"They want you to write books that are funny, wild, imaginative, surreal, action-packed, deep, silly - or all of these at the same time. Sometimes you inspire a young reader to find a love of stories, and they’re always inspiring me to stretch my imagination as far as it can go”

Shane’s Darkmouth series was acquired by HarperCollins (WE) in a hotly contested auction. It was translated into over 15 languages and was a UK and Irish bestseller. ‘Darkmouth’ book 1 was nominated for The Waterstones Prize and the Bord Gais Irish Book Awards. Film rights were purchased for seven figures by Alcon Entertainment (who produced the critically acclaimed Blade Runner 2049) with David Pimental (How to Train Your Dragon, Moana, Big Hero 6, Mr. Peabody & Sherman) writing and directing. They are working on an animated series.

His next series, Boot lower middle grade was acquired by Hodder Children’s Books. It was nominated for the An Post Irish Book Award and chosen as UNESCO Dublin City Of Literature Citywide Read in 2020. It was also Shortlisted for the 2021 Leicester Libraries Our Best Book Award and Shortlisted for the Sainsbury’s Book Awards sequel, ‘The Rusty Rescue’ is a bestseller. The third Boot adventure The Creaky Creatures was published in September 2020.

In November 2021 Shane’s new series, The Shop of Impossible Ice Creams was acquired by the Hodder Children's Books. The three-book series, described as a high-speed, high-concept story with a heart-warming family dynamic at its centre saw Shane paired with a new illustrator, Jeff Crowther. The first title was published in June 2022.  The Shop of Impossible Ice Creams: Big Berry Robbery published in February 2023 and was shortlisted for the Lollies 2025, The Laugh Out Loud Book Awards (The Lollies) 2025 which celebrates the best and funniest children’s books in the UK and Ireland, voted for by children. The final book in the series The Shop of Impossible Ice Creams: Perilous Pineapple Plot was published in June 2023.

In February 2023 it was announced that Hachette Children’s Groups has signed two picture books by Shane Hegarty, with illustrations by Ben Mantle. The first title, Dexter’s Lost his Boo-Woo was published in March 2024 and The One and Only You, a beautiful, heartfelt picture book about celebrating individuality, was published on 27th March 2025. It was selected as Manchester's Transition Read book for 2025 by the National Literacy Trust and Manchester City Council, with a copy given to all 7,000 children starting school in the city.

Thanks to his connection and interaction with young readers Shane’s public events have become hugely popular. He has appeared at major festivals including Hay Festival, Edinburgh International Book Festival, Cheltenham Literature Festival, Listowel Writers Week, International Literature Festival Dublin and even a multi-venue, bilingual tour in Germany for Marburger Lesefest.

In October 2025 Shane’s new middle-grade trilogy Minotaur Boy was acquired by Associate publishing director Francesca Young at DK Flip.  The first book will be published in the series in June 2026, paperback and audio in the UK and hardback in the US; the second and third in the series will follow in February and October 2027

Praise for Boot

“Fast, funny and furious. These are definitely my favourite robots”

Eoin Colfer

“Engaging, accessible, quirky and a lot of fun.  The fast-action-packed pace will keep youngsters (age 8+) riveted and tempt even the most reluctant readers. Author Shane Hegarty writes with flair and heart – obviously, the father of four knows exactly how to keep kids entertained”

Better Reading

“The writing is funny too, casting a sardonic eye upon contemporary childhood (Dr Twitchy’s Emporium of Amusements) and ageing (the nursing home where humans go “when their batteries run out”) that adult readers will find affecting in a different way than their children”

Irish Times

Praise for “Darkmouth”

“Hilarious and exciting. Terrifying and heart-stopping. Everything a great fantasy series should be. The next big thing is here”

Eoin Colfer, author of Artemis Fowl

“Hegarty writes with a light, engaging touch and his fast-paced fantasy adventure series is great for younger readers of 9+”

The Irish Independent

“Hegarty writes surely, unpretentiously and amusingly, drawing up beguiling characters and constructing a plot which simply skips along. Great for primary school children studying myths and legends.”

The Times

“Ghostbusters meets Percy Jackson as written by Terry Pratchett…”

Kirkus Reviews

“With a tone reminiscent of Terry Pratchett, Darkmouth has no shortage of off-kilter humor or imagination. Landing somewhere between the Percy Jackson series and the Edge Chronicles, this new series holds plenty of promise.”

ALA Booklist

“Finn is sharply funny and not afraid to look dumb, excellent traits in the protagonist of a new series…Fans who have finished or moved on from the How to Train Your Dragon series will find this to be a logical next step.”

Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

“Hegarty creates a believable setting with its own history and character, which makes for an enjoyable read. The smooth writing and brisk plot keep the narrative moving along nicely.”

School Library Journal

“Hegarty puts a fun spin on the monster-hunting trope, creating a sympathetic, underachieving hero who nevertheless rises to the occasion. Between the entertaining premise, the tongue-in-cheek humor, and the frequent moments of excitement and action, there’s plenty to enjoy...”

Publishers Weekly

Rights Sold

DARKMOUTH: HarperCollins (UK, Commonwealth, US), Editora Novo Conceito (Brazil), Ciela Norma AD (Bulgaria),Vydavatelstvi Vikend sro (Czech Republic), Forlaget Carlsen (Denmark), Bazar Kustannus (Finland), Xo Editions (France), Verlag Friedrich Oetinger (Germany) Livani Publishing (Greece), Maxim Konyvkiado (Hungary), Kinneret Zmora Dvir Publishing House (Israel), Adriano Salani Editore (Italy), Mirae N Co Ltd (Korea),Prometjs AB Ltd (Latvia) Bazar Forlag /(Cappelen Damm AS) (Norway), S.I.W ZNAK (Poland), Editorial Presenca (Portugal), Publicaciones Y Ediciones (Spain),Bazar Forlag /(Cappelen Damm AS) (Sweden),

BOOT: Hodder and Stoughton Limited (World)

The Shop of Impossible Ice Creams: Hodder and Stoughton Limited (World)

Dexter’s Lost his Boo-Woo: Hodder and Stoughton Limited (World)