The shortlist for the 2025 Branford Boase Award, given annually to the author and editor of the year’s outstanding debut novel for children has been announced. It features ‘refreshingly different’ stories that demonstrate the strength of publishing for children, though the judges also complain that too many books are just too long. Founded in 2000 […]
At a live online event watched by thousands of school children across the UK, poet Roger McGough has announced the shortlist for the 2025 CLiPPA (CLPE Poetry Award). Colossal words; effervescent rhymes for the very young; poetry adventures with a family of six; funny, touching poems about our pets; and a boundary-pushing poetry dialogue, this […]
The 2025 Jhalak Prize shortlists have been announced, including the shortlist for the Jhalak Children’s and YA Prize. First awarded in March 2017, the Jhalak Prize awards seek to celebrate books by writers of colour in the UK and Ireland. In 2020, a dedicated Jhalak Children’s YA Prize was established and from 2024, the Jhalak […]
CLPE, the National Poetry Centre for Primary Schools, has revealed that chair of this year’s CLiPPA judges, Roger McGough will host a live online event to announce the shortlist for this year’s CLiPPA (CLPE Children’s Poetry Award). All schools in the UK are invited to attend the event which will take place at 2.15pm on […]
The shortlists are out for the 2025 UKLA Book Awards, the only national awards entirely judged by teachers. This year’s teacher judges have selected books that are positive, empowering or representative of children’s lives. For UKLA, giving classroom practitioners the opportunity to read high quality new children’s books is as important as finding an overall […]
The Jericho Prize for Children’s Writing has launched the 2025 writing competition, in partnership with Hachette Children’s Group. The prize is dedicated to showcasing the next generation of Black-British children’s writers. The competition, which is open to unpublished and self-published Black-British writers, features two categories this year: Baby and toddler books (ages 1–3) Picture books […]
The shortlists for the 2025 Carnegie Medal for Writing and Carnegie Medal for Illustration (formerly the Kate Greenaway Award) were announced today, Tuesday 11 March, at a special event held at the London Book Fair. From a longlist of 35, 16 books have been shortlisted in total, eight in each category. The judges are 14 […]
The Federation of Children’s Book Groups (FCBG) has announced the shortlist for the 2025 Children’s Book Award. As the only national award voted for entirely by children, this popular prize celebrates the best in children’s literature, showcasing stories that have captured young readers’ imaginations across the UK. The award, now in its 45th year, has […]
At a ceremony this evening, 26 February, Inclusive Books for Children (IBC), has announced the winners of their 2025 book awards. Now in their second year, the IBC Awards were founded to recognise the best new inclusive children’s books published in the UK and span three categories focusing on diverse titles for younger readers: baby & […]
Libraries operator GLL has revealed the children’s authors who will receive bursary placements as part of their newly launched GLL Literary Foundation. The bursaries are worth up to £4,000 each. As reported in BfK, the Foundation was established in November 2024 to support ‘up and coming’ children’s authors based in Bromley, Dudley, Greenwich, Lincolnshire and […]
CLPE (Centre for Literacy in Primary Education) have announced the judges for this year’s CLiPPA, CLPE Poetry Award. ‘Patron saint of poetry’ Roger McGough is chair, and he is joined by 2024 winner Matt Goodfellow, Times children’s books editor Lucy Bannerman, Annette Brook of First Story, and teacher Saira Bano. Roger McGough first chaired the […]
Alex Norris has been named winner of the 2024 ALCS Educational Writers’ Award for How To Love: A Guide to Feelings & Relationships for Everyone. At the same award ceremony, author Tom Percival was awarded the Ruth Rendell Award for outstanding commitment to promoting literacy. The ALCS Educational Writers’ Award, launched by ALCS and the […]
The longlist for the 2025 Klaus Flugge Prize has been announced. This is the tenth year of the Klaus Flugge Prize, which was set up in 2016, in honour of publisher Klaus Flugge, a hugely influential figure in picture books and founder of publishing house Andersen Press. It is awarded annually to the most promising […]
EmpathyLab today launches the 2025 Read for Empathy collection of 70 books for 3-16-year-olds, alongside calls for empathy and emotional skills to be prioritised. ‘The 2025 Read for Empathy collection of 70 books for 3-16-year-olds harnesses the power of books to build real-life empathy. It is part of a unique and growing UK empathy education […]
The Little Rebels Award for Radical Children’s Fiction has revealed its judging panel for 2025 which includes two new judges: award-winning author and illustrator, Chris Haughton and Librarian at the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE), Phoebe Demeger. Chris Haughton was shortlisted for the Little Rebels Award in 2015 with Shh! We Have a Plan. […]
The Carnegies, the Carnegie Medal and the Kate Greenaway Medal as were, have announced their longlists for 2025. From 119 nominations, the judges, all children’s and youth librarians from CILIP’s Youth Libraries Group, have selected 35 to longlist, 19 titles for the Carnegie Medal for Writing, and 16 for the Carnegie Medal for Illustration. They […]
For young people who enjoy writing stories! The Henrietta Branford Writing Competition, the annual competition for young people which runs in conjunction with the Branford Boase Award, is now open. The competition aims to find and encourage writers of the future, something author Henrietta Branford was always keen to do. Anyone under the age of […]
Bookshop.org, the online bookselling platform, is bringing back its popular charitable initiative Read It Forward. 10% of every children’s book sale made via Bookshop.org in February 2025 (including pre-orders) will be donated to charities BookTrust and Scottish Book Trust. These purchases also supporting independent bookshops of course. Children’s authors supporting the initiative include multi-award-winning author […]
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