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New Foundation offers financial and ‘in kind’ support to new authors

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Libraries operator GLL is launching a new foundation to support ‘up and coming’ children’s authors.

The GLL Literary Foundation will offer 20 authors bursary placements in areas where GLL operates public libraries under its ‘Better’ brand: Bromley, Greenwich, Wandsworth, Dudley and Lincolnshire.

Each author selected for a bursary placement will receive a bursary of £750 as well as further ‘in kind’ support valued at up to £4,000.  Authors will be partnered with a specialist local librarian mentor, who will help deliver a series of author events and provide networking opportunities with local booksellers, publishers, literary festivals and schools.  Authors will also be offered three online training courses on Brand Identity, Marketing and Business Planning through GLL’s Start Up Business Libraries.

A secondary tier of online support will be given to a further unlimited number of authors, along with a webinar with a librarian mentor on delivering successful author events, an invitation to a sector networking event and free access to work from business library spaces.

Submissions are being sought from publishers who represent authors across all genres of children’s literature, including picture books, early readers, chapter books, poetry, non-fiction, novels, graphic and verse novels.

Applications will be open on 15th November 2024 and close on 10th January 2025.

Entries will be assessed by a board of trustees drawn from GLL libraries and children’s librarians. The total combined value of cash bursaries and ‘in-kind support’ is estimated to be up to £100,000 per annum.

Former Children’s Laureate, poet and author Joseph Coelho OBE, is patron to the scheme.  Joseph has a long-standing relationship with GLL libraries having grown up in Wandsworth, regularly using Roehampton library as a student and then working across the borough as a Saturday Library Assistant.

Coelho says, ‘Becoming established as a children’s author is extremely challenging, it takes so much more than just writing a fantastic book.  This new Foundation will help authors promote their work and provide essential training and ongoing support.

‘Libraries are very close to my heart and have played an important role in my journey as an author.  I’m therefore delighted to support the GLL Literary Foundation.’

Commenting on the launch, GLL Head of Libraries, Rebecca Gediking added, ‘Our goal in creating the GLL Literary Foundation is to champion authors at both a grassroots and national level; to support authors, young readers, publishers and booksellers create a wonderful reading eco-system that will inspire local communities and promote libraries.’

Find out more.

Joseph Coelho hands on the mantle of Children’s Laureate to Frank Cottrell-Boyce

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Frank Cottrell-Boyce, multi award-winning author and screenwriter, has been named Waterstones Children’s Laureate 2024 – 2026.

He was presented with the bespoke silver Laureate medal by outgoing Waterstones Children’s Laureate, Joseph Coelho, at a ceremony held at Howard Assembly Room, Leeds today, Tuesday 2 July.

Warning ‘we risk losing a generation unless we act’, Frank Cottrell-Boyce chose to launch his Laureateship with a powerful speech declaring his ambitions for children’s books and the life-changing benefits of reading to be ‘taken seriously’.

Quoting 18th century philosopher and activist Tom Paine, ‘We have it in our power to begin the World anew’, he is pledging to dedicate his two-year tenure to igniting a ‘fierce’ national conversation about the role books and reading can play in transforming children’s lives, referencing the wealth of compelling evidence showing that reading for pleasure is the single biggest factor impacting the life-chances of a child, as well as the ‘crisis point’ facing the millions of children now living in poverty.

His Laureate campaign will be called, Reading Rights: Books Build a Brighter Future, and also includes plans for a national summit bringing together expert voices in the political, education, literacy and early years sectors.

He said, ‘Our children are living through the aftermath of a series of crises, the pandemic, a series of wars and an unfolding environmental crisis. The only public conversation is about how we can make our children “catch up” – which seems to me a kind of code for forgetting this ever happened. None of us has the slightest idea about what the future now holds for them – but the one thing we do know is that they will need to know how to be happy.

Every child has to have the opportunity to begin to build the apparatus of happiness within themselves.

I will use my time as Waterstones Children’s Laureate to call for a reset in our attitude towards how we value children’s books and reading – to start this story again – and to campaign for the millions of children living in poverty to be given the same life-changing chances. To stand up for the children in this country and their Reading Rights.’

Looking ahead to the results of Thursday’s general election he challenged the next government ‘So, whoever wins Thursday’s election has a huge responsibility. Whoever we wake up to Friday morning, they have the power to make a revolutionary change in children’s lives.’

Kate Edwards, Chair of the Waterstones Children’s Laureate Steering Group and Chair of the Waterstones Children’s Laureate 2024-26 Judging Panel, said. ‘The Waterstones Children’s Laureate selection panel invites nominations from a range of organisations across the UK representing librarians, critics, writers, literature development workers and booksellers – on behalf of everyone, I extend Frank our warmest congratulations. We couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome Frank to this prestigious role as the Laureateship celebrates its 25th anniversary – not only does his wonderful writing entertain and inspire, but he has long been a passionate voice in the campaign for children’s books to be given the value and recognition that they deserve. Frank is a wonderful Laureate for these times and the Steering Group is looking forward to working with him over the next two years, helping to bring his vital plans and ambitions to life so that every child can enjoy a life rich in books and reading.’

Look out for an interview with Frank Cottrell-Boyce in the forthcoming issue of Books for Keeps.

The winners of the Yoto Carnegies 2024

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The Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing is awarded to the current Children’s Laureate, Joseph Coelho for his verse novel The Boy Lost in the Maze illustrated by Kate Milner (Otter-Barry Books). The story portrays a boy’s journey into manhood and integrating the myth of the Minotaur with the contemporary journey of a teenager searching for his father.

The Yoto Carnegies are judged by librarians and Joseph Coelho has made libraries a focus for his tenure as Waterstones Children’s Laureate (2022-2024) launching a ‘library marathon’ project which saw him visit and join a library in every region of the UK, a total of 213 nationwide, to highlight their importance. This will be a very popular win!

Receiving the award, Joseph Coelho said, ‘I am absolutely delighted to be the recipient of this year’s Carnegie Medal for Writing. The Boy

Joseph Coelho, Winner of the Yoti Carnegie Medal 2024, Photographed at the Cambridge Theatre where the award ceremony takes place this year. 19/6/24. Photo Tom Pilston

Lost in the Maze is a novel that means a great deal to me and so to have it recognised by the UK’s, if not the world’s, most prestigious award for children’s literature feels particularly special.

During my tenure as Laureate I have had the pleasure of joining a library in every local authority in the UK, meeting librarians and patrons of libraries on buses, in converted flats and in gorgeous Carnegie buildings. The one thing that has been consistent between all libraries has been the passion, skill and creativity of the librarians. Through their essential work they are tackling social isolation, providing access to essential services and of course creating the readers of the future. I feel completely honoured that it is librarians who have deemed The Boy Lost in the Maze as worthy of a Carnegie medal and will forever be grateful to the team at Otter-Barry Books, illustrator Kate Milner and my agent Caroline Sheldon for helping me bring this story to bookshelves and into the hands of readers.’

Aaron Becker is the winner of the Yoto Carnegie Medal for Illustration for his wordless picture book The Tree and the River (Walker Books).

Accepting the award, Aaron Becker said, ‘I’m incredibly grateful to have received the Carnegie Medal for Illustration for The Tree and the River. It’s an honour and a testament to the power of wordless books.

Growing up, I was always drawn to illustrations and would get lost in pictures. When I began drawing images of my own, I was able to create a space where I could create, imagine and escape into worlds of my own design. Pictures became the way I processed the world. Within the pages of my wordless books, I invite readers to slow down and interpret stories on their own terms. Children and adults alike can project themselves onto the characters within my stories and find their own meaning and discoveries within the details of each spread, free of a narrator to dictate their pace and thoughts. My hope is that winning this award promotes the idea that books can be for anyone, even the reluctant readers among us for whom story resonates more deeply through imagery than words.’

The Yoto Carnegies celebrate achievement in children’s writing and illustration and each year thousands of reading groups in schools and libraries in the UK and around the world get involved in the Awards, with children and young people ‘shadowing’ the judging process, debating and choosing their own winners. They also chose Aaron Becker’s The Tree and the River as their winner, Aaron Becker adding the Yoto Carnegie Shadowers’ Choice Medal for Illustration to his Yoto Carnegie Medal for Illustration.

Shadowers loved how the wordless story left The Tree and the River open to interpretation. Emilie from Rebel Readers said, ‘It is like a movement of time and it could be in the past or in the future’. Dyslexic reader Alec from BurlingtonBookReaders said it helped him learn about the ‘cyclical nature of the world.’

The winner of the Yoto Carnegie Shadowers’ Choice Medal for Writing is Tia Fisher for her verse novel, Crossing the Line (Bonnier Books UK), based on a true story about teenagers swept up into county lines.

Commenting on why they chose Crossing the Line, Emelie from shadowing group KEVICHG said ‘the verse style fits this book like a glove’.

The winners were revealed at an in-person ceremony held at the Cambridge Theatre, home of the RSC’s award-winning Matilda The Musical. Over 600 children enjoyed the ceremony in-person with the event live-streamed and watched by thousands of shadowing groups around the country. The awards were hosted by Manjeet Mann, winner of the 2021 Shadowers’ Choice Medal for Writing for her debut novel, Run, Rebel. Her second novel, The Crossing, was shortlisted for the Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing in 2022.

Maura Farrelly, Chair of Judges for The Yoto Carnegies 2024, said, ‘The Boy Lost in the Maze is a multi-layered immersive read which is playful in its language and construction and is as architectural as the mythical maze itself. The Tree and the River is a beautiful visual narrative of the natural world and the impact of humankind which invites readers to become absorbed in the landscapes. The epic spreads are alive with intricate detail and gorgeous use of light and colour. Both are ambitious and exciting books that inspire the imagination and empower young readers.

Congratulations to our 2024 medal winners and to the Shadowers’ Choice winners. Thank you to all the young readers who took part in the Shadowing programme and to the librarians who continue to support and inspire readers and to champion the best in books for children and young people everywhere.’

The winners will each receive a specially commissioned golden medal and a £5,000 Colin Mears Award cash prize. The winners of the Shadowers’ Choice Medals – voted for and awarded by the children and young people – will also be presented at the ceremony. They will also receive a golden medal and, for the first time this year, £500 worth of books to donate to a library of their choice.

Yoto, the innovative, screen-free audio platform for children, is the headline sponsor of the Awards. The Yoto Carnegies are also sponsored by ALCS. Scholastic are the official book supplier and First News are the official media partner.

Poet Joseph Coelho Announced As New Waterstones Children’s Laureate

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The Power of a Poet

Joseph Coelho, The Waterstones Children’s Laureate 2022 – 2024

Joseph Coelho, award-winning performance poet, playwright and children’s author, has been announced the Waterstones Children’s Laureate 2022 – 2024.

Coelho was presented with the bespoke silver Laureate medal by outgoing Waterstones Children’s Laureate, Cressida Cowell MBE, at a ceremony held at The Unicorn Theatre, London.

He is the first poet to be Children’s Laureate since Michael Rosen (and also the youngest Children’s Laureate to date).

The Waterstones Children’s Laureate is awarded biannually to a renowned writer or illustrator in recognition of exceptional talent. Managed by BookTrust and sponsored by Waterstones, the role celebrates creativity and storytelling, promotes the vital importance of reading and children’s literature, and champions the right of every child to enjoy a lifetime enriched with books and stories.

At the ceremony, Joseph Coelho announced that his tenure will celebrate the power of poetry, showcase new authors and illustrators to diversify bookshelves and inspire bookmakers of the future, and champion public libraries and the role they play in communities.

He said, ‘Poetry is powerful, it is the medium we turn to at weddings, funerals and new births because it goes beyond mere words, poetry translates the soul. I want to use the prestigious platform of the Waterstones Children’s Laureate to highlight and celebrate the power of poetry. To invite the nation, young and old, to write poems, to become poets. I want to ensure that every child has the opportunity to see themselves in books and as bookmakers through the plethora of new and exciting voices we have coming out of the UK – to diversify bookshelves so that every child can imagine themselves as writers, illustrators and poets. And, finally I want to hug every library, these miraculous institutions where new horizons line the shelves, where minds go to grow. Libraries made me a writer and make communities thrive – I wish to champion the services of these essential launchpads of learning.

I’m trying to connect with and heal my younger self – a self-unable to imagine a future writing and publishing books. Through this work, through the young people and families I am lucky enough to interact with, I’m trying to reach down through time and tell little Joe “You can write, you can be a writer, your voice is valid your words are waiting to be heard.” Because I know that when the youth of today hear that message, he’ll hear it too.’

To deliver Coelho’s ambitions, his Laureateship will focus on three major projects:

– ‘Bookmaker Like You’ will showcase new talent within the industry and spotlight their work, so that children are introduced to a range of creatives that truly reflect everyone in our diverse society, and ensure that every child can see themselves as a bookmaker.

– ‘Poetry Prompts’ will celebrate the power of poetry in all its forms, breaking down the fear often associated with reading and writing to show why poems are for everyone, and the joy that writing, reading and performing poetry can bring.

– Coelho will also champion local libraries, highlighting the vital role they play within the community and inspiring a love of reading in young people, by completing his ‘Library Marathon ’to join a library in every local authority in the UK, and encourage even more people to register with their local library.

In a special interview with Books for Keeps, to be published in our July issue, out later this month, Joseph described how it was a visit to his school by the poet Jean Binta Breeze that first made him realise you could make a career out of poetry. He is passionate about sharing that message, ‘I really want every young person to have the opportunity to see themselves as a writer, illustrator or poet.’

He promises the ‘poetry prompts’ will be designed to gear everyone up about poetry, ‘There’ll be a large online programme as part of this – I don’t think anything like it has been tried before.’

While he’s always been busy promoting performing and promoting poetry in schools, he’s excited about being able to do much more now he’ll have the backing of the Laureate team. ‘I want to go everywhere and do everything!’

Kate Edwards, Chair of the Waterstones Children’s Laureate Steering Group and Chair of the Waterstones Children’s Laureate 2022–24 Judging Panel, said, ‘Nominations for this prestigious role are invited from hundreds of literature, literacy and education organisations across the UK, and we are thrilled to welcome Joseph to the ‘League of Laureates’. His dynamic performance, passionate advocacy and engaging writing – which inspires children of all ages – cemented our choice for the next Waterstones Children’s Laurate, to champion the right of every child to enjoy a lifetime rich in books and stories. The Steering Group is looking forward to working with Joseph over the next two years to reach even more children and communities, following on from the wonderful work of the outgoing Laureate Cressida Cowell MBE. On behalf of the judges, I extend Joseph our warmest congratulations.’

Read our Authorgraph interview with Joseph Coelho.

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