Colum, Padraic: - Padraic Colum (1881-1972) was an Irish author and poet best known for his writings on Irish mythology and children's literature. Colum was born in Longford, Ireland, and spent a large portion of his early years working as a journalist and teacher before deciding to pursue writing as a career. The release of Colum's first book of poetry, "Wild Earth," in the early 1900s marked the beginning of his literary career. Later, he published several plays, poetry volumes, and books of both fiction and non-fiction. Colum had a special fascination with Irish mythology and folklore, and his retellings of these tales in books like "The Children of Odin" and "The Golden Fleece and the Heroes Who Lived Before Achilles" helped make them more well-known to a new audience of readers. Throughout his lifetime, he was given a great deal of recognition, including the Freedom of the City of Dublin and the American Academy of Arts and Letters Prize in Literature. Colum is recognized today as a great storyteller and a significant contributor to the Irish literary canon. Readers of all ages continue to read and appreciate his writings all across the globe.