Attention Cillian Murphy fans – the Irish actor has just gone and released his very first very book!
During the week, the book entitled Ionbhá: The Empathy Book for Ireland, debuted and is described as a collection of thoughts, poems, and essays from well-known Irish public figures.
With an aim to help schoolchildren to be more empathetic, Cillian revealed that the book includes a “lovely cross-section of society” as it features words written by President Michael D Higgins, Blindboy, Imelda May, and Rachael Blackmore.
The wide range of contributors, 89 to be in fact, will act like a compass, guiding those who read their words on things that really matter in life.
All of the proceeds from the book will go directly to delivering the Activating Social Empathy education programme in Irish schools and youth work organisations.
“‘We need empathy in schools just as we need empathy in the world right now,” shared Cillian.
“We want people to start talking about it and we’re promoting this programme of empathy in schools. It’s already been rolled out in a lot of secondary schools across the country,” he said.
The Peaky Blinders actor explained that the book had been something he had been working on for quite some time, adding how they were trying to get “this idea of empathy into the common vernacular/vocabulary.”
He also emphasised how especially difficult life can be for children and teenagers today, as they are spending more time online, which can be emotionally demanding.
“The world is very fractious at the moment, and I think it’s a difficult place to exist, particularly as a young person now.”
Adding: “This whole thing about empathy is about connection, the most basic description is walking in someone else’s shoes or seeing someone else’s perspective,” he said.
Studies have even been done on kids in school, who have actually been put through the course with all their results showing higher levels of empathy.
Ionbhá: The Empathy Book for Ireland is available in bookstores nationwide.
