Books published by publisher Native Gill Books

John Hinde was a pioneer of colour photography and one of the most successful postcard publishers in the world. His largest collection of postcards celebrated Ireland. He portrayed an island brightened by his imagination, a place where children were red-haired and freckled, the sun always shining, and the sky forever blue. His idealistic images were to become the stereotypical portrayal of Ireland for many years, and to this day elicit feelings of nostalgia from viewers worldwide.Return to Sender pairs Hinde’s iconic, instantly recognisable postcards from the 1950s, 60s and 70s with corresponding contemporary photographs. The side-by-side contrast of these then-and-now photographs, wonderfully captured by photographer Paul Kelly, illustrates the ways Ireland’s rural and urban landscapes have changed over the decades or, in some places, not changed at all.

A collection of stories about a pig named Pigin and his friends, Sammy Seal, Sally Seagull, The Badger of Ballsbridge and the fairies who live in Howth Castle. Pig¡n learns how to swim, goes on a magic carpet ride and even gets to meet the President of Ireland! Ages 8 and up with color illustrations. "Pig¡n possesses a winning combination of decorum and joie de vivre, a great role model. Suggs' illustrations have a suggestion of Beatrix Potter, small and intricate, enhancing the generous text, which is amply surrounded by white space. Irish readers will delight in the regional specificity, while others will come away with a sense of a very distinct culture. Genuinely whimsical."-Kirkus Reviews

The speed of modern culture combined with the hyper-connectivity of technology has shifted our perspective from good enough to never enough. We are now primed to expect more, to aspire to better, and to want nothing less than the best.The reality? It's making us miserable.So if you'd like to swap the weight of 'having it all' for having more with less, then get ready: it's time to discover your happy medium.This isn't a mantra of mediocrity. Rather, it's about finding balance in a full-throttle culture. Offering a paradigm-shifting manifesto for Generation Burn-out, The Happy Medium will help you gain perspective and get rid of unsustainable expectations of what constitutes a life well lived.You'll discover what you really need so you can get more of what you actually want,, and begin to define your happiness on your own terms.

The Girl from the Forest is a young child's fantasy series that follows a small girl's travels, encounters, experiences, and discoveries across her expansive universe. Full of contrast, color and shape, and simple stories, The Girl from the Forest engages the imagination of young children and opens the door to an enriching story telling experience for all ages. Follow along with the Girl in this first book of the series as she moves through the magic, mystery, and gratitude of her life's simplest moments.

Grace O’Malley is unique as the only woman recorded on the famous Baptista Boazio map of Ireland (1599), a tribute to the status she achieved as a leader on land and at sea in the 16th century. In 1979 Anne Chambers’ original biography of this famous Irishwoman, who over the centuries had been airbrushed from historical record, put her on the map once again. The biography became a milestone in Irish publishing and the catalyst for the restoration of Grace O’Malley to political, social and maritime history, as well as establishing her as an inspirational female role model in the classroom.In the 40th anniversary edition of this international bestselling biography, drawn from rare contemporary manuscript records, the author presents Ireland’s great pirate queen not as a vague mythological figure but as one of the world’s most extraordinary female leaders. Political pragmatist and tactician, rebel, intrepid mariner and pirate, wife, lover, mother, grandmother and matriarch, the ‘most notorious woman in all the coasts of Ireland’, Grace O’Malley challenged and triumphed over the social and political barriers she encountered in the course of her long, pioneering life.Breaching boundaries of gender imbalance and bias in a period of immense social and political upheaval and change, Grace O’Malley rewrote the rules to become one of the world’s first recorded feminist trailblazers.This updated anniversary edition brings Grace O’Malley’s story to a new generation awakened to the global focus on gender equality as well as positive ageing.

Tom Crean was the indestructible farmer’s son from Kerry who sailed on three major expeditions to the unknown Antarctic a century ago. He was among the few men who served with both Captain Robert Scott and Sir Ernest Shackleton. He spent longer on the ice than either and outlived them both. Everest conqueror, Sir Edmund Hillary said he was a 'great man of immense strength and endurance and afraid of very little'.Crean was among the last to see Scott alive a few miles from the Pole in 1912. His astonishing 56km trek to save the life of Lt Evans is the finest act of individual heroism in the history of exploration. He returned to the ice months later to bury Scott. Crean was at the heart of historic events on Shackleton’s epic Endurance expedition, which featured the 1,200km open boat journey and the desperate march across the mountains and glaciers of South Georgia to rescue marooned comrades.But Tom Crean returned to Ireland during the War of Independence and would never speak about his exploits, taking his incredible story to the grave – until publication of An Unsung Hero, the biography that unearthed his story and saw him rightfully placed among the annals of the great explorers. This newly illustrated edition of the bestselling classic is a must for anyone with a taste for adventure.

From Norman Wisdom to Eurovision and everything in between, a lively and entertaining memoir from one of Ireland’s best-loved personalities.Throughout the highs and lows of a 30-year career as one of Ireland’s best-loved radio and television personalities, Marty Whelan has always remained upbeat, with a determination for survival and an enthusiasm for life.In this warm and witty memoir, Marty takes inspiration from the songs that have had meaning in his life as he explores some big themes – love, heroes, family, friendship, music, childhood and spirituality – by way of Bruce Springsteen, David Bowie, Glen Campbell, Paul McCartney, The Three Degrees, Frank Sinatra and Madama Butterfly.Although he is one of Ireland’s national treasures, Marty has never stopped being a fan himself. That’s Life describes his many wonderful adventures, up close and personal with his own heroes: getting to bring his beloved mum to tea with her idol Norman Wisdom, forgetting how to speak on coming face-to-face with Al Pacino, entertaining Spike Milligan and dancing in the dark with Bruce Springsteen.And yet at the heart of the book is the story of the man himself, from growing up as an only child to his brief spell in a band (that couldn’t write any songs), from dating in Dublin in the seventies to leaving his insurance job during lunch hour for his first broadcasting gigs on pirate radio, and on to the many family highs and occasional heartaches.A great man for the tangent – you’ll find you have to stop off a few times for the odd joke – Marty will take you on a whirlwind journey through a life fully lived, but most of all a life filled with love, laughter, family and friendship.