Winners of the 2024 ALCS Educational Writers’ Award and Ruth Rendell Award announced
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 Society of Authors in 2008, is the UK’s only award for educational writing that inspires creativity, encourages students to read widely and builds up their understanding of a subject beyond the requirements of exam specifications.
This year’s judges were School Library Services’ librarian Cassie Hands, primary school teacher Kevin Cobane, and novelist and short story writer Ardashir Vakil.
Judge Kevin Cobane said, ‘How to Love won the hearts and minds of all the judges. Warm, witty and wise, and beautifully illustrated throughout, this is an accessible, inclusive and insightful guide to friendships, relationships and love in all its many forms. Brimming with empathy and compassion, Alex’s brilliantly written and illustrated book will resonate with teens and adults alike and this is a book that should be in every school and library.’
The Ruth Rendell Award, launched by ALCS and the National Literacy Trust in 2016, recognises the writer or author who has had the most significant influence on literacy in the UK over the past year.
Tom Percival won the award for his work promoting literacy in disadvantaged communities. His book, The Wrong Shoes, highlights the 
levels of inequality in the UK today, with £1 of every sale donated to the National Literacy Trust to promote literacy. He also spoke about the joys of reading to over 1,000 children in some of the UK’s most deprived schools and donated over 15,000 books to young readers.
Judge Di Redmond said, ‘Tom Percival has a Robin Hood talent for directing support to those who need it most, gifting 15,000 books to National Literary Trust communities around the UK as well as donating his appearance fee to local food banks when promoting his latest book. Whist travelling the country entertaining thousands of children he’s raised vital funding for schools and libraries, and gifted books into the hands of young people, many of whom previously didn’t even own a book of their own.’
The award ceremony took place at the Goldsmith’s Centre in London and was hosted by former Waterstones Childrens Laureate, Joseph Coelho.
The full shortlist for the 2024 ALCS Educational Writers’ Award:
Lessons From our Ancestors
Raksha Dave, illus Kimberlie Clinthorne-Wong, Magic Cat Publishing
Lads: A Guide to Respect and Consent for Teenage Boys
Alan Bissett, Wren and Rook
How to Love: A Guide to Feelings & Relationships for Everyone
Alex Norris, Walker Books
Queer Up: An Uplifting Guide to LGBTQ+ Love, Life and Mental Health
Alexis Caught, Walker Books
Stolen History
Sathnam Sanghera, Penguin Random House
