature ‘Making?Room?for?Child Writers in Children's Literature Studies’ by Marah Gubar Dublin City University, School of English, .
	2020	Keith O'Sullivan (2020) DCU Centre for Research in Children’s and Young Adult Literature 'Another Fine Mess You’ve Got us into, Gandalf'. The Private Faces of Children’s Literature Studies by Peter Hunt Dublin City University, School of English, .
	2020	Keith O'Sullivan (2020) DCU Centre for Research in Children’s and Young Adult Literature ‘Bedding the Ear and Training the Eye: Multimodal Metaphors in Children's?Texts’ by Karen Coats Dublin City University, School of English, .
	2020	Keith O'Sullivan and Pádraic Whyte (2020) Children's Literature and Digital Humanities 'The National Collection of Children's Books Project: Deconstructing and Constructing the Canon' Antwerp, .
	2020	Keith O'Sullivan (2020) DCU Centre for Research in Children’s and Young Adult Literature 'What Shall We Tell the Grown Ups?’ The Public Face of Children’s Literature Studies by Peter Hunt Dublin City University, School of English, .
	2019	Keith O'Sullivan (2019) Radical Youth Literature and Culture 'National Identities' Marino Institute of Education, Dublin, .
	2018	Keith O'Sullivan (2018) Popular Literature in Transition Symposium 'Changing Genres: The Future of Popular Fiction' University of Dublin, Trinity College Dublin, .
	2018	Keith O'Sullivan (2018) Palgrave Studies in the History of Childhood Book Launch 'Constructions of the Irish Child in the Independence Period, 1910-1940 by Ciara Boylan and Ciara Gallagher: A Critical Analysis and Evaluation' National Library of Ireland, Dublin, .
	2018	Keith O'Sullivan (2018) Book Launch 'Keeping Sketch: Dublin to Nepal (A Memoir) by Padraig Brady, A Critical Analysis and Evaluation' Dublin, .
	2017	Keith O'Sullivan (2017) DCU Centre for Research in Children’s and Young Adult Literature 'Reweaving Middle Earth: Diana Wynne Jones, the archive, and the shadow of Tolkien’ by Lucy Pearson Dublin City University, School of English, .
	2016	Keith O'Sullivan (2016) Children and the Irish Revolution Symposium 'Writing the Rebellion: Children's Literature and 1916' St Patrick’s College, Drumcondra, .
	2015	Keith O'Sullivan (2015) Come Closer: The Darker Side of Children's Books Symposium 'Children's Literature Collections, Archives and Exhibitions' Dublin City Library, Pearse Street, .
	2015	Keith O'Sullivan (2015) National Collection of Children’s Books Symposium 'Towards a National Catalogue of Children’s Books' Trinity Long Room Hub, .
	2015	Keith O'Sullivan (2015) Little Island Book Launch 'Still Falling by Sheena Wilkinson: A Critical Analysis and Evaluation' Dublin, .
	2013	Keith O'Sullivan (2013) Dublin Writers Festival 'Drawing Children In: Approaches to Programming Literature 大发体育在线_大发体育-投注\|官网' The Ark, Temple Bar, Dublin, .
	2011	Keith O'Sullivan (2011) 'From Instruction to Delight': Reading Traditions in Irish Primary Education 'Long time a child, and still a child, when years \| Had painted manhood on my cheek: Endless Childhoods in Contemporary Irish Children’s Literature' Church of Ireland College of Eduction, Dublin, .
	2010	Keith O'Sullivan et al. (2010) Irish Society for the Study of Children's Literature. 8th Annual Conference, 'Sound, Image, Text' ISSCL University of Dublin, Trinity College Dublin, .
	2008	Keith O'Sullivan (2008) Irish Society for the Study of Children’s Literature. 6th Annual Conference, ‘What Do We Tell the Children?' 'Liar, Lyra, pants on fire: Deconstructing Philip Pullman’s assertion that he is the servant of the story' Marino Institute of Education, Dublin, .
	2008	Keith O'Sullivan et al. (2008) Irish Society for the Study of Children's Literature. 6th Annual Conference, 'What Do We Tell the Children?' ISSCL Marino Institute of Education, Dublin, .
	2007	Keith O'Sullivan et al. (2007) Irish Society for the Study of Children’s Literature. 5th Annual Conference, ‘Reevaluating Gender in Children's Literature' ISSCL Church of Ireland College of Education, Dublin, .
	2005	Keith O'Sullivan (2005) International Research Society for Children’s Literature. 17th Biennial Congress, ‘Expectations and Experiences' 'A true Poet and of the Devil’s party [...but] knowing it: Philip Pullman and His Dark Materials as a sectarian narrative' University of Dublin, Trinity College Dublin, .
	2005	Keith O'Sullivan (2005) Irish Society for the Study of Children’s Literature. 3rd Annual Conference, ‘Divided Worlds' 'Kingdoms and Republics: The Influence of Romantic Political Ideologies on Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials' St Patrick’s College, Drumcondra, .

Invited Seminars

	Year	Publication
	2013	Keith O'Sullivan (2013) ‘Irish Children’s Literature: The Child and Childhood in Contemporary Writing’. Invited Postgraduate Seminar. University of Newcastle, School of English Literature, Language and Linguistics, Children’s Literature Unit. INVS
	2008	Keith O'Sullivan (2008) ‘Children’s literature: Fiction in the Space between Youth and Reality’. Invited Staff CPD. The Library Council. Tralee. INVS
	2008	Keith O'Sullivan (2008) ‘A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing? Philip Pullman: Simple Storyteller or Iconoclastic Mythmaker’. Staff and Postgraduate Seminar. University of Newcastle, School of English Literature, Language and Linguistics. Children’s Literature Unit. INVS
	2008	Keith O'Sullivan (2008) ‘The Child in Contemporary Irish Children’s Literature'. Invited Staff CPD. The Library Council. Church of Ireland College of Education, Dublin. INVS
	2005	Keith O'Sullivan (2005) ‘“Without Contraries is No Progression”: Dialectics and Revolution in the Writings of Philip Pullman’. Invited Inaugural Humanities Research Seminar. St Patrick’s College, Drumcondra. INVS

Radio Presentation

	Year	Publication
	2006	Keith O'Sullivan (2006) Children's Literature Christmas Recommendations. Radio Telefís ?ireann, Radio 1. RADIO

Exhibition

	Year	Publication
	2022	Keith O'Sullivan et al (2022) Padraic Colum, 1881-1972: 50th Anniversary Celebration of His Life and Works. Exh [Link]
	2018	Keith O'Sullivan and Sue Miller (2018) G-Book: A European Travelling Collection of Gender-Positive Children's Books. dlr LexIcon. Exh
	2015	Keith O'Sullivan et al (2015) Come Closer: The Darker Side of Children's Books (NCCB). Dublin City Library and Archive, Pearse Street. Exh

Literary Review

	Year	Publication
	2013	Keith O'Sullivan (2013) 'Irish Studies of the Young'. Review of Young Ireland, edited by Mary Shine Thompson. The Irish Literary Supplement. Litr
	2007	Keith O'Sullivan (2007) Irish Children’s Writers and Illustrators, edited by Valerie Coghlan and Siobhan Parkinson. Inis, The Children’s Books Magazine. Litr

Research Interests

Keith is happy to receive applications for doctoral research, especially in the following areas: young adult/children's literature, contemporary fantasy, multimodal texts, Romanticism, poetry, and collections and archives.

Research Projects

Title	Role	Description	Start date	End date
G-Book 3: Developing Audience Engagement Activities for the Social and Emotional Education of EU Teens through Gender-Positive Literature and Digital Technology	DCU Co-PI	€1,400,000 (DCU: €140,000)	01/09/2024	31/08/2027
G-Book 2: European Teens as Readers and Creators of Gender-Positive Narratives	DCU Co-PI	€200,000 (DCU: €40,000)	14/12/2020	27/03/2023
G-Book 1: Gender Identity: Child Readers and Library Collections	DCU PI	€310,000 (DCU: €51,000)	01/06/2017	31/12/2018
National Collection of Children’s Books (NCCB) Project	CICE Co-PI	€350,000 (CICE/TCD)	01/01/2013	31/12/2015

Current Postgraduate Students

	Student Name	Degree	Supervision
	Jordan ,Mairéad	PhD	Supervisor