ALCS Educational Writers’ Award

The Authors’ Licensing & Collecting Society (ALCS) and the Society of Authors (SoA) have announced the shortlist for the 2025 ALCS Educational Writers’ Award, the UK’s only award for educational writing and intended to inspire creativity, encourage students to read widely and build up their understanding of a subject beyond the requirements of exam specifications.

The shortlisted books for ages 5-11 encourage young readers to explore a wide array of topics, including the animal kingdom; the inner workings of the human body; practical physics; the quantum building blocks of our universe; art history, practice, and theory; and challenging neurodiversity stereotypes.

This year’s judges are primary school headteacher Paul Massey, school librarian and BfK reviewer Tanja Jennings, and award-winning illustrator and animator Allen Fatimaharan.

Tanja Jennings says, ‘It was a joyful experience being part of the judging panel for the ALCS Educational Writers Award for 2025. Our shortlist zings with creativity, knowledge, colour and energy.’

‘With titles celebrating what it means to be a human encouraging young readers to be creative, to enquire, to explore, to interact, to wonder about the miracles of the human body, to uncover the secrets of the natural world, to reflect upon the building blocks of the universe and ultimately to express themselves, the books facilitate sharing and learning. Complex topics are presented in lively ways bringing about awareness of the infinite possibilities of being.’

The Shortlist

Hamza’s Wild World by Hamza Yassin illustrated by Louise Forshaw, Macmillan Children’s Books

How To Make A Human by Clive Gifford, illustrated by Vanja Kragulj, Weldon Owen Children’s Books

How To Spaghettify Your Dog by Hiba Noor Khan illustrated by Harry Woodgate, Bloomsbury

Quantum! The Strange Science of the Smallest Stuff in the Universe by Christopher Edge, illustrated by Paul Daviz, Walker Books

This Book Will Make You an Artist by Ruth Millington, illustrated by Ellen Surrey, Nosy Crow

Wonderfully Wired Brains by Louise Gooding, illustrated by Ruth Burrows, DK Children’s

The winners of the 2025 ALCS Educational Writers’ Award will be announced at a ceremony at Goldsmiths’ Centre in London on 26 February 2026, with the winning author and designer/illustrator sharing a £2000 prize.

If The World Were 100 People, written by Jackie McCann and illustrated by Aaron Cushley, has been named winner of the 2023 ALCS Educational Writers’ Award. The ALCS Educational Writers’ Award is the UK’s only award for creative educational writing recognising educational writing that inspires creativity, encourages students to read widely and builds up their understanding of a subject beyond the requirements of exam specifications.

If The World Were 100 People (Red Shed) helps children to better understand the world they live in by imagining the world was condensed to a small village of 100 people and explaining what this global village would look like.

Jackie McCann and Aaron Cushley were presented with the award, along with a prize of £2,000, at the ALCS Annual Awards ceremony held on 22 February.

ALCS Chief Executive Barbara Hayes says, ‘Good educational writing not only imparts knowledge to the reader, but also inspires a curiosity to go and learn more about the world. The five books shortlisted are all fantastic examples of this and it was fascinating to hear about the wide range of topics covered. Congratulations to our winners Jackie and Aaron!’

The other shortlisted books for readers ages 5-11 encouraged young readers to think about the role of art in historical social movements; learn about themselves through genetics; find out about the plastic crisis and what can be done; and answered their questions about racism.

This year’s judges were award-winning author Atinuke, primary school teacher Imogen Thomas, and critic, author and children’s book consultant Jake Hope.

Atinuke says, ‘This book is absolutely stunning. The idea is original. The facts provoke thought and discussion in everyone aged 5 to 95 (without the book being remotely preachy). And the presentation is fun and clear. This is one of those books that seems simple – but is profound. A joy of a book!’

Imogen Thomas says, ‘Jackie McCann has taken an immensely huge and very adult subject, ‘global citizenship’ and turned it into an easy to read, original and accessible picture book that can be enjoyed by a wide range of readers. What a stunning little book, I can’t wait to share it with the teachers and students in my school.’

Jake Hope says, ‘Opening the best books enables us to have our minds opened to other ways of thinking, being and leading our lives. If the World Were 100 People encourages readers to grapple with complex and sophisticated ideas as wide-ranging as population, language, resources and genetics. It’s an impressive book which uses a clever mathematical conceit of reducing the world’s population to 100 people to help make each of its topics relatable and engaging.  In an age when there has been much focus on fractures in society, a book that unites and explores our common and shared experience is incredibly inspiring.’