TOMAS DIRGĖLA (born in 1989) is one of the most popular contemporary Lithuanian children’s book writers and an author and host of a radio program for children on the LRT radio station. Tomas began writing children’s books three years ago, when his love for children met his love for writing. Prior to becoming a professional writer,
T. Dirgėla worked as a teacher in a real prison, then in a kindergarten where he worked with toddlers, and after that for a while as a journa-
list in a couple of glam magazines.
Tomas Dirgėla’s books are loved by children’s literature specia-
lists, the young readers themselves as well as their parents – the author very often gets invited to meetings with children in schools and libraries all over Lithuania to talk about himself and his work. In those meetings, children often cry. From laughter.
Five of his books for children have already been published; three more will be released in 2018.
T. Dirgėla thinks that only children and laughter can save the world from sadness, and so his books are not lacking in humor. The author is often called the most entertaining writer in Lithuania.
T. Dirgėla is productive too. He plans to offer his readers 2-3 new books every year. Tomas’ texts are illustrated by the prized book illustrator Dalė Karpavičiūtė, and by Rytis Daukantas, a caricaturist and author of funny pictures.
Today, T. Dirgėla has his wife, son, daughter, dog, cat and a huge crowd of readers to keep him company. The author is a member of the Lithuanian Writers’ Union and the Lithuanian section of IBBY.
DOMAS