Dolly Parton will appear on tonight's Late Late Show alongside bestselling author James Patterson to discuss Run Rose Run, their new collaborative novel.

The duo will also speak from Nashville, Tennessee about where their passionate for encouraging children to read from a young age developed. Parton previously developed The Imagination Library - a book gifting charity programme that posts free books to children from birth until they begin school in participating areas.

The programme was launched in 2019 at the South Dublin County Council Library in Tallaght and new books are now available free to all children aged up to five living in Dublin 24.

Dolly Parton started the organisation in 1995, inspired by her own father’s inability to read and write.

“You can never get enough books into the hands of young children,” Parton said at the time.

“I know there are children in Ireland with their own dreams – the dream of becoming a doctor, an inventor, or a teacher. Who knows, maybe a writer, or singer. The seeds of these dreams can often be found in books and the seeds planted in a community can grow across the world.”

While hosting the Academy of Country Music Awards on March 7, the singer-songwriter stood in solitude with the people of Ukraine while they continue to face an ongoing attack from Russian forces.

Dublin pop artist Aimée is slated to perform her newest single 'Nobody Else' on the show.

The anthemic, feelgood track blends the 90s R’n’B with a slick, modern Swedish pop twist. Working on the track with long-time producer Richey McCourt (Will Young, TINI) and Swedish writer Nick Jarl (Westlife, Loreen), the song symbolises the end of lockdown for Aimée, as, after beginning the writing process over video call, when restrictions eased, she flew to Stockholm to finish the song in person.

“Finishing this song in snowy Stockholm was a dream come true," Aimée says. "I got to write in person, in the room with incredible songwriters. I was lucky enough to spend some time with my songwriting hero Max Martin, at his home studio in Stockholm. It was a dream to play him the unfinished version of 'Nobody Else' and some other unreleased material and chat all things songwriting with him. It was so inspirational, and I carried that excitement with me, as myself, Nick and Richey put the finishing touches to 'Nobody Else'.”

Former presidents of Ireland, Mary Robinson and Mary McAleese, will also speak to Ryan Tubridy about the war in Ukraine. Following Wednesday's attack on a maternity hospital in Mariupol, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said it had confirmed 18 strikes on medical facilities during the war.

RTÉ Europe Editor Tony Connelly will discuss the scenes he saw first-hand on the streets of Kyiv while broadcasting from a bunker where parents and children sought refuge.

Watch The Late Late Show, tonight at 9.35pm on RTÉ One.