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Poetry and Picture Books Dominate 2024 Yoto Carnegies Shortlist 

yotocarnegies.co.uk | #YotoCarnegies24 | @CarnegieMedals

Wednesday 13 March 2024: The Yoto Carnegies, the UK’s longest running and best-loved book awards for children and young people, announced their 2024 shortlists at the London Book Fair this morning.

The Yoto Carnegies celebrate outstanding achievement in children’s writing and illustration and are unique in being judged by librarians, with respective Shadowers’ Choice Medals voted for by children and young people.  

16 books have been shortlisted in total, with eight in each category for the Carnegie Medal for Writing and Carnegie Medal for Illustration; whittled down from the 36 longlisted titles by the expert judging panel which includes 12 librarians from CILIP: the library and information association’s Youth Libraries Group. 

The 2024 Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing shortlist is (alphabetical by author surname):  

Authors L-R from top in alphabetical order by surname

The 2024 Yoto Carnegie Medal for Illustration shortlist is (alphabetical by illustrator surname):  

Illustrators L-R from top in alphabetical order by surname 

Maura Farrelly, Chair of Judges for The Yoto Carnegies 2024, said:  

“The judges have worked incredibly hard to select 16 outstanding books; books that celebrate the very best of writing and illustration for children and young people. These are books to empower young readers, and for some will provide validation and refuge; stories of courage, of characters striving to find themselves and their place in the world, often in difficult or dangerous situations. The books shortlisted for the writing medal exemplify immersive and compelling writing with the power to inspire and move readers across a range of forms. The illustration shortlist is entirely comprised of picture books, with a strong theme of the environment, underlining the way picture books can speak to all ages, and showing how nature and illustrated books can heal and empower. We are excited to share these lists with shadowing groups and young readers, and very much look forward to reading their reviews and discovering their winners, alongside our own, at the announcement in June.” 

The winners will be announced and celebrated on Thursday 20 June at a live and streamed ceremony at the Cambridge Theatre, home of the RSC’s award-winning Matilda The Musical. The ceremony will be 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.  

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. 

As the official book supplier, Scholastic are working with CILIP to donate shortlist packs to 10 schools in disadvantaged areas to allow them to also take part in the shadowing and widen the reach of engagement with the awards. Applications will be open from 22 – 28 March with packs to be sent out immediately afterwards to the selected schools.  

Scholastic will again be presenting a week of events celebrating the shortlist on their Scholastic Schools Live platform from Monday 15 April. Each 30-minute event will feature a shortlisted author or illustrator as well as a behind-the-scenes event with the judges. Schools and libraries will be able to sign up for free on the Scholastic website

THE SHORTLIST IN MORE DETAIL 

Winner of the 2009 Medal for Illustration, Catherine Rayner is shortlisted for The Bowerbird, written by Julia Donaldson. The judges described it as a “charming and absorbing story” with “wonderful, sketchy style illustrations” which give “a lively sense of movement” to Bert the bowerbird looking for love. 

Shortlisted three times previously for the Medal for Illustration, Poonam Mistry secures her place on the shortlist again with The Midnight Panther, a fable about courage and finding your place in the world. Incorporating her love of nature, her Indian roots and exploring the relationships between pattern, shapes and colour, the judges admired her “intricate and artistic style” and “incredible composition and perspective”. 

Debut illustrator and graduate of The Cambridge School of Art, Chloe Savage is shortlisted for her “vibrant and lively story” The Search for the Giant Arctic Jellyfish, an inspiring adventure about delving into the unknown told with “humour and playfulness in the illustrations”.  

An “empathetic” historical verse novel with a focus on the era of pre-slavery, The Door of No Return is a “hard-hitting, intelligent” story by poet, educator, publisher and New York Times bestselling author Kwame Alexander, following 11-year-old Kofi who is taken away from everything he loves in the hope of freedom. It is one of three novels in verse shortlisted this year. 

The second comes from Waterstones Children’s Laureate and former shortlisted author Joseph Coelho. The Boy Lost in the Maze, illustrated by Kate Milner is a “beautiful and emotionally satisfying” novel in verse portraying a boy’s journey into manhood. Blending the ancient legend of the Minotaur with the quest of a modern-day teenager to find his biological father, Coelho has produced a “truly immersive experience”. 

Tia Fisher’s debut Crossing the Line is the third; a powerful verse novel based on a true story about how teenagers can be swept up into county lines. “Emotive and believable”, it is told with authenticity, with the language adding vibrant meaning to an “innovative and engaging” story.  

Poignant poetry collection Choose Love by Nicola Davies, illustrated by Petr Horáček, highlights the real-life experiences of refugees shared with the support of charity Refugee Trauma Initiative. These short-form poems based on true stories are “powerful enough to ignite new ways of thinking and feeling” and “leave a lasting impression on readers”. This is Nicola’s first shortlisting. Several books she has written have previously been shortlisted for the Illustration medal. 

Debut author Nathanael Lessore balances serious issues with humour in Steady for This, the story of a wannabe rapper who is humiliated by an MC Battle gone wrong. With original use of language and raps featured throughout, and relatable themes of peer pressure, social inequality and new friendships, the judges called it a “stand out, highly empathic read”. 

Safiyyah’s War is the debut middle-grade fiction from children’s author, physics teacher, activist and Global Diplomacy graduate, Hiba Noor Khan. This “gripping” story is a well-researched, “outstanding account” of an often-overlooked aspect of WWII history, which “shows empathy in action” based on the forgotten heroes of the Grand Mosque of Paris who helped hide and protect Jews.  

Picture book To the Other Side by Erika Meza is a powerful and timely story exploring the journey of two young refugee children in search of safety. The judges praised the “strong synergy between text and illustration” and “striking” composition to represent light and hope, fears and danger. 

Award-winning author Zillah Bethell earns her place on the shortlist with The Song Walker, an “immersive, memorable” story set in the Australian Outback about discovery and courage. A physical journey across the Outback entwined with a metaphorical emotional journey “stimulates empathy and understanding” as two girls go in search of answers about their identity whilst hiding secrets from each other.  

Away with Words by Sophie Cameron explores the importance of communication as two girls – one who speaks little English, and another with selective mutism – 

use the discarded words of others to communicate and write poetry. The judges described it as “a thoughtful, original concept” and “beautifully observed”. 

The only wordless picture book on this year’s shortlist for the Medal for Illustration, Aaron Becker’s “fully immersive” and “beautifully crafted” The Tree and the River looks at the evolution of humankind and our impact on the natural world through depictions over time of a lone tree and enduring river. To prepare for the story’s illustrations, Becker first constructed a scale model of the book’s rolling landscape, which he then slowly transformed with clay and wood over many months. 

A touching story about a young girl coming to terms with a dramatic change, April’s Garden by Catalina Echeverri uses nature to represent healing and growth with the illustrations showing “a beautiful sense of continuity”. The judges admired the “outstanding” use of colours.  

Lost by Mariajo Ilustrajo follows the story of a polar bear in a large city with a “strong” visual narrative and “good use of angular perspective and scale” with illustrations to convey the sense of feeling overwhelmed and claustrophobic in an overbearing busy city, contrasting with the more expansive scenes in the Arctic.  

Irish illustrator Steve McCarthy explores nature and the environment in The Wilderness, an “impressive” picture book about bravery and discovering friendships inspired by McCarthy’s own home-schooled upbringing. Judges noted “a wealth of detail to discover on each spread”.  

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. 

– ENDS – 

For further information on The Yoto Carnegies 2024 please visit: www.yotocarnegies.co.uk 

#YotoCarnegies24 | @CarnegieMedals 

For media and interview requests, please contact: 
Annabelle Wright or Sabina Maharjan at ed public relations on  
annabelle@edpr.co.uk or sabina@edpr.co.uk or 020 7732 4796. 

Author and illustrator biographies and images, book synopses and jackets  
are available to download here.  

NOTES TO EDITORS: 

About The Yoto Carnegies 

About Yoto 

About CILIP, the library and information association 

About Scholastic 

About ALCS 

About First News 

The Yoto Carnegies Partner with England’s Book Town for New One-Day Festival

yotocarnegies.co.uk | #YotoCarnegies24 | @CarnegieMedals

Wednesday 21 February 2024: The Yoto Carnegies, the UK’s longest running and best loved book awards for children and young people, today announced a partnership with Sedbergh, England’s Book Town, to deliver a free day-long festival of events celebrating outstanding reading experiences for children and young people.

Scheduled for Tuesday 23rd April, the Yoto Carnegies Book Town Takeover is made possible through a partnership with Sedbergh School, Sedbergh Prep School, and Pen&Inc magazine, a champion of diversity and inclusion in children’s literature.

The festival’s daytime programme will cater to school groups, featuring sessions with the 2024 Yoto Carnegies shortlisted illustrators, renowned children’s authors, publishing experts specialising in material for young readers, and experienced group leaders for the Carnegies Shadowing Scheme. This national reading initiative involves groups reading the shortlisted books and voting for their favourites. Additionally, there will be a dedicated session for educators and librarians to explore shadowing as an avenue to foster a love for reading and engage with diverse book collections.

The evening session, set on World Book Night, will be open to the public and will feature a headline appearance by Anne Fine, a two-time recipient of the Carnegie Medal for Writing. Notably, Fine authored ‘Madame Doubtfire,’ later adapted into the blockbuster film starring Robin Williams. Anne Fine was the first novelist to be honoured as the UK Children’s Laureate (2001-2003) and has contributed to various genres, including picture books, chapter books, middle-grade fiction, young adult fiction, and adult novels.

Anne Fine said, “Winning the Carnegie Medal is the highlight of any children’s writer’s career, (may I boast that I’ve done it twice?), and such is this prize’s importance that it’s fitting that this year there’s a partnership between the Yoto Carnegies and Sedbergh, England’s Book Town. I very much look forward to speaking at this day long festival, which will promote books and reading for children and young people.”

To register your interest to attend the Yoto Carnegies Book Town Takeover on 23rd April 2024 in Sedbergh, England’s Book Town, please contact carnegies@sedberghschool.org.

The shortlists for the 2024 Yoto Carnegies will be announced at a panel event at London Book Fair beginning at 9.15am on Wednesday 13 March. The winners’ ceremony will be hosted live and streamed online on Thursday 20 June.

Pen&Inc magazine and the Yoto Carnegies are partnered in their mission to create a better, more inclusive world through reading for pleasure, and are both a part of CILIP, the Library and Information Association.

Yoto, the innovative screen-free audio platform for children, proudly headlines the Awards as the main sponsor. The Yoto Carnegies also receive support from ALCS, with Scholastic serving as the official book supplier and First News as the official media partner.

– ENDS –

For further information on The Yoto Carnegies 2024 please visit: www.yotocarnegies.co.uk
#YotoCarnegies24 | @CarnegieMedals

The Yoto Carnegies logo can be downloaded here.

For media and interview requests, please contact:
Annabelle Wright or Sabina Maharjan at ed public relations on
annabelle@edpr.co.uk or sabina@edpr.co.uk or 020 7732 4796.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

KEY DATES

About The Yoto Carnegies

About Sedbergh Book Town

About Pen&Inc. Magazine

About Sedbergh School

About CILIP, the library and information association

About Yoto

About Scholastic

About ALCS

About First News

Longlists Announced for the Yoto Carnegies 2024

yotocarnegies.co.uk | #YotoCarnegies24 | @CarnegieMedals

Tuesday 13 February 2024: The Yoto Carnegies, the UK’s longest running and best loved book awards for children and young people, today announced their longlists for 2024. Celebrating creative use of language and synergy between text and images, poetry and stories written in verse feature prominently, with British talent dominating the Medal for Writing longlist. Common themes include hidden worlds and alternate realities, forgotten histories highlighted or reimagined, and environmentalism and the power of nature.

A total of 36 books have been selected from 20 different publishers; 19 for the Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing, and 18 for the Yoto Carnegie Medal for Illustration.

The lists include:

The Yoto Carnegies celebrate outstanding reading experiences in books for children and young people.  They are unique in being judged by librarians, with the Shadowers’ Choice Medal voted for by children and young people. The awards aim to spark a lifelong passion for reading by connecting more children with books that will change lives. The longlists were chosen from 129 nominations by the judging panel which includes 12 children’s and youth librarians from CILIP’s Youth Libraries Group.

The 2024 Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing longlist is (alphabetical by author surname):

The 2024 Yoto Carnegie Medal for Illustration longlist is (alphabetical by illustrator surname):

Maura Farrelly, Chair of Judges for The Yoto Carnegies 2024, said:

Huge congratulations to all of our longlisted authors and illustrators in what has been a fantastic year for books for children and young people. It has been a joy and a privilege to chair an enthusiastic and dedicated panel of judges as we read, debated and considered the nominated titles before arriving at two exciting longlists. These are books that play with language and show how powerful words and illustrations can inspire imaginations and encourage empathy as well as helping young readers make sense of an increasingly confusing world and give them hope for a brighter future.”

Five debut authors feature on the longlist for the Medal for Writing, including Cathy Faulkner for a World War II free verse novel about everyday heroism, Digging for Victory, PRH WriteNow alum Beth Lincoln for her quirky mystery adventure The Swifts and Pari Thomson for Greenwild: The World Behind the Door, a richly imagined, fantasy ecological adventure. Offering the perspective of teenage boys, Nathanael Lessore is longlisted for Steady for This, a hilarious and heartwarming story about a wannabe rapper, and Tia Fisher for Crossing the Line, a powerful verse novel based on a true story about teenagers being swept up into county lines.

What Feelings Do When No One’s Looking is one of two debuts longlisted for the Medal for Illustration, by acclaimed Polish illustrator Aleksandra Zając. Written and translated by bestselling Polish author Tina Oziewicz, it is her first book to be published in English and gives younger children an introduction to understanding emotions and empathy. Chloe Savage‘s debut, The Search for the Giant Arctic Jellyfish, is a beautifully detailed adventure into the unknown. 

Nature and the environment are also central to The Wilderness by Steve McCarthy, an adventure book celebrating learning opportunities in the great outdoors, wordless picture book The Tree and the River by Aaron Becker which looks at the human impact on the natural world, and Global by Eoin Colfer and Andrew Donkin, illustrated by Giovanni Rigano, a compelling graphic novel about the real effects of climate change. Depicting stunning artistic seascapes, Stephen Hogtun‘s second picture book Deep follows a whale calf and his mother through the oceans. For the Medal for Writing, Electric Life by Rachel Delahaye takes an alternate approach, imagining a ‘perfect’ future society which is entirely digital with no natural world.

Historical fiction features heavily in the Medal for Writing longlist, with another two WWII-set stories – Until the Road Ends by Phil Earle is inspired by the Blitz’s most decorated bomb-dog, and Safiyyah’s War by Hiba Noor Khan highlights the forgotten heroes of the Grand Mosque of Paris who helped hide and protect Jews. The Little Match Girl Strikes Back by Emma Carroll, illustrated by Lauren Child,is a feminist reworking of the Hans Christian Andersen classic, based on a real Match Factory Strike in 1888 East London. Set in 1900s Philippines, Wild Song by Candy Gourlay is a culturally rich and authentic exploration of identity revealing a hidden history and a journey to America – similarly to Kwame Alexander’s The Door of No Return, which in lyrical verse portrays a young West African boy and his capture into slavery.

Choose Love by Nicola Davies, illustrated by Petr Horáček, uses poetry to poignantly highlight the real-life experiences of refugees, complementing To the Other Side by Erika Meza,which strikingly portrays a journey of two young refugee children. Journeys and finding your place in the world are also explored in Lost by breakout talent Mariajo Ilustrajo, The Midnight Panther by Poonam Mistry, and The Song Walker by Zillah Bethell.

Similar themes of self-discovery and identity are explored in Boy Like Me by Simon James Green, a 90s teen romance in the midst of Section 28 where gay relationships can’t be mentioned in schools, and Away with Words by Sophie Cameron – a highly original celebration of language and feelings.

A common thread through the Illustration longlist, a number of books used different styles of illustration to promote emotional literacy, creativity and tools to cope, with colour used to indicate mood or atmosphere – from the nostalgic, classic watercolours in The Boy Who Lost His Spark by Daniela Jaglenka Terrazzini, written by Maggie O’Farrell,to the bright colours representing hope introduced through seedlings growing in Catalina Echeverri’s illustrations in April’s Garden by Isla McGuckin, to the drama and darkness of the nightmarish wolves by Paddy Donnelly for Sarah Tagholm’s Wolves in Helicopters.

The shortlists for the 2024 Yoto Carnegies will be announced at a panel event at London Book Fair beginning at 9.15am on Wednesday 13 March. The winners’ ceremony will be hosted live and streamed on Thursday 20 June. 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 £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.

– ENDS –

For further information on The Yoto Carnegies 2024 please visit: www.yotocarnegies.co.uk
#YotoCarnegies24 | @CarnegieMedals

For media and interview requests, please contact:
Annabelle Wright or Sabina Maharjan at ed public relations on
annabelle@edpr.co.uk or sabina@edpr.co.uk or 020 7732 4796.

Author and illustrator biographies and images, book synopses and jackets
are available to download here.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

KEY DATES

About The Yoto Carnegies

About Yoto

About CILIP, the library and information association

About Scholastic

About ALCS

About First News

The Yoto Carnegies Renew Media Partnership with Award-Winning Children’s Newspaper First News

yotocarnegies.co.uk | #YotoCarnegies24 | @CarnegieMedals

Tuesday 23 January 2024: The Yoto Carnegies are delighted to announce they will be working with award-winning children’s news provider First News as their official media partner again for 2024.

Following a successful first year of the partnership in 2023, First News will collaborate with the Yoto Carnegies team to create bespoke content for young readers to engage with the authors, illustrators, and books celebrated by the Awards. Content will run throughout the cycle, starting with a Special Report in this week’s issue, on shelves Friday 26 January.

The Yoto Carnegies are the UK’s longest running and best-loved children’s book awards, recognising outstanding reading experiences created through writing and illustration in books for young people. The Awards aim to spark a lifelong passion for reading by connecting more children with the books that will change lives, which aligns with First News’ mission to promote reading for pleasure.

The shadowing scheme attracts and engages with thousands of children and schools as they ‘shadow’ the judging process, debate the books, and decide their Shadowers’ Choice winners from each Medal shortlist.

Nicky Cox MBE, Editor-in-Chief of First News said: “First News is delighted to be the media partner for the Yoto Carnegies, who share our passion for getting young people reading. We’re looking forward to introducing young people to this year’s books and authors, alongside our award-winning trustworthy and age-appropriate weekly news.”

CILIP’s Carnegie Awards Manager, Mackenzie Warner said: “We’re excited to announce the renewal of our collaboration with First News for 2024. Together, we are dedicated to connecting young people with life-changing books, making reading a captivating and accessible journey for all. We’re looking forward to building on the success of this partnership and delighted to be working with the talented team at First News again.”

KEY DATES FOR THE YOTO CARNEGIES 2024:

Tuesday 13 February 2024: Longlists announced

Wednesday 13 March 2024: Shortlists announced and Shadowing begins

Thursday 20 June 2024: Yoto CarnegieMedal Winners announced

– ENDS –

For further information on The Yoto Carnegies 2024 please visit: www.yotocarnegies.co.uk    

The Yoto Carnegies logo can be downloaded here.

#YotoCarnegies24 | @CarnegieMedals

For media and interview requests, please contact:
Annabelle Wright or Sabina Maharjan at ed public relations on
annabelle@edpr.co.uk or sabina@edpr.co.uk or 020 7732 4796.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

About The Yoto Carnegies

About First News

About CILIP, the library and information association

About Yoto

2024 Yoto Carnegies Shortlist to Be Announced at London Book Fair

yotocarnegies.co.uk | #YotoCarnegies24 | @CarnegieMedals

Wednesday 6 December 2023: The 2024 Yoto Carnegies are set to ignite a spark at the London Book Fair’s Author HQ on 13 March 2024. CILIP, the library and information association, will partner with the London Book Fair to announce the shortlisted titles for the Yoto Carnegie Medals for Writing and Illustration at a special panel event to celebrate the UK’s longest running and best-loved children’s book awards.  

The full 2024 Author HQ programme is now available on the London Book Fair website.

The event will include a discussion exploring the Awards’ enduring mission to empower the next generation through books and reading, highlighting the importance of celebrating children’s books, authors and illustrators.

Moderated by Jake Hope, Carnegie Awards Executive, the panel features the 2024 Chair of Judges, Maura Farrelly, who will share an inside look at this year’s judging process. Joining the conversation are special guests: the 2023 Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing winner, Manon Steffan Ros, for The Blue Book of Nebo (Firefly Press), and the 2023 Yoto Carnegie Shadowers’ Choice Medal for Illustration winner, Joe Todd-Stanton, for The Comet (Flying Eye Books).

13 March will also see the start of the 2024 Yoto Carnegies Shadowing Scheme, which invites children and young people to read the shortlisted books, share their views, and vote for their favourites to win the Shadowers’ Choice medals. UK-based group leaders can also opt in to receive a free publicity pack on the shortlist announcement day. You can register your Shadowing Group here.

The Shadowers’ Choice winners and the judges’ medal recipients will be announced at a livestreamed ceremony on 20 June 2024.

Yoto, the innovative, screen-free audio platform for children, is the headline sponsor of the 2024 Awards. The Yoto Carnegies are sponsored by The Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS) and Scholastic as the official book supplier, with the 2024 shortlist available to pre-order now.

KEY DATES FOR THE YOTO CARNEGIES 2024:

Tuesday 13 February 2024: Longlists announced

Wednesday 13 March 2024: Shortlists announced and Shadowing begins

Thursday 20 June 2024: Yoto Carnegie Medal Winners announced

– ENDS –

For further information on The Yoto Carnegies 2024 please visit: www.yotocarnegies.co.uk    

The Yoto Carnegies logo can be downloaded here.

#YotoCarnegies24 | @CarnegieMedals

For media and interview requests, please contact:
Annabelle Wright or Sabina Maharjan at ed public relations on
annabelle@edpr.co.uk or sabina@edpr.co.uk or 020 7732 4796.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

About The Yoto Carnegies

About The London Book Fair

About CILIP, the library and information association

About Yoto

About Scholastic

About ALCS

Nominations Announced for the 2024 Yoto Carnegies

yotocarnegies.co.uk | #YotoCarnegies24 | @CarnegieMedals

Monday 6 November 2023: Nominations have been announced for the 2024 Yoto Carnegies, the UK’s longest-running and best-loved children’s book awards.

A grand total of 129 books have been nominated for the 2024 Medals. 69 books are in contention for the Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing which is awarded to a book written in English for children and young people that sparks an outstanding reading experience and 60 books for the Yoto Carnegie Medal for Illustration, which celebrates an outstanding reading experience through illustration. This includes 6 titles that have received nominations in both Medal categories.

Yoto Carnegie Medal for Illustration Nominated Titles 2024

Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing Nominated Titles 2024

Uniquely judged by librarians, the Yoto Carnegies invite nominations from CILIP members, as well as external bodies: Amnesty International, BookTrust, CLPE, Commonword, English & Media Centre, IBBY, National Literacy Trust, RNIB, The Reading Agency, and the CILIP School Libraries Group. CILIP accepted nominations that met the criteria for the Medals and reflected the spirit of the Awards mission: To champion librarians to inspire and empower the next generation to create a better world through books and reading.

What happens next?

Each nominated book is read by every member of the 2024 judging panel – which this year includes 12 experienced librarians from CILIP’s Youth Libraries Group (YLG) − who volunteer their time as judges.

From these nominations, the judging panel will decide the long and shortlists and finally, the 2024 Medal winners, based on the official criteria for the Medals for Writing and Illustration. The long and shortlists identify a range of outstanding books for children and young people of all ages and interests, celebrating world-class writing and illustration from new and established authors and illustrators.

2024 will also see the continuation of the Shadowers’ Choice Awards voted for by children and young people who take part in the Awards shadowing scheme – a reading for pleasure initiative that engages thousands of children and young people in schools and libraries in the UK and overseas through ‘shadowing’ reading groups. Young people read and engage with the shortlists critically and creatively, through group participation and digitally: posting online reviews, artworks, videos and taking part in creative activities and online events. Taking on the role of judges, the groups will vote for their favourite books to receive the Shadowers’ Choice Award at the winners’ ceremony in June 2024.

Registration for shadowing groups is now open and group leaders can opt in to receive a free publicity pack when the shortlists are announced in March.

All nominations published have received at least one nomination from a CILIP member or external body and have been checked and verified for their eligibility.

The 2024 Yoto Carnegies promise to be an exciting journey through outstanding reading experiences. Stay tuned for further updates as we embark on another year of celebrating the power of storytelling to captivate young hearts and minds. It starts with a spark.

KEY DATES FOR THE YOTO CARNEGIES 2024:

Tuesday 13 February 2024: Longlists announced

Wednesday 13 March 2024: Shortlists announced and Shadowing begins

Thursday 20 June 2024: Yoto Carnegie Medal Winners announced

– ENDS –

For further information on The Yoto Carnegies 2024 please visit: www.yotocarnegies.co.uk    

The Yoto Carnegies logo can be downloaded here.

#YotoCarnegies24 | @CarnegieMedals

For media and interview requests, please contact:
Annabelle Wright or Sabina Maharjan at ed public relations on
annabelle@edpr.co.uk or sabina@edpr.co.uk or 020 7732 4796.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

About The Yoto Carnegies

About CILIP, the library and information association

About Yoto

About Scholastic

CILIP Statement on Carnegies Rebranding

We’d like to thank the signatories of the petition for raising the issue of the renaming of the Kate Greenaway Medal. Like the people who have signed and shared the petition, we strongly believe in the power of illustration to empower children and young people to create a better world through books and reading.

We understand the concerns raised and recognise the importance of Kate Greenaway’s contribution to children’s books and illustration. This will be taken into account when considering the future direction of the Awards, and we will continue to honour and recognise Kate Greenaway’s work, as we did with our Greenaway Greats reading scheme last year.

We felt it would be useful to clarify the process by which the decision was made.

As the oldest and best-loved children’s book awards, we are passionate about supporting and celebrating illustrators of today, and ensuring we are fulfilling our Awards mission. We are proud that the Carnegie Medal for Illustration continues to be one of the few awards highlighting the important contribution of illustrators. As part of our commitment to promoting a diverse range of talents and perspectives, we strive to be inclusive through our promotion of illustrators on equal terms with writers.  

CILIP and YLG will continue to explore opportunities to utilise the exceptional backlist of illustration winners to create participation and engagement projects that bring outstanding reading opportunities to a wide range of traditional and non-traditional readers.

Historic Win as Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing Awarded to a Book in Translation for the First Time; A Graphic Novel Wins Illustration Medal for the Second Consecutive Year

CELEBRATED BOOKS OFFER AN IMMERSIVE READING EXPERIENCE AND ENCOURAGE YOUNG READERS TO LOOK TO THE FUTURE

yotocarnegies.co.uk | #YotoCarnegies23 | @CarnegieMedals

Images available here.

Wednesday 21 June 2023: The winners of the UK’s longest-running and best-loved book awards for children and young people, the Yoto Carnegies, were announced today in a live-streamed ceremony at The Barbican.

For the first time in the awards almost 90-year history, the Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing is awarded to a book in translation – The Blue Book of Nebo (Firefly Press), written and translated by Manon Steffan Ros. Told through the dual narrative of a mother and son in post-apocalyptic Nebo, this “compelling, conceivable” story explores Welsh identity and culture, and offers a beautiful appreciation of language. The original Welsh publication, Llyfr Glas Nebo, won multiple awards, including the 2019 Wales Book of the Year.

Jeet Zdung has won the Yoto Carnegie Medal for Illustration for Saving Sorya: Chang and the Sun Bear, (Kingfisher, an imprint of Macmillan Children’s Books). This is the second consecutive year that a graphic novel has clinched the prize. Written and inspired by the real life of Vietnamese wildlife conservationist Dr Trang Nguyen, the “beautiful” manga-inspired illustrations – including scenic watercolours and detailed, pencil sketched journal entries – work together to offer “something new to discover on each re-reading” and inspire and educate young wildlife activists.

The Yoto Carnegies celebrate outstanding achievement in children’s writing and illustration and are unique in being judged by an expert panel of children’s and youth librarians, including 12 librarians from CILIP, the library and information association’s Youth Libraries Group.

Selected from shortlists of seven and six titles respectively, both winners were praised by the judges for providing an “immersive” reading experience, addressing questions about how we live now and how this might affect the future – from the domestic, day-to-day perspective in The Blue Book of Nebo, to environmental and animal protection in Saving Sorya: Chang and the Sun Bear.  

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 have voted for their favourites from this year’s shortlist and have chosen I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetysfor the Yoto Carnegie Shadowers’ Choice Medal for Writing, and The Comet by Joe Todd-Stanton for the Yoto Carnegie Shadowers’ Choice Medal for Illustration.

Sepetys previously won the Carnegie Medal for Writing in 2017 for Salt to the Sea and was shortlisted in 2021 for The Fountains of Silence. I Must Betray You, a YA novel set during the Romanian Revolution, was called “compelling”, “captivating” and “a must-read” by shadower Grace from The Abbey Readers, and Giselle from HAEC Books and Biscuits Carnegie Shadowers group described it as a “powerful and moving historical fiction novel. . . The author explores the themes of freedom, betrayal, and hope in a way that is both thought-provoking and relevant to our own lives.”

The Comet – a touching picture book about a father and daughter who move from the country to the city and are searching for a feeling of home – was praised by Darcy-Belle at Chandlings Prep School for its “bright and colourful illustrations” and Logan at The Great Bookish Club said it was “full of imagination and adventure.” Todd-Stanton was longlisted for the Medal for Illustration in 2018 for The Secret of Black Rock.

The winners were revealed at an in-person ceremony held at The Barbican, which was live-streamed and watched by shadowing groups around the country. The awards were hosted by former Children’s Laureate Lauren Child CBE, who won the Carnegie Medal for Illustration – then known as the Kate Greenaway Medal – in 2000 for her first Charlie and Lola book, I Will Not Ever Never Eat a Tomato.

Janet Noble, Chair of Judges for The Yoto Carnegies 2023, said:

“From an incredibly strong shortlist, our panel of librarian judges have debated long and hard to choose our two worthy winners of the Yoto Carnegie Medals 2023.

In The Blue Book of Nebo, the world building and distinct voices of the two main characters, the son and his mother, are expertly realised and the reader is compelled to question their own relationship with the modern world. Saving Sorya: Chang and the Sun Bear is a beautiful story, elegantly told, which brings together a global view of conservation and an empowering true story of an inspiring female environmentalist, told through dazzling manga art and watercolours. Jeet has crafted every illustration to immerse the reader, just as Manon draws the reader in completely with her vivid, deliberate prose.

Thanks to the young readers far and wide who have engaged with our shortlists and voted for their own deserving Shadowers’ Choice Medal recipients. Huge congratulations to all four of our Yoto Carnegie medal winners for this year, who demonstrate the best of children’s writing and illustration in its myriad of forms.”  

Prolific Welsh writer Manon Steffan Ros lives in Tywyn, North Wales. She has written over 23 books for adults and children and is four-times winner of the Tir na n’Og Wales Children’s Book Awards. The Blue Book of Nebo is Ros’ first YA novel to be published in English, and is published by British Book Awards Wales Small Press of the Year, Firefly Press. The judges admired the “appreciation of language, reading and literature” and described it as “heartbreaking”, “poignant” and “rich with Welsh heritage.” Following the success of The Blue Book of Nebo, Firefly have since acquired two middle-grade titles by Ros, Feather (Pluen), and Me and Aaron Ramsey (Fi ac Aaron Ramsey), to be published in English in 2024.

Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing winner, Manon Steffan Ros, said:

“I used to see the word Carnegie on the covers of my favourite books as a child, and the fact that The Blue Book of Nebo now has that honour bestowed upon it means more than I can say – and to be the first book in translation to win the Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing is a source of great delight. One of the greatest privileges of my life has been the fact that I was raised through the medium of the Welsh language, and having access to two languages has brought me so much joy and opportunity. There’s a huge, lively, thriving Welsh language cultural scene that I’m honoured to be a part of. Each language offers a unique and enriching perspective on the world, and so literature in translation has the potential to enhance our lives greatly. Your favourite book might not yet be translated into a language that you understand.”

Comic artist-illustrator Jeet Zdung grew up in and still lives in Hanoi, Vietnam. He uses diverse drawing styles, from realistic depictions to cartoon, manga, and Vietnamese-Japanese folk styles, to create multiform works for readers of all ages. He has won several awards, including a Silent Manga Audition Excellence Award for his manga Stand Up and Fly. Considered alongside last year’s Illustration Medal winner Danica Novgorodoff for Long Way Down, written by Jason Reynolds, these two graphic novels demonstrate the range of storytelling this form can offer readers. The judges praised Zdung’s “clever use of panelling” and infusion of graphic novel and manga styles to deliver “drama and impact” as well as creating “perfect synergy” between the visuals and the text.

Yoto Carnegie Medal for Illustration winner, Jeet Zdung, said:

“When I was a child, I always wished that I could create my own cartoon movies. The process of creating the book Saving Sorya: Chang and the Sun Bear was a journey to satisfy the child’s longing inside of me – to create an immersive movie on paper using influences of comics and manga. Together with Trang Nguyen, we hope these books will contribute to the conservation of wildlife by sharing with the readers what we know, what we love and care about. For me, this is a long and enduring journey. Winning the Yoto Carnegie Medal for Illustration is a great honour. We hope that the impact of the prize will be felt widely and draw attention to the plight of the Sun Bears and other wildlife.”

The winners each receive £500 worth of books to donate to a library of their choice, a £5,000 Colin Mears Award cash prize and a newly designed golden medal. For the first time, this year the Shadowers’ Choice winners were also presented with a golden medal.

Ros is making her donation to her local library, Tywyn Library in Gwynedd, where she wrote a few of her books when she didn’t have the means to get internet at home. Dr Trang Nguyen and her organization WildAct have set up libraries for children in localities near Vietnamese national parks to heighten their reading skills and knowledge of conservation; Zdung’s donation will be supporting this effort. 

Yoto, the innovative, screen-free audio platform for children, is the headline sponsor of the Awards. The Yoto Carnegies are sponsored by ALCS and Scholastic as the official book supplier, with First News as the official media partner for 2023.

– ENDS –

An image of all four 2023 Yoto Carnegie winners' books.

For further information on The Yoto Carnegies 2023 please visit: www.yotocarnegies.co.uk    

#YotoCarnegies23 | @CarnegieMedals

For media and interview requests, please contact:
Annabelle Wright or Sabina Maharjan at ed public relations on
annabelle@edpr.co.uk or sabina@edpr.co.uk or 020 7732 4796.

For the winners’ speeches, images of the winning authors and illustrators, book jackets, illustrated spreads and social media assets, please click here. This Drive will be updated with further images from the winners ceremony in due course.


NOTES TO EDITORS:

Winning author and illustrator biographies and book synopses

The Blue Book of Nebo by Manon Steffan Ros (Firefly Press)

Dylan was six when The End came, back in 2018; when the electricity went off for good, and the ‘normal’ 21st century world he knew disappeared. Now he’s 14 and he and his mam have survived in their isolated hilltop house above the village of Nebo in north-west Wales, learning new skills, and returning to old ways of living. Despite their close understanding, the relationship between mother and son changes subtly as Dylan must take on adult responsibilities. And they each have their own secrets, which merge as, in turn, they jot down their thoughts and memories in a found notebook – The Blue Book of Nebo.

Manon Steffan Ros was born in Snowdonia and worked as an actress and musician before becoming a full-time writer. Manon has written over 23 books for adults and children in the Welsh language and has won the Wales Book of the Year for her adult fiction as well as being four-times winner of the Tir na n’Og Wales Children’s Book Awards. She has also won Eisteddfod and National Theatre Wales awards for her script writing. She lives in Tywyn in north Wales with her children.

Saving Sorya: Chang and the Sun Bear illustrated by Jeet Zdung,
written by Trang Nguyen (Kingfisher, an imprint of Macmillan Children’s Books)

Saving Sorya: Chang and the Sun Bear is the incredible true story of the promise a young schoolgirl made to a brown moon bear in a small town in Vietnam. Follow Chang through tropical Asian rainforests and unpredictable jungles as she fights to become a conservationist. But these dangerous landscapes are only part of her troubles, disproving critics who say that a young girl can’t be a conservationist proves to be an even bigger challenge. Told as a graphic novel with breathtaking art from Jeet Zdung and STEM facts galore, Chang’s daring story is an accessible and fearless adventure that will inspire any animal-loving, intrepid explorer. This tale about friendship and the strength and resilience of one young girl teaches us that letting go is never easy, and sometimes the biggest challenges in life are the most special.

Comic artist-illustrator Jeet Zdung (illustrator) was born in 1988 in Da Nang and grew up in Hanoi, Vietnam. He writes and illustrates books for readers aged 4 years and up. His works are multiform – including manga/comics (with or without words), graphic novels and picture books – and often depict adventures and observations on nature, folk arts, sports, children, and wildlife. Jeet Zdung has diverse drawing styles, from realistic depictions to cartoon, manga, and Vietnamese-Japanese folk styles. His favourite materials are watercolour paper, washi paper, Dó paper, canvas, comic pen, brush, ink, watercolour, gouache, acrylic, and acryl-gouache. He has won several awards, including a Silent Manga Audition Excellence Award for his manga Stand Up and Fly. He lives in Hanoi, Vietnam.

I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys (Hodder Children’s Books)

I Must Betray You tells the story of Cristian, a 17-year-old who has lived his entire life in a country governed by fear. Ruled by a despotic dictator, Cristian and his fellow citizens live every day with ever-present suspicion, hardship and repression. One day he is faced with the toughest choice of all; will he betray his family or will he risk everything – even the lives of people he loves – to resist? Gripping, intoxicating and uniquely involving, Cristian’s story will have readers asking themselves just what they would have done under the constant watchful eyes of the secret police, what they would have sacrificed to be free. Set in a knife-edge moment of modern history, the courage, hope, and violence of the Romanian Revolution powerfully frame this evocative thriller.

Ruta Sepetys was born and raised in Michigan, USA to parents of Lithuanian origin. Her passion for global connectivity has led to her presenting to NATO, the European Parliament, the US Capitol and embassies worldwide. She is the author of 2016 Carnegie Medal and Waterstones Prize-winner Salt to the Sea. She specialises in stories with the power of the most gripping thrillers, which also expose lesser-known stories in 20th-century history. Her novel The Fountains of Silence was on the 2021 Carnegie shortlist. She is published in 60 countries and is a tireless traveller and speaker in support of her books. Ruta lives in Tennessee, USA with her husband.

The Comet illustrated and written by Joe Todd-Stanton (Flying Eye Books)

When Nyla has to leave her home in the countryside to start life again in the city, all she can think about is everything she misses from before. So when a comet comes crashing through the city streets and starts to glow and grow, Nyla can’t resist a chance to head somewhere that feels closer to what she had before … but what starts as an escape could be just the thing to make her finally feel at home. The Comet is a celebration of imagination, make believe play, and the relationship between parent and child all combined with the near universal theme of moving house, and dealing with a new environment and experience.

Joe Todd-Stanton is from Brighton and grew up drawing with his mum. He studied Illustration at the University of the West of England, afterwards moving to London where he currently lives. In 2018, his book The Secret of Black Rock was longlisted for the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal – now named the Yoto Carnegie Medal for Illustration – and won a Waterstones Children’s Book Prize. The Comet was shortlisted for the Foyles Children’s Book of the Year 2022, longlisted for the UKLA 2022 Book Award (age 3 – 6 category) and was included as a CLPE Power of Reading title for 2022 – 2023.

About The Yoto Carnegies

About Yoto

About CILIP, the library and information association

About CILIP’s Awards Partners

About Scholastic

About the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society

About First News

About Lauren Child

Unforgettable Voices and Bold Storytelling Celebrated as Yoto Carnegies 2023 Shortlists Are Announced

yotocarnegies.co.uk | #YotoCarnegies23 | @CarnegieMedals

Friday 17 March 2023: The UK’s longest running and best-loved book awards for children and young people, The Yoto Carnegies, today announced their 2023 shortlists.

The Yoto Carnegies celebrate outstanding achievement in children’s writing and illustration and are unique in being judged by children’s and youth librarians, with the respective Shadowers’ Choice Medals voted for by children and young people.

13 books have been shortlisted in total; seven for the Carnegie Medal for Writing and six for the Carnegie Medal for Illustration. The 31 longlisted titles were whittled down by the expert judging panel, which includes 12 librarians from CILIP: the library and information association’s Youth Libraries Group.

The 2023 Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing shortlist is (alphabetical by author surname):

Authors L-R from top in alphabetical order by surname


The 2023 Yoto Carnegie Medal for Illustration shortlist is (alphabetical by illustrator surname):

Illustrators L-R from top in alphabetical order by surname

Janet Noble, Chair of Judges for The Yoto Carnegies 2023, said:
“This year’s shortlists clearly demonstrate that authors, illustrators and publishers are continuing to create outstanding books for children and young people that represent a wide range of identities, helping to ensure the diversity of experiences across the UK is reflected. Stories of bravery, compassion and community are told authentically and sensitively in a range of distinctive written and illustrative styles, with fantastic debuts taking pride of place alongside well-known names. We’re sure shadowing groups across the country will share our excitement in reading and discussing these superb books in the coming months, and we wish them luck in choosing their winners – we know it’s not going to be an easy decision! The 2023 judges and I are immensely proud that these 13 books will become part of the distinguished legacy of The Yoto Carnegies.” 

The winners will be announced and celebrated on Wednesday 21 June at a live and streamed lunchtime ceremony at The Barbican, hosted by former Children’s Laureate Lauren Child CBE, who won the Carnegie Medal for Illustration – then known as the Kate Greenaway Medal – in 2000 for her first Charlie and Lola book, I Will Not Ever Never Eat A Tomato.

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

As the official book supplier, Scholastic are working with CILIP to donate shortlist packs to 10 schools in disadvantaged areas to allow them to also take part in the shadowing and widen the reach of engagement with the awards. Applications will be open from 24th – 31st March, with packs to be sent out immediately afterwards to the selected schools.

Scholastic are also delighted to bring a week of events celebrating the shortlist to their Scholastic Schools Live platform from Monday 27th March. Each 30-minute event will feature a shortlisted author or illustrator as well as a behind-the-scenes event with the judges. Schools can sign up for free on the Scholastic website.

THE SHORTLIST IN MORE DETAIL

International bestselling author of The Miniaturist and The Muse,Jessie Burton has been shortlisted for her second children’s book, Medusa; the judges called it a “visceral”, “profound” and “poetic” feminist reimagining of the Greek myth, dazzlingly illustrated by Olivia Lomenech Gill.

Four times winner of the Tir na n’Og Wales Children’s Book Awards, Manon Steffan Ros has been shortlisted for the “poignant”, “perfectly paced” and “completely conceivable”, The Blue Book of Nebo – winner of the Wales Book of the Year 2019 in the original Welsh-language edition. Now adapted into English, it tells the “heart-wrenching” story of a boy and his mother who are isolated survivors of a nuclear war through interwoven diary extracts.

Five-time nominated author Sita Brahmachari has secured her place on the shortlist for the first time for When Shadows Fall, a “beautifully observed”, “lyrical” novel written through an original mix of forms, combining poetry, prose and illustrations by Natalie Sirett. The judges highlighted the “unforgettable voices” in this story of friendship and community. A previous winner of the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize, Brahmachari is an ambassador for Amnesty, and her passion for centring marginalised voices comes to the fore in this “powerfully charged” tale.

Another author pushing to ensure underrepresented voices are heard is multi-award-winning Patrice Lawrence. She has been shortlisted for the first time for Needle, a “concise, punchy novella” which explores the microaggressions, stereotyping and racism faced by Charlene, a Black teenager in foster care: “the strength of Charlene’s character and voice will linger long after the book is finished”, commented the judges.

Following winning both the Carnegie Medal for Writing and the Shadowers’ Choice in 2022 for October, October, Katya Balen’s The Light in Everything is the only middle-grade novel on this year’s Carnegie Medal for Writing shortlist. “A memorable story of blended families”, Balen’s renowned poetic language offers “a beautiful reading experience” with “emotional honesty”. The characters of Tom and Zofia are deftly drawn, demonstrating the strength of voice that elevates all of this year’s shortlisted titles.

Ruta Sepetys won the Carnegie Medal for Writing in 2017 and was shortlisted in 2021, and specialises in writing gripping reads that expose lesser-known 20th-century history. Her shortlisted YA novel I Must Betray You has been praised for its depth of characters, in what the judges described as a “tautly atmospheric” and “utterly compelling” story set during the Romanian Revolution.

The Eternal Return of Clara Hart by Louise Finch is the only debut in the running for the Medal for Writing – the first shortlisting for independent Irish publisher Little Island. “Pacy, witty and darkly relatable”, the cyclical nature of the story is reflected in the “ingenious” narrative style, with “sharp, acerbic language” to effectively demonstrate the complexity of modern teenage relationships in this unflinching look at the impact of toxic masculinity.

Ten years since first winning the Carnegie Medal for Illustration, multi-award-winning Australian-based British artist Levi Pinfold has been shortlisted for the fourth time for The Worlds We Leave Behind. A companion novel to the critically acclaimed The Song From Somewhere Else, also created in partnership with writer A. F. Harrold, the judges praised its “mesmerising images” with a “detailed and textured quality” which “continue to haunt readers long after the book is finished”.

Chinese illustrator Yu Rong has been shortlisted for the second year in a row – this time for her “beautifully nuanced and inclusive” work in The Visible Sounds. “A vibrant, visual story where colour is cleverly used to convey a developmental journey”, this positive exploration of hearing loss is based on the inspiring true story of dancer Lihua Tai, written by Yin Jianling.

Conversely, Saving Sorya: Chang and the Sun Bear is based on author Trang Nguyen’s own inspiring life, and a bear from her childhood that moved her to become a wildlife conservationist and environmental activist. Saving Sorya is Jeet Zdung’s first children’s book published in the UK. Fusing traditional Vietnamese art with manga, this “wonderfully evocative”, “powerful” graphic novel intertwines fiction and fact, with “bold and superbly detailed images”.

The second graphic novel on this year’s Medal for Illustration shortlist is Alte Zachen: Old Things, illustrated by multidisciplinary creator Benjamin Phillips, and written by Ziggy Hanaor. This “incisive and thoughtful exploration of Jewish identity” tells the intergenerational story of Benji and his Bubbe (grandmother), shopping for their Friday night dinner in New York. According to the judges, Phillips “skilfully” captures the nature of memory and strong emotions through “simple yet evocative illustrations”.

Illustrator Joe Todd-Stanton was longlisted for the Medal for Illustration in 2018 for The Secret of Black Rock. This year The Comet, focused on a father-daughter relationship and feeling at home,was described by the judges as a “sweet and tender picture book that beautifully illuminates the power that art, creativity and community hold”, with illustrations “every bit as emotive as they are playful”.

Alongside the established names is the debut children’s book by Belfast-based author and illustrator, Flora Delargy. With “suspense and tension”, Rescuing Titanic tells the lesser-known history of the Carpathia, the little ship that heroically rescued 705 Titanic passengers, through “expansive watercolours”. Delargy has a personal connection to the story, as her grandfather and great grandfather both worked in the Belfast Shipyards where the Titanic was built.

Yoto, the innovative, screen-free audio platform for children, is the headline sponsor of the Awards. The Yoto Carnegies are sponsored by ALCS and Scholastic as the official book supplier, with First News as the official media partner for 2023.

– ENDS –

For further information on The Yoto Carnegies 2023 please visit: www.yotocarnegies.co.uk    

#YotoCarnegies23 | @CarnegieMedals

For media and interview requests, please contact:

Annabelle Wright or Sabina Maharjan at ed public relations on
annabelle@edpr.co.uk or sabina@edpr.co.uk or 020 7732 4796.

Author and illustrator biographies and images, book synopses and jackets
are available to download here.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

About The Yoto Carnegies

About Yoto

About CILIP, the library and information association

About CILIP’s Awards Partners

About Scholastic

About the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society

About First News

About Lauren Child

Longlists Announced for the Yoto Carnegies 2023

yotocarnegies.co.uk | #YotoCarnegies23 | @CarnegieMedals

Wednesday 15 February 2023: The Yoto Carnegies, the UK’s longest running and best-loved book awards for children and young people, today announced the longlists for 2023. Dominated by independent publishers, the stories range from intimate examinations of family life to sensitive introductions to societal issues impacting the world today, with many reflecting on past histories or looking to the future of our planet.

A total of 31 books have been recognised, with 15 books selected for the Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing longlist, and 18 for the Yoto Carnegie Medal for Illustration.

The lists include:

The Yoto Carnegies celebrate outstanding achievement in children’s writing and illustration and are unique in being judged by children’s librarians, with the Shadowers’ Choice Medals voted for by children and young people. The awards aim to spark a lifelong passion for reading by connecting more children with books that will change lives. The longlists were chosen from 125 nominations by the judging panel, which includes 12 children’s and youth librarians from CILIP’s Youth Libraries Group.

The 2023 Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing longlist is (alphabetical by author surname):

The 2023 Yoto Carnegie Medal for Illustration longlist is (alphabetical by illustrator surname):

Janet Noble, Chair of Judges for The Yoto Carnegies 2023, said:

“It is a great honour to be chairing the judging panel during another outstanding year for children’s publishing. We were taken on amazing reading journeys by haunting prose and powerful poetry and found delight in the evocative worlds of stunning illustration, and were able to explore an incredible variety of themes including belonging, friendship and the climate crisis. I commend all the authors and illustrators on their wonderful work, which will bring young readers so much joy and hope in these challenging times.”

In addition to the aforementioned prior winners and shortlistees, this year’s Medal for Writing longlist includes six authors previously longlisted; Jason Cockcroft (2022), Patrice Lawrence (2022), Elen Caldecott (2021), Danielle Jawando (2021), Kiran Millwood Hargrave (2018) and A. F. Harrold (2016).

Many of the stories across both longlists explore changing family dynamics or adjusting to new environments, including the newly blended family in Katya Balen’s The Light in Everything. Julia and her parents move to a remote island in Scotland for the summer in Julia and the Shark, whichoffers a captivating combination of lyrical prose and absorbing imagery in the first collaborative novel from Kiran Millwood Hargrave and Tom de Freston. In Jason Cockcroft’s powerful and sensitive story of the trauma of grief, Running with Horses, protagonist Rabbit and his mum are adjusting to a new place, and a new reality, without his dad.

On the Medal for Illustration longlist, The Comet by Joe Todd-Stanton uses imagination and light to offer hope in the difficulties of moving home and finding a sense of belonging. The relationships between children and grandparents are the focus of Dadaji’s Paintbrush by Rashmi Sirdeshpande, illustrated by Ruchi Mhasane and graphic novel Alte Zachen: Old Things by Ziggy Hanaor, illustrated by Benjamin Phillips.

Climate change and conservation return as an important thread to this year’s Writing longlist, including Green Rising by Lauren James, the founder of the Climate Fiction Writers League, and Manon Steffan Ros, whoexamines a post-apocalyptic future in The Blue Book of Nebo – now translated into English from the multi-award-winning Welsh language original. On the Illustration longlist, Saving Sorya: Chang and the Sun Bear tells the incredible true story of where Trang Nguyen’s love for bears started and how she came to be such a passionate and leading wildlife conservationist in this graphic novel, boldy illustrated by Jeet Zdung.

When Shadows Fall by Sita Brahmachari, illustrated by Natalie Sirett, creatively brings together verse, prose and imagery to share a story of disaffected youth and the vulnerability of teenage years. These topics are also explored in contemporary settings in Danielle Jawando’s powerful coming-of-age story, When Our Worlds Collided, and the deftly-woven Needle by award-winning author Patrice Lawrence, longlisted for the second consecutive year.  

New worlds or alternate realities are explored in The Worlds We Leave Behind, by A. F. Harrold, illustrated by Levi Pinfold, and The Eternal Return of Clara Hart by Louise Finch – an impactful exploration of toxic masculinity and the only debut on this year’s Medal for Writing longlist.

Alongside Pinfold and Lomenech Gill, the Medal for Illustration longlist features two other previously shortlisted artists: Júlia Sardà (2020) for the first book she has written as well as illustrated; and Yu Rong (2022) for her portrayal of hearing loss. Illustrator and author James Mayhew was also longlisted in 2019.

Five debuts feature on the longlist for the Medal for Illustration, with three of those finding success and inspiration in bringing true stories from history to life; Sophie Bass joyously illustrates a child’s journey to England on board Empire Windrush invivid colour in John Agard’s Windrush Child; Flora Delargy provides rich detail to a little ship that changed course to offer help in Rescuing Titanic; The Baker by the Sea atmospherically illustrates the fishing community and history of Lowestoft through pen-and-ink artwork, where author and illustrator Paula White grew up.

Conversely, Spanish illustrator Mariajo Ilustrajo’s longlisted debut picture book Flooded looks to the future, presenting an allegory of climate change and the importance of everyone working together. Roozeboo’s fun, inclusive debut Choices, where a girl people-watches at her local lido, also offers an important lesson for readers, encouraging them to reflect on the decisions they make, whether big or small.

Water is central to many of the longlisted titles and illustrated in a multitude of ways – from Teddy Keen’s journal sketches of the mysteriously erased river in The Unknown Adventurer’s Journey to the Last River, to the eerie watercolours by Alan Marks in Marianne McShane’s The Fog Catcher’s Daughter.

As well as sparking imaginations, picture books can provide a sensitive way to introduce sophisticated topics to children, to invite discussion and conversation. Excellent examples of this include Helen Cooper’s Saving the Butterfly illustrated by Gill Smith, about two refugees settling in a new country and the accompanying feelings of fear and hope, and Lucy Christopher’s The Queen on our Corner, illustrated by Nia Tudor, which introduces homelessness in a gentle but honest way.

The shortlists for the 2023 Yoto Carnegies will be announced on Friday 17 March. The winners’ ceremony will be hosted live and streamed from The Barbican on Wednesday 21 June. The winners will each receive £500 worth of books to donate to their local library, 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.

Yoto, the innovative, screen-free audio platform for children, is the headline sponsor of the Awards. The Yoto Carnegies are sponsored by ALCS and Scholastic as the official book supplier, with First News as the official media partner for 2023.

– ENDS –

For further information on The Yoto Carnegies 2023 please visit: www.yotocarnegies.co.uk    

#YotoCarnegies23 | @CarnegieMedals

For media and interview requests, please contact:

Annabelle Wright or Sabina Maharjan at ed public relations on
annabelle@edpr.co.uk or sabina@edpr.co.uk or 020 7732 4796.

Author and illustrator biographies and images, book synopses and jackets
are available to download here.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

KEY DATES

About The Yoto Carnegies

About Yoto

About CILIP, the library and information association

About Scholastic

About the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society

About First News

The Yoto Carnegies Announce Media Partnership with Award-Winning Children’s Newspaper First News

yotocarnegies.co.uk | #YotoCarnegies23 | @CarnegieMedals

Tuesday 24 January 2023: The Yoto Carnegies are delighted to announce the award-winning children’s news provider First News as their official media partner for 2023.

First News will work with the Yoto Carnegies team throughout the Awards cycle to create bespoke content for young readers to engage with the authors, illustrators, and books celebrated by the Awards.

The Yoto Carnegies are the UK’s longest running and best-loved children’s book awards, recognising outstanding reading experiences created through writing and illustration in books for young people. The Awards aim to spark a lifelong passion for reading by connecting more children with the books that will change lives.

The shadowing scheme attracts and engages with thousands of children and schools as they ‘shadow’ the judging process, debate the books, and decide their Shadowers’ Choice winners from each Medal shortlist.

Editor-in-Chief of First News, Nicky Cox MBE, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with The Yoto Carnegies, who share our passion for getting young people reading, and are looking forward to keeping our readers updated on the Awards throughout the year. First News is at the forefront of ensuring children have access to reliable, trustworthy and age-appropriate news curated especially for them and gives children a voice about the issues they care about. While children make up 27% of the world’s people, they are 100% of the future.”

CILIP Chief Executive, Nick Poole said: “We’re thrilled to be partnering with First News for The Yoto Carnegies this year. They have always been fantastic supporters of the Awards but following our brand refresh, it felt like the perfect opportunity to come together to inspire children and foster a love of reading. With an engaged young readership across the country and shared goals of fuelling curiosity and critical thinking, there is a lot of synergy in our ambitions, and we’re looking forward to working with their talented team.”

KEY DATES FOR THE YOTO CARNEGIES 2023:

Wednesday 15 February 2023: Longlist announced

Friday 17 March 2023: Shortlist announced, and Shadowing begins

June 2023: Yoto Carnegie Winners announced

– ENDS –

For further information on The Yoto Carnegies 2023 please visit: www.yotocarnegies.co.uk    

#YotoCarnegies23 | @CarnegieMedals

For media and interview requests, please contact:

Annabelle Wright or Sabina Maharjan at ed public relations on
annabelle@edpr.co.uk or sabina@edpr.co.uk or 020 7732 4796.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

About The Yoto Carnegies

About First News

About CILIP, the library and information association

About Yoto

CILIP Announces Scholastic as New Book Supplier for the Yoto Carnegies

yotocarnegies.co.uk | #YotoCarnegies23 | @CarnegieMedals

Monday 14 November 2022: CILIP is delighted to announce that Scholastic will be the official book supplier for the Yoto Carnegies from 2023.

The Yoto Carnegies are the UK’s longest running and best-loved children’s book awards, recognising outstanding reading experiences created through writing and illustration in books for children and young people. The awards aim to spark a lifelong passion for reading by connecting more children with the books that will change lives, and the shadowing scheme, now in its fifth year, attracts and engages with thousands of children as they ‘shadow’ the judging process, debate the books, and decide their Shadowers’ Choice winners from each Medal shortlist.

Scholastic have been selected to be the official book supplier for the awards shadowing scheme following a competitive tender process. They will provide shadowing groups with discounts on the shortlisted books and will work with CILIP to jointly promote the role of children’s literature and reading for pleasure.

Catherine Bell, Co-group M.D. at Scholastic commented: “We are absolutely delighted to have been selected as the official book supplier for The Yoto Carnegies. Building and supporting readers in discovering wonderful new books is core to all we do and we feel great affinity with the scope and ambition of what the team at CILIP want to achieve with the awards going forward. We have some exciting new plans to help engage even more children in reading and discussing brilliant books through the shadowing scheme and can’t wait to work with the awards team to see these come to fruition.”

CILIP Chief Executive, Nick Poole said: “We’re excited to be joining forces with Scholastic as official book supplier for The Yoto Carnegies from 2023. With over 100 years’ experience inspiring children and young people in reading for pleasure, Scholastic are well-placed to help us achieve our ambitious plans to grow the Awards with a particular focus on engaging thousands of schools and shadowing groups.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Peters for the great care and service they have given to shadowing groups over the past six years. I am hugely proud of the work we have done together and grateful to Peters for the support they showed to the Awards.”

KEY DATES FOR THE YOTO CARNEGIES 2023:

Wednesday 15 February 2023: Longlist announced

Friday 17 March 2023: Shortlist announced, and Shadowing begins

June 2023: Yoto Carnegie Winners announced

– ENDS –

For further information on The Yoto Carnegies 2023 please visit: www.yotocarnegies.co.uk    

#YotoCarnegies23 | @CarnegieMedals

For media and interview requests, please contact:

Annabelle Wright or Sabina Maharjan at ed public relations on
annabelle@edpr.co.uk or sabina@edpr.co.uk or 020 7732 4796.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

About The Yoto Carnegies

About Scholastic

About CILIP, the library and information association

About Yoto

Nominations announced for the 2023 Yoto Carnegies

yotocarnegies.co.uk | #YotoCarnegies23 | @CarnegieMedals

Monday 7 November 2022: Nominations have been announced for the 2023 Yoto Carnegies, the UK’s longest running and best-loved children’s book awards.

A total of 125 books have been nominated for the 2023 Medals. 67 books are in contention for the Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing which is awarded to a book written in English for children and young people that sparks an outstanding reading experience and 58 books for the Yoto Carnegie Medal for Illustration, which celebrates an outstanding reading experience through illustration. This includes 6 titles that have received nominations in both Medal categories.

Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing Nominated Titles 2023

Yoto Carnegie Medal for Illustration Nominated Titles 2023

Uniquely judged by librarians, the Yoto Carnegies invite nominations from CILIP members, as well as external bodies: BookTrust, CLPE, English & Media Centre, IBBY, Inclusive Minds CIC, National Literacy Trust, RNIB and the CILIP School Libraries Group. CILIP accepted nominations that met the criteria for the Medals and reflected the spirit of the Awards mission: To champion librarians to inspire and empower the next generation to create a better world through books and reading.

What happens next?

Each nominated book is read by every member of the 2023 judging panel – which this year includes 12 experienced librarians from CILIP’s Youth Libraries Group − who volunteer their time as judges.

From these nominations, the judging panel will decide the long and shortlists and finally, the 2023 Medal winners, based on the official criteria for the Medals for Writing and Illustration. The long and shortlists identify a range of outstanding books for children and young people of all ages and interests, celebrating world-class writing and illustration from new and established authors and illustrators.

2023 will also see the continuation of the Shadowers’ Choice Awards voted for by children and young people who take part in the Awards shadowing scheme – a reading for pleasure initiative that engages thousands of children and young people in schools and libraries in the UK and overseas through ‘shadowing’ reading groups. Young people read and engage with the shortlists critically and creatively, through group participation and digitally: posting online reviews, artworks, videos and taking part in creative activities and online events. Taking on the role of judges, the groups will vote for their favourite books to receive the Shadowers’ Choice Award at the winners’ ceremony in June 2023.

All nominations published have received at least one nomination from a CILIP member or external body and have been checked and verified for their eligibility.

KEY DATES FOR THE YOTO CARNEGIES 2023:

Wednesday 15 February 2023: Longlist announced

Friday 17 March 2023: Shortlist announced and Shadowing begins

June 2023: Yoto Carnegie Winners announced

– ENDS –

The Yoto Carnegies logo can be downloaded here.

#YotoCarnegies23 | @CarnegieMedals

For media and interview requests, please contact:

Annabelle Wright at ed public relations on annabelle@edpr.co.uk or 020 7732 4796.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

About The Yoto Carnegies

About CILIP, the library and information association

About Yoto

Introducing The Yoto Carnegies New Identity

yotocarnegies.co.uk | #YotoCarnegies23 | @CarnegieMedals

Wednesday 21 September 2022: CILIP, the libraries and information association, today unveiled new branding for the Yoto Carnegie Greenaway Awards, the UK’s longest running and best-loved children’s book awards.

Renamed The Yoto Carnegies, the rebrand, with its striking new logo, and strapline – ‘It starts with a spark’ – reflects the awards aim to inspire or ‘spark’ a lifelong passion for reading by connecting more children with the books that will change lives. The brand audit was undertaken by Agile Ideas and the Awards Working Party Chair in extensive consultation with past judges who are members of CILIP’s Youth Libraries Group.

With research revealing almost one in five children between the ages of five and eight do not have a book of their own at home (NLT, 2022), the role that libraries, and librarians, play in inspiring and empowering a new generation of readers has never been more important. Uniquely judged by librarians, the awards will continue to celebrate the most outstanding reading experiences of each year with the individual medals for Writing and Illustration, and the respective Shadowers’ Choice Medals, unified under The Yoto Carnegies name. This will give each medal equal focus while reinforcing the awards’ unique connection to libraries via the Carnegie legacy.

Nominations for The Yoto Carnegies 2023 open on Wednesday 21 September and close on Friday 30 September 2022. Information on nomination eligibility and the Medal criteria can be found here.

Jake Hope, Chair of the Carnegies Working Party, says:

“It’s exciting to be starting the 2023 awards with a fresh and engaging look and feel for The Yoto Carnegies. Bringing the awards together as categories under The Carnegies banner recognises their core history and relationship to libraries and will help to lead more young people to read all books recognised by the Medals. Our tagline for the awards is, ‘It starts with a spark’. Whether achieved through illustration or writing, every creative work begins with a spark of inspiration and every young reader feels that spark when they connect with a story. We hope that the tagline will unify readers, creators and libraries, starting the awards in 2023 with a celebratory spark of their own.”

Nicholas Poole, Chief Executive of CILIP, says:

“I am delighted that this rebrand gives The Yoto Carnegies a visual identity and presentation to match the energy and enthusiasm that has been building behind the awards in recent years. This is about much more than a new look – as the oldest and best-loved children’s book and illustration awards, we can never afford to rest on our laurels. Working with our partners at Yoto, we must keep moving and innovating to ensure that we retain our freshness and relevance in today’s book industry. Most of all, this rebrand creates opportunities for us to transform the visibility and profile of The Carnegies for book lovers everywhere, and in the process to inspire more children and young people to shape a better world through books and reading.”

Janet Noble, Chair of Judges for The Yoto Carnegies 2023, says:

“After my two years of judging the Medals, it’s an honour to be chairing the judging panel for the 2023 cycle.  It feels particularly exciting to be chairing during the brand refresh. Having run for over 80 years, the revitalised visuals bring a vibrancy to the awards that will attract new audiences of children, young people and libraries.”

Ben Drury, Co-Founder and CEO of Yoto, says:

“Yoto’s mission is to inspire creativity and imagination in children. We’re absolutely dedicated to bringing the very best in children’s books to the widest audience through audio. Through the Yoto Carnegies we can celebrate the greatest children’s authors and illustrators each year. I am personally thrilled to have Yoto associated with the most prestigious children’s books awards in the UK, and we look forward to helping even more children reap the benefits.”

KEY DATES FOR THE YOTO CARNEGIES 2023:

Wednesday 21 September 2022: Nominations open

Friday 30 September 2022: Nominations close

Monday 7 November 2022: Nominations announced

Wednesday 15 February 2023: Longlist announced

Wednesday 17 March 2023: Shortlist announced and Shadowing begins

June 2023: Yoto Carnegie Winners announced

The Yoto Carnegies logo can be downloaded here.

For media and interview requests, please contact:

Annabelle Wright or Sabina Maharjan at ed public relations on
annabelle@edpr.co.uk or sabina@edpr.co.uk or 020 7732 4796.


NOTES TO EDITORS:

About The Yoto Carnegies

About CILIP, the library and information association

About Yoto

2022 Yoto Carnegie Greenaway Winners Announced

2022 YOTO CARNEGIE GREENAWAY WINNERS ANNOUNCED WITH DOUBLE VICTORY FOR KATYA BALEN’S STORY ABOUT OFF-GRID LIVING; AND THE FIRST WIN IN 50 YEARS FOR A GRAPHIC NOVEL  

STORIES PRAISED BY JUDGES FOR BUILDING EMPATHY IN YOUNG READERS AND INSPIRING THEM TO CREATE A BETTER WORLD 

carnegiegreenaway.org.uk / #CKG22 

Thursday 16th June 2022: The winners of the UK’s longest running and best-loved book awards for children and young people, the Yoto Carnegie Greenaway Awards were announced today in a ceremony at The British Library.  

The Yoto Carnegie Medal is awarded to Katya Balen for her second novel October, October (Bloomsbury), illustrated by Angela Harding – her debut novel, The Space We’re In was longlisted in 2019. October, October is a “beautiful” and “captivating” story of a girl, October, who must learn to spread her wings after a childhood spent living wild in the woods changes dramatically the year she turns 11. The story was inspired by Balen’s father-in-law who lives off-grid, and her own love of mudlarking and the outdoors.  

Danica Novgorodoff’s illustrated edition of Jason Reynold’s 2019 Carnegie-shortlisted book, Long Way Down (Faber) wins the Yoto Kate Greenaway Medal – the first graphic novel to win since Raymond Briggs’ Father Christmas in 1973. It is her debut children’s book published in the UK and is an “innovative” adaptation of the original verse novel of gun violence and grief written by 2021 Yoto Carnegie Medal winner, Jason Reynolds (Look Both Ways). The book features hundreds of “stunning” watercolours depicting the decision that 15-year-old Will must make when his brother is shot.  

October, October and Long Way Down, which are both published by independent publishers Bloomsbury and Faber respectively, place readers directly into the main characters’ shoes as they face challenges that upend their lives. Through Balen’s poetic prose and Novgorodoff’s breath-taking illustrations, October and Will’s emotions are brought to life on the page. The books were praised by Chair of Judges Jennifer Horan for their ability to “build empathy” and “offer hope, comfort and enjoyment.” Both winners gave powerful speeches at the ceremony sharing their passion about the freedom and connection that stories in all forms can provide young readers, and the paramount importance of children being allowed and encouraged to read whatever they choose.  

Balen’s October, October has done the double and scooped this year’s Shadowers’ Choice Award for the Yoto Carnegie Medal, after tens of thousands of young people across the UK and internationally read and debated the shortlisted books before voting for their favourites. The winner of the Shadowers’ Choice Award for the Yoto Kate Greenaway Medal is The Midnight Fair (Walker Books) illustrated by Mariachiara Di Giorgio – an illustrator, storyboard artist and concept designer from Rome, Italy – and written by Gideon Sterer. It is a heart-warming, immersive wordless picture book that uncovers the secret life of animals who prowl a fairground at night, featuring sumptuous use of colour and contrast, which invoke all the senses.  

One of this year’s shadowers, Luna from Runnymede Librarians, described The Midnight Fair as “one of a kind… a sublime book to read”, while Zion, Chioma and Jayda from St James Hatcham Book Club said, “this book will allow the reader’s imagination to run free”, and another reader, Jemima from St Margaret’s Prep added “the way the light makes everything glow is magical.” One fan of October, October, Eve from Larkmead commented: “It’s so well written, you really see the experience through her eyes”, and Lyla from Teignmouth Community School said: “I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys an adventure, is seeking a book to cry and smile over and anyone who wants a really good read”.  

The winners were revealed in a lunchtime ceremony held in person at The British Library for the first time since 2019. It was hosted by award-winning poet and novelist Dean Atta and featured Chair of Judges, librarian Jennifer Horan, alongside a selection of the young people who officially shadowed the 2022 awards. The ceremony was also streamed live and can be watched back here. 

The Awards celebrate outstanding achievement in children’s writing and illustration respectively and aim to inspire and empower a new generation of readers.  

The two medal winners were chosen from a shortlist of 16 – eight for each medal – by an expert team of volunteer judges, featuring 14 librarians from CILIP’s Youth Libraries Group based across the UK.  

Jennifer Horan, Chair of Judges for the Yoto Carnegie Greenaway Awards 2022, said:  

“I am delighted to share this year’s Yoto Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medal winners, both of which provide outstanding reading experiences for young people. October, October by Katya Balen is a captivating story featuring exquisite descriptions of the natural world and relationships that develop and heal. It is an expertly written, beautiful and lyrical novel alive with wonder and curiosity. Long Way Down, illustrated by Danica Novgorodoff, is a brilliant, innovative adaptation of the novel by Jason Reynolds. It uses stunning watercolour to powerfully portray the tragedy of gun violence and the emotional impact it has on young people’s lives.  

“Both books ignite imagination and contain themes which help young readers build empathy, providing them with tools to create a better world. They offer hope, comfort and enjoyment, and demonstrate the key role writing and illustration play in children’s development and wellbeing. Congratulations to our 2022 Medal winners, to publishers Bloomsbury and Faber, and to our Shadowers’ Choice winners. And a huge thank you to the young people who have participated, and to the librarians who continue to champion quality children’s books that inspire and empower young readers.” 

South London-based author Katya Balen has spent her career working in SEND schools and is the co-director of Mainspring Arts, an organisation which runs creative workshops for neurodivergent people. The judges called her winning book an “evocative exploration of what it means to be truly alive and wholly human” and said that main character October was “expertly written with an incredibly authentic narrative voice, leaving the reader feeling great empathy towards her”. Meanwhile, The Times felt it “deserves classic status.” 

Yoto Carnegie Medal winner, Katya Balen commented: 

“I am so thrilled to have won the Yoto Carnegie Medal, not only because it’s the award every children’s writer dreams about, but because it is so committed to promoting reading and sharing stories. Sharing stories is something I believe to be one of the most important parts of our lives, simply because stories are our lives. They are threads that connect us all. They make us understand, they give us a shared experience, and they give us something special and private too. They give us wild freedom and they give us safety and comfort. 

“In my book, October is saved by stories. She is isolated, unusual, angry, friendless, lost, displaced, wild. But through stories she is able to connect to the world around her, and to the people around her. Stories make her who she is, but they also help her to see who other people are too. Stories make her a part of a new world, and keep her old life alive. They connect everything and everyone, and that’s what is so magical about stories. They build us, they anchor us, they let us be wild. They are everything.” 

Writer, graphic designer and horse wrangler Danica Novgorodoff, from Louisville, Kentucky, has created a number of graphic novels, but Long Way Down is her first children’s book published in the UK. The judges were “blown away” by her “powerful and immersive illustrations” and said that the “union of brutal reality with the delicacy of watercolours as an artistic device is surprising and breath-taking in its execution”. They thought it was “an incredible book that will stay with the reader long after the final page.” 

Yoto Kate Greenaway Medal winner, Danica Novgorodoff said: 

“I am honoured and humbled to receive the Yoto Kate Greenaway Medal. Working on Long Way Down, interpreting Jason Reynolds’ beautiful text into images, was a dream project for me and its own reward, but I am thrilled to find that the graphic novel has resonated with readers as well. 

Long Way Down is a book that asks us to empathise with a character who is planning to harm another person, and endanger his own life, out of grief and revenge. He’s in a complicated, difficult situation, and he needs to make a very hard decision. Through the illustrations, I wanted to show this emotional torment, to make his internal feelings come alive on the page. The book doesn’t preach, but it asks readers, what do you feel, and what would you do?  

“I believe that kids are empowered when they have access to all kinds of books, and can choose for themselves what they want to read. Graphic novels can be an especially engaging form of reading, and a gateway to all types of literature. But graphic novels are also an extraordinary, complex, versatile medium in themselves, not dumbed down versions of “real” books. You wouldn’t discourage a kid from going to a museum to look at paintings or sculptures or photography, so why would you tell them not to look at artwork in a book? Images are visceral in a different way than text, and when an artwork moves you, it’s speaking to you in a different language than words. There is no single way to tell a story, and graphic novels are one fascinating way to express emotions and ideas that can’t be put into words alone.” 

The winners each receive £500 worth of books to donate to their local library of their choice, a specially commissioned golden medal and a £5,000 Colin Mears Award cash prize. 

Novgorodoff has chosen to donate her books to the Western Branch of the Louisville Free Public Library for the £500 prize—it opened in 1905, and was the first library in the nation to serve and be fully operated by African Americans. Katya Balen is making her donation to London’s South Norwood Library, which was recently threatened with closure.  

Yoto, the innovative, screen-free audio platform for children, is the headline sponsor for the awards. The awards are also proudly sponsored by Peters, the official book supplier; and ALCS, champions of authors’ rights. 

For media requests and interviews, please contact: 
Hannah Davies or Annabelle Wright at ed public relations on  
hannah@edpr.co.uk or annabelle@edpr.co.uk or 020 7732 4796 

NOTES TO EDITORS: 

For the winners’ speeches, images of the winning authors and illustrators, book jackets, illustrated spreads and social media assets please click here.

Winning author and illustrator biographies and book synopses 

A classic in the making for anyone who ever longed to be WILD. October and her dad live in the woods. They sleep in the house Dad built for them and eat the food they grow in the vegetable patches. They know the trees and the rocks and the lake and stars like best friends. They read the books they buy in town again and again until the pages are soft and yellow – until next year’s town visit. They live in the woods and they are wild. And that’s the way it is. Until the year October turns eleven. That’s the year October rescues a baby owl. It’s the year Dad falls out of the biggest tree in their woods. The year the woman who calls herself October’s mother comes back. The year everything changes. 

Katya Balen studied English at university. Since then she’s worked in lots of special schools and is now co-director of Mainspring Arts, which runs creative workshops for neurodivergent people. Her debut novel, The Space We’re In, was longlisted for the Carnegie Medal and shortlisted for the Branford Boase. When she’s not writing books or planning projects, she likes to scroll through dog-rescue websites, bake and attempt to keep all her house plants alive. She lives in London with her partner and her ridiculously lazy dog, Raffi. 

Angela Harding is a fine artist specialising in nature and wildlife screen-prints as well as lino and vinyl cuts. Her beautiful prints appear in a huge range of galleries and have also been featured in Gardens Illustrated, BBC Countryfile and Country Living. 

Shortlisted for the CILIP Carnegie Medal and WINNER of the UKLA Book Awards, Jason Reynolds’ bestselling verse novel is now a stunning graphic novel with haunting illustrations by Danica Novgorodoff.  After Will’s brother is shot in a gang crime, he knows the next steps. Don’t cry. Don’t snitch. Get revenge. So he gets in the lift with Shawn’s gun, determined to follow The Rules. Only when the lift door opens, Buck walks in, Will’s friend who died years ago. And Dani, who was shot years before that. As more people from his past arrive, Will has to ask himself if he really knows what he’s doing. Taking a ground-breaking and gritty look at teenage gun violence and grief, Jason Reynolds’ Long Way Down is even more gripping in this arresting and powerful graphic novel format. 

Danica Novgorodoff is an artist, writer, graphic designer, and horse wrangler from Louisville, Kentucky. Her books include A Late Freeze; Slow Storm; Refresh, Refresh (included in Best American Comics 2011); and The Undertaking of Lily Chen. Her art and writing have been published in Best American Comics, Artforum, Esquire, VQR, Slate, Orion, Seneca Review, Ecotone Journal, and many others. She was awarded a 2015 New York Foundation for the Arts fellowship in Literature, and was named Sarabande Books’ 2016 writer in residence. She has been a fellow at the MacDowell Colony, Blue Mountain Center, VCCA, Brush Creek Foundation for the Arts, and Willapa Bay AiR. 

Jason Reynolds is a critically acclaimed and multi award winning writer and poet. He currently holds the position of National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature in the US and is the author of several books including Boy in the Black Suit and the Run series. Born in Washington, DC and raised in neighbouring Oxon Hill, Maryland, Reynolds found inspiration in rap to begin writing poetry at nine years old. He focused on poetry for approximately the next two decades, only reading a novel cover to cover for the first time at age 17. Long Way Down was Jason’s first novel to be published in the UK and was shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal and won the UKLA Book Award. 

He won the Carnegie Medal in 2021 for Look Both Ways

A spectacular, surreal and cinematic wordless picture book about the secret life of animals.  

Far from the city, but not quite in the countryside, lies a fairground. When night falls, and the fair is empty, something unexpected happens. Wild animals emerge from the trees, a brave raccoon pulls a lever, and the rollercoasters and rides explode back into bright, neon life. Now it’s time for the woodland creatures to have some fun… With stunning artwork that’s packed with clever secondary narratives to follow and characters to spot on each page, children will spend hours poring over these many hidden details. 

Mariachiara Di Giorgio is an illustrator, storyboard artist and concept designer from Rome, Italy. She created her first picture book, the wordless Professional Crocodile, with writer Giovanna Zoboli in 2017.  

Gideon Sterer is an American author whose books include Skyfishing, illustrated by Poly Bernatene, Not Your Nest, illustrated by Andrea Tsurumi, From Ed’s to Ned’s, illustrated by Ruth Cummins, and The Night Knights, illustrated by Cory Godbey, which has been optioned by Sony Pictures. Gideon grew up in the woods of upstate New York, where his parents owned a little zoo where he would run around after-hours and let the animals out. 

About Dean Atta 

About the Yoto Carnegie Greenaway Awards and Shadowing Scheme 

About CILIP, the library and information association 

 About Yoto  

About the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society 

About Peters 

Yoto Carnegie Greenaway Awards Launches Live Shortlist Event Series with The Reading Agency

Plus, new #ReadAlong and #DrawAlong downloadable event packs

carnegiegreenaway.org.uk / #CKG22

Monday 9th May 2022: The UK’s longest running and best-loved book awards for children and young people is hosting #YotoCarnegieLIVE and #YotoGreenawayLIVE, two virtual shortlist events for young readers.

Held this May in partnership with The Reading Agency, the free, interactive events are for the thousands of reading groups who are shadowing the Yoto Carnegie Greenaway Awards, as well as schools, libraries and bookshops. There’s one event to celebrate each medal featuring a selection of the shortlisted illustrators and authors talking about their books, as well as answering questions from children and young people, ahead of the winner announcement on 16 June.

#YotoGreenawayLIVE: Monday 23 May, 12.30-1.30pm

Chaired by Amy McKay, school librarian and Yoto Carnegie Greenaway Awards national coordinator and featuring shortlisted illustrators George Butler (Drawn Across Borders), Mariachiara Di Giorgio (The Midnight Fair), Danica Novgorodoff (Long Way Down), Yu Rong (Shu Lin’s Grandpa) and Peter Van den Ende (The Wanderer). Register for free here.

#YotoCarnegieLIVE: Thursday 26 May, 12.30-1.30pm

Chaired by Emma Braithwaite, head of skills and engagement at The Reading Agency and featuring shortlisted authors Sue Divin (Guard Your Heart), Phil Earle (When the Sky Falls), Manjeet Mann (The Crossing), Julian Sedgwick (Tsunami Girl), Alex Wheatle (Cane Warriors), Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam (Punching the Air). Register for free here.

Also for the first time, the Yoto Carnegie Greenaway Awards has created two downloadable event packs to enable any shadowing group, school, library or bookshop to host their own in-person Yoto Carnegie Medal #ReadAlong and Yoto Kate Greenaway Medal #DrawAlong celebrations. The event template, which includes video challenges set directly by shortlisted authors and illustrators, is designed to engage children and young people with the shortlisted books in a fun, creative way. They can be downloaded for free here.

Jake Hope, chair of the CILIP Carnegie Greenaway Working Party, comments:

“We are excited to be working with The Reading Agency for the first time this year on a new Yoto Carnegie Greenaway Awards live virtual event series, which will bring children and young people across the UK closer to the shortlisted authors and illustrators than ever before. We hope this opportunity to engage directly with the creators of some of the books shortlisted for the Yoto Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals will really bring their stories to life. We’re also looking forward to seeing shadowing groups, schools, libraries and bookshops make use of our new downloadable #ReadAlong and #DrawAlong event packs to inspire young readers creatively and encourage them to read one or more of the shortlisted books.”

The Awards has also distributed shortlist POS packs to public and school libraries and retailers, including stickers, bookmarks and posters.

Winner announcement

The 2022 winners will be announced and celebrated on Thursday 16th June at a lunchtime ceremony at The British Library. It will also be livestreamed from 12pm. The event will be hosted by award-winning poet and novelist Dean Atta, who won the Carnegie Shadowers’ Choice for The Black Flamingo in 2020.

The winners will each receive £500 worth of books to donate to their local library, a specially commissioned golden medal and a £5,000 Colin Mears Award cash prize.

Now in its fourth year, the Shadowers’ Choice Award – voted for and awarded by the children and young people who shadow the Medals – will also be announced at the ceremony. Voting opens for participating shadowing groups on Monday 23rd May.

The Awards are sponsored by Yoto, the innovative, screen-free audio platform for children; Peters, the official book supplier; and ALCS, champions of authors’ rights. With their support, the Yoto Carnegie Greenaway Awards aim to inspire and empower a new generation of readers.


For media requests and interviews, please contact:
Hannah Davies or Annabelle Wright at ed public relations on
hannah@edpr.co.uk or annabelle@edpr.co.uk or 020 7732 4796

NOTES TO EDITORS:

About the Yoto Carnegie Greenaway Awards and Shadowing Scheme

About The Reading Agency

About CILIP, the library and information association

 About Yoto 

About the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society

About Peters

Shortlists for Yoto Carnegie Greenaway Awards 2022 Celebrate the Power of Friendship and Pictures to Create Empathy, Connection and Hope

carnegiegreenaway.org.uk / #CKG22

Wednesday 16th February 2022: The UK’s longest running and best-loved book awards for children and young people, the Yoto Carnegie Greenaway Awards, today announced the shortlists for 2022.

The Awards celebrate outstanding achievement in children’s writing and illustration respectively and are unique in being judged by children’s and youth librarians, with the Shadowers’ Choice Award voted for by children and young people.

16 books have been selected in total – eight for the Yoto Carnegie Medal and eight for the Yoto Kate Greenaway Medal – from a longlist of 33 titles. They were chosen by an expert team of volunteer judges, featuring 14 librarians from CILIP’s Youth Libraries Group based across the UK.

The 2022 Yoto Carnegie Medal shortlist (alphabetical by author surname):

The 2022 Yoto Kate Greenaway Medal shortlist (alphabetical by illustrator surname):

Jennifer Horan, Chair of Judges for the Yoto Carnegie Greenaway Awards 2022, comments:

“My fellow judges and I are proud of our sixteen-strong shortlist of books for the Yoto Carnegie Greenaway Awards, which we hope will excite, move and empower the young readers who pick them up, including the thousands shadowing this year’s Awards. On a personal level, having a research interest in the link between children’s literature and empathy, I’m thrilled that our Yoto Carnegie shortlist showcases how friendship can help young people find the strength to navigate a path through challenging times. We’re also delighted to celebrate the power of pictures, not only on the Yoto Kate Greenaway list but in a couple of Carnegie titles too. Many of our shortlisted books remind us that art can help us to communicate and connect with young people when words sometimes fail us. The Shadowing Groups and our young readers now share the judges’ difficult task of picking two winners from this rich pool of talent.”

The shortlist in more detail

Friendships come to the fore in titles across the Yoto Carnegie shortlist from the angry boy and his gruff zoo-keeper host during the Second World War in When the Sky Falls, the20th book from children’s publishing professional and former booksellerPhil Earle; to the two teenagers from opposite worlds brought together by the refugee crisis in the Costa Children’s Book Award-winning The Crossing from Manjeet Mann. Mann was the 2021 Carnegie Shadowers’ Choice winner for Run, Rebel and is an actress, playwright, and founder of Run the World, which empowers women and girls from marginalised backgrounds. In her debut, Guard Your Heart, which was joint winner of the Irish Novel Fair, Sue Divin uses the experience of her day job in peacebuilding in Derry to chart the relationship between two teenagers born on the day of the Northern Ireland peace deal – Aidan, Catholic, Irish and republican, and Iona, Protestant and British – as they navigate their differences.

Real-life events are the inspiration for the majority of the Yoto Carnegie shortlist novels, including Cane Warriors, which follows the slave rebellion known as Tacky’s War in 18th century Jamaica from the perspective of 14-year-old Moa. It is written by Alex Wheatle, the ‘Brixton Bard’ and bestselling author born to Jamaican parents whose life inspired an episode of Steve McQueen’s Small Axe series. Punching the Air by New York Times-bestselling author Ibi Zoboi and poet and activist Dr Yusef Salaam, a member of ‘The Exonerated Five’, is a novel in verse based on Salaam’s experience that looks at the reality of the criminal justice system for young people of colour in America. The 2011 Japanese earthquake and tsunami is at the heart of Tsunami Girl, a part-prose, part-manga coming-of-age story, illustrated by Chie Kutsuwada and written by Julian Sedgwick, the 2020 Carnegie-shortlisted co-author of Voyages in the Underworld of Orpheus Black.

Another illustrated title on the Carnegie shortlist is October, October, the story of a girl whose wild life in the woods changes dramatically the year she turns 11. Accompanied by drawings from Angela Harding, it is the second novel from Katya Balen, author and co-director of Mainspring Arts, an organisation which runs creative workshops for neurodivergent people. A rural setting and strong sense of place is also captured in the final shortlisted title, Everyone Dies Famous in a Small Town, which follows the interlinked stories of teenage secrets, rage and love across the American West. It is also the second novel from Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock, who wasshortlisted for the Carnegie Medal in 2017 for The Smell of Other People’s Houses, a long-time journalist for Alaskan Public Radio and a former commercial fisherwoman.

On this year’s Yoto Kate Greenaway shortlist several of the books use imagery to help young readers to better understand the world and its challenges. Award-winning current affairs artist and co-founder of the Hands Up Foundation, George Butler has drawn on his experience of reporting on global crises to create his debut Drawn Across Borders, a record of human migration which introduces the humans behind the headlines. Teenage gang violence and grief is explored in writer, graphic designer and horse wrangler Danica Novgorodoff’s graphic novel edition of the 2019 Carnegie-shortlisted and UKLA Book Awards winner Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds (Reynolds was also last year’s Carnegie Medal winner for Look Both Ways). Emily Gravett, two-time Kate Greenaway Medal winner (Wolves, 2005 and Little Mouse’s Big Book of Fears, 2008), uses her rhyming picture book Too Much Stuff featuring two magpies who like to hoard to warn about the perils of overconsumption.

Other titles on the shortlist support children in navigating and embracing difference and in finding their own place in the world. Sydney Smith, who has also won the Kate Greenaway Medal twice(Town Is by the Sea, 2018 and Small in the City, 2021), is shortlisted for I Talk Like a River. Inspired by poet and debut picture book author Jordan Scott’s own experience, the story isabout a lonely boy who stutters but finds comfort in nature and sharing his experience with his father. The New York Times-bestselling Milo Imagines the World isfrom Caldecott Medal-winning illustrator and Pixar and Sesame Street animator Christian Robinson and written by Matt de la Pena. A lesson in not judging by appearance, the story follows a boy watching strangers on the train ride to visit his mother in prison. Shu Lin’s Grandpa, fromaward-winning picture book illustrator Yu Rong, who studied her MA under Quentin Blake, and author Matt Goodfellow is the tale of a Chinese immigrant girl struggling to fit in at school, until her grandpa pays a visit and shows the class his paintings.

The final two books on the shortlist are wordless explorations of nature and animals. The Midnight Fairfrom illustrator, storyboard artist and concept designer Mariachiara Di Giorgio, and written by Gideon Sterer uncovers the secret life of animals that make their own fun in a fairground at night. Peter Van den Ende, a Cayman Islands nature guide, used the beauty of the sea as his source of inspiration for his debut The Wanderer, the story of a boat ride home through oceanscapes full of fantastical creatures.

Shortlist celebrations

This year, the Yoto Carnegie Greenaway Awards are running a series of #YotoCarnegieReadAlong and #YotoGreenawayDrawAlong events. There will be two live events, along with shortlist packs available for schools and libraries to enable them to host their own celebrations. More details will be released soon.

The Awards are also expanding their reading campaign with shortlist POS packs being made available to public and school libraries as well as to retailers for the first time, including stickers, bookmarks and posters.

Winner announcement

The winners will be announced and celebrated on Thursday 16th June at a lunchtime ceremony at The British Library, hosted by award-winning poet and novelist Dean Atta, who won the Carnegie Shadowers’ Choice for The Black Flamingo in 2020.

The winners will each receive £500 worth of books to donate to their local library, a specially commissioned golden medal and a £5,000 Colin Mears Award cash prize.

Now in its fourth year, the Shadowers’ Choice Award – voted for and awarded by the children and young people who shadow the Medals – will also be announced at the ceremony. To kick off the 2022 Shadowing process, that launches today, yesterday (15 March) shadowing groups enjoyed a special virtual event featuring last year’s Carnegie winner Jason Reynolds interviewed by 2022 judge and librarian Kelly Fuller.

The Awards are sponsored by Yoto, the innovative, screen-free audio platform for children; Peters, the official book supplier; and ALCS, champions of authors’ rights. With their support, the Yoto Carnegie Greenaway Awards aim to inspire and empower a new generation of readers.

For further information on the Yoto Carnegie Greenaway Awards please visit: carnegiegreenaway.org.uk

#CKG22

For media requests and interviews, please contact:
Hannah Davies or Annabelle Wright at ed public relations on
hannah@edpr.co.uk or annabelle@edpr.co.uk or 020 7732 4796

Notes to Editors

Judges’ quotes about the shortlisted books and author biographies

The 2022 Yoto Carnegie Medal shortlist:

“Compelling and sensitively-told story of October’s wild life in the woods, with a strong narrative voice that invested us all in her plight”

Katya Balen studied English at university, has worked in lots of special schools and is now co-director of Mainspring Arts, which runs creative workshops for neurodivergent people. Her debut novel, The Space We’re In, was longlisted for the Carnegie Medal and shortlisted for the Branford Boase. She lives in London.

“Outstanding novel presenting Irish culture and the ongoing impact of the troubles in a fresh, way.”

Sue Divin is a Derry-based writer originally from Armagh. She has a Masters in Peace and Conflict studies and has worked in Community Relations/Peace building for over 15 years. Guard Your Heart is her debut novel, shortlisted for the Caledonia Novel Award and joint winner of the Irish Novel Fair.

“Heartbreaking and refreshing take on a WWII story set in a city zoo, with beautifully depicted relationships and characters, including Adonis the gorilla.”

Phil Earle got a job in a bookshop, aged 26 and fell in love with children’s fiction. He now divides his time between writing and his roles as Sales and Marketing Director at David Fickling Books. He was longlisted for the Carnegie medal with Heroic, and When the Sky Falls is his 20th published book. He lives in West Yorkshire.

“Intricate and immersive stories about teenagers across the rural American West, which conveyed a fantastic sense of place that stayed with us long after reading.”

Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock, is the author of the Carnegie-shortlisted The Smell of Other People’s Houses. Everyone Dies Famous in a Small Town is her second novel. She was a long-time journalist for Alaska Public Radio and prior to this spent many years fishing commercially, raising her children on a boat. She was born in Alaska and still lives there in a yurt.

“A poignant story of shared humanity, with the stories of two teenagers – one a refugee and the other grief-stricken – cleverly entwined”

Manjeet Mann is an actress, playwright, screenwriter and director. Her debut novel Run, Rebel won the 2021 Carnegie Shadowers’ Choice Award. She is the founder of Run the World – an organisation that works with women and girls from marginalized backgrounds and helps to empower them through sport and storytelling. She lives in Kent.

“A delicate and characterful story of Yuki’s stay with her grandfather in Japan, powerfully told through prose and manga, whose growing tension drew us in.”

Julian Sedgwick is the author of six books for children, and co-author of the graphic novel Dark Satanic Mills and illustrated novel Voyages in the Underworld of Orpheus Black. Julian read Chinese Studies and Philosophy at Cambridge, before working as a bookseller, painter, researcher and script developer for film and TV, and shiatsu therapist. He now combines writing with his work as a therapist. He is patron of reading for Leighton Park School and lives near Ely in Cambridgeshire.

Superb dialogue conveying the brutality of Moa’s life and the deep loyalty of the main characters in this pacey retelling of Tacky’s War in 18th century Jamaica.”

Alex Wheatle is the author of several acclaimed novels, has won the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize, and was awarded an MBE for services to literature in 2008. He was born in Brixton to Jamaican parents, and spent most of his childhood in a Surrey children’s home. Following a short stint in prison following the Brixton uprising of 1981, he wrote poems and lyrics and became known as the Brixtonbard. His ‘Crongton’ series is being adapted for TV and the theatre adaptation of Crongton Knights toured the UK. He lives in London.

“Evocative and exceptional in its style, this dynamic verse novel, which looks at the reality of the criminal justice system for young people of colour in America, got into the soul of the judges.”

Ibi Zoboi is the author of American Street, a National Book Award finalist and a New York Times Notable Book, Pride and My Life as an Ice Cream Sandwich, a New York Times bestseller. She is the editor of the anthology Black Enough. Born in Haiti, she now lives in New Jersey.

Dr. Yusef Salaam was 15 years old when his life was upended after being wrongly convicted in the “Central Park jogger” case, along with four other boys who are now known as the Exonerated Five. In 2002, after the young men spent years behind bars, their sentences were overturned, and they were exonerated. Yusef is now a poet, activist, and inspirational speaker who lives in Atlanta, Georgia. He is the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from President Barack Obama.

The 2022 Yoto Kate Greenaway Medal shortlist:

“Distinctive reportage style capturing the transient nature of human migration, the personalities behind the headlines of global conflict and demonstrating the power of illustration to connect us with different perspectives”

George Butler is an award-winning artist specialising in current affairs and travel who has been published by The Times, BBC and New York Times and displayed in the V&A Museum. He has reported on conflicts and crises in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and Myanmar. He co-founded the Hands Up Foundation, which promotes awareness of the ongoing war in Syria and supports salaries of professionals in the country. Drawn Across Borders is his first children’s book. He lives in London.

“A wordless picture book featuring stunning use of colour and contrast and invoking all of the senses as we get to witness the secret life of animals as they prowl the fairground at night.”

Mariachiara Di Giorgio is an illustrator, storyboard artist and concept designer from Rome, Italy. She created her first picture book, the wordless Professional Crocodile, with writer Giovanna Zoboli in 2017.

“Rhyming tale of two magpies and their warning about the perils of over-consumption imbued with vibrant detail, wonderful expressions and visual jokes that make this a meaningful reading experience you want to repeat”

Emily Gravett published her debut picture book Wolves in 2005, which has been followed by modern classics including Meerkat Mail, Little Mouse’s Big Book of Fears, Monkey and Me, Again!, Tidy and Old Hat. She is the winner of two Kate Greenaway Medals. In 2019, she won the inaugural BookTrust Storytime Prize for her picture book Cyril and Pat. She divides her time between Brighton and north Wales.

“Brilliant, atmospheric and filmic adaptation, which is hugely complementary to the original story of teenage gun violence and grief, and blew us away”

Danica Novgorodoff is an artist, writer, graphic designer, and horse wrangler from Louisville, Kentucky, currently living in Brooklyn, New York. Her US books include A Late Freeze; Slow Storm; Refresh, Refresh (included in Best American Comics 2011); and The Undertaking of Lily Chen. Long Way Down is her first children’s book published in the UK. Her art and writing have been published in Artforum, Esquire and Slate. She was awarded a 2015 New York Foundation for the Arts fellowship in Literature and was named Sarabande Books’ 2016 writer in residence.

“As Milo goes on a train journey, you see everything through his eyes, in this layered, complex book, whose impact on us just grew and grew.”

Christian Robinson is an award-winning illustrator who won the 2016 Caldecott medal, a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor for his art in Last Stop on Market Street and the 2015 New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Book of the Year for his book Leo: A Ghost Story, written by Mac Barnett. Another, Christian’s first solo picture book, was named a New York Times/New York Public Library Best Illustrated Book of 2019. He is an animator and has worked with The Sesame Street Workshop and Pixar Animation Studios. He lives in Sacramento, California.

“Incredibly original and creative tale, cleverly told from the perspective of Shu Lin, a young Chinese girl trying to fit in at her new school, with a stunning pull-out and enveloping dragon illustration.”

Yu Rong is an acclaimed British-Chinese children’s picture book illustrator. She obtained a BA in Chinese Painting and Contemporary Art Design from Nanjing Normal University’s Art College and an MA in Communication and Design from London’s Royal College of Art, where she studied under Quentin Blake. In recent years, she has been working with leading Chinese authors, including the Hans Christian Andersen award winner Cao Wenxuan. She has received several international and national illustration awards. She lives in the countryside of Cambridge.

“This moving story of a boy who stutters, and his relationship with his father, is powerfully told through the masterful and expressive pictures, which create a real sense of solitude.”

Sydney Smith has illustrated multiple children’s books, including Small in the City and Town Is by the Sea, both winners of the Kate Greenaway Medal, and the acclaimed Footpath Flowers, which was a New York Times Children’s Book of the Year and a winner of the Governor General Award for Illustration. Born in Nova Scotia in Canada, he now lives in Toronto.

“There’s an ethereal, dream-like quality to this majestic wordless picture book, which takes the readers on a fantastical journey through the marine world.”

Peter Van den Ende makes his debut as a picture book artist with The Wanderer. When he is not drawing, he works as a nature guide on the Cayman Islands. The beauty of the sea was his source of inspiration his wordless story about growing and learning, about ups and downs – in short, about life itself. He lives in Antwerp in Belgium.

About Dean Atta

About the Yoto Carnegie Greenaway Awards and Shadowing Scheme

About CILIP, the library and information association

 About Yoto 

About the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society

About Peters

About the CILIP Equality and Diversity Action Plan

About CILIP’s Awards Partners

Longlists Announced for Yoto Carnegie Greenaway Awards 2022

carnegiegreenaway.org.uk / #CKG22

Wednesday 16th February 2022: The UK’s longest running and best-loved book awards for children and young people, the Yoto Carnegie Greenaway Awards, today announced the longlists for 2022.

33 books have been selected in total – 18 for the Yoto Carnegie Medal and 15 for the Yoto Kate Greenaway Medal – with themes of community and connection, shared humanity and friendship all explored in the titles.

The lists include:

The Awards celebrate outstanding achievement in children’s writing and illustration respectively and are unique in being judged by children’s librarians, with the Shadowers’ Choice Award voted for by children and young people. The longlists were chosen from 148 nominations by the judging panel, which includes 14 children’s and youth librarians from CILIP’s Youth Libraries Group.

The 2022 Yoto Carnegie Medal longlist is (alphabetical by author surname):

Graphic featuring the covers of the Yoto Carnegie Medal Longlist 2022 books

The 2022 Yoto Kate Greenaway Medal longlist is (alphabetical by illustrator surname):

Graphic featuring the covers of the Yoto Kate Greenaway Medal Longlist 2022 books

Jennifer Horan, Chair of Judges for the Yoto Carnegie and Greenaway Awards 2022, comments:

“It is a real privilege to be chairing the judging panel during what has been an exceptional year for children’s publishing. We were transported and moved by evocative and lyrical prose; taken on fantastical journeys and invited into new worlds through powerful illustration; and given real hope by the messages of humanity, connection and community that so many of this year’s longlisted books share. I congratulate all the authors and illustrators on their outstanding work, which will bring young readers so much pleasure and reassurance in these times of worry.”

Along with the former winners, this year’s Carnegie longlist includes eight previously longlisted authors: Katya Balen, Phil Earle, Keith Grey, Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock, Julian Sedgwick, Alex Wheatle and Jeff Zentner.

In addition to Palmer and Parr’s titles, three other debut novels are recognised: When Life Gives You Mangoes by Kereen Getten, which was shortlisted for both the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize and the Jhalak Prize; Guard Your Heart by Sue Divin whose day job in community relations and peace building in Derry has informed her first YA novel about the legacy of the Troubles in Northern Ireland; and The Wolf Road by poet Richard Lambert –his presence also represents a first longlisting for independent publisher Everything with Words.

Illustration is celebrated on this year’s Carnegie longlist, including in We Were Wolves by Jason Cockcroft, a darkly beautiful YA novel, which was also nominated for the Kate Greenaway Medal; Julian Sedgwick’s Tsunami Girl, a part-manga, part-prose coming-of-age story, illustrated by Chie Kutsuwada, that explores identity and belonging, and was inspired by the author’s work as a therapist; Katya Balen’s feast for the senses, October, October, illustrated by Angela Harding; and Musical Truth: A Musical History of Modern Black Britain in 28 Songs, a non-fiction cultural history skilfully told by Jeffrey Boakye and illustrated by Ngadi Smart.

Books such as Boakye’s and Divin’s, which retell and reframe the past are well-represented in the Carnegie picks including Alex Wheatle’s Cane Warriors, which follows the real-life slave rebellion known as Tacky’s War in 18th century Jamaica and Phil Earle’s 20th book, When the Sky Falls, inspired by true events from World War II. Exploring more recent history, Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi and Dr Yusef Salaam, a member of ‘The Exonerated Five’, is a novel in verse that looks at the reality of the criminal justice system for young people of colour in America.

On the Kate Greenaway longlist, which features illustrators who live in nine different countries around the world including Italy, Belgium, USA, Canada, Peru, Germany, Northern Ireland, Scotland and England, two make a repeat appearance: Debi Gliori and Britta Teckentrup.

Alongside Novgorodoff, three illustrators make the list with their first children’s book: award-winning artist George Butler with his stunning Drawn Across Borders: True Stories of Migration; John Broadley for While You’re Sleeping, an enchanting look at the world of night-time work and wildlife, written by Mick Jackson; and Cayman Islands’ nature guide Peter Van den Ende with his wordless picture book The Wanderer, a gateway to a marine fantasy world.

The theme of encouraging readers to respect and enjoy nature continues in other longlisted books such as Wild Child: A Journey Through Nature by Dara McAnulty and illustrated by Barry Falls – a family friendly, fact-packed guide to exploring the natural world; and another wordless picture book The Midnight Fair, illustrated by Mariachiara Di Giorgio, which is a spectacular and surreal look at the secret life of animals.

Friendship and connection, acceptance, and understanding were common themes across both lists, with Jeff Zentner’s In the Wild Light, a beautiful story of grief, found family and young love; Keith Gray’s The Climbers, an unflinching look at teenage boys desperate to both stand out and fit in; Tom Percival’s The Invisible, in which he sympathetically deals with the impact of poverty and the importance of community, inspired by his own childhood; and Over the Shop illustrated by Qin Leng, where a young girl and her grandparent open their home and hearts.

Key Dates:

The winners will each receive £500 worth of books to donate to their local library, a specially commissioned golden medal and a £5,000 Colin Mears Award cash prize.

Now in its fourth year, the Shadowers’ Choice Award – voted for and awarded by the children and young people who shadow the Medals – will also be announced at the ceremony.

Yoto, the innovative, screen-free audio platform for children, is the headline sponsor for the Awards. The ambition of the recently announced three-year partnership is to increase the visibility, profile and reach of the Awards to inspire and empower a new generation of readers. The Awards are also sponsored by Peters, the official book supplier, and ALCS.


For further information on the Yoto Carnegie Greenaway Awards please visit: 
https://carnegiegreenaway.org.uk/

#CKG22

For media requests and interviews, please contact: Hannah Davies or Annabelle Wright at ed public relations on hannah@edpr.co.uk or annabelle@edpr.co.uk or 020 7732 4796


Notes to Editors

For all 33 author and illustrator biographies and images, book synopses and jackets, please click here.

About the Yoto Carnegie Greenaway Awards and Shadowing Scheme

About Yoto

About CILIP, the library and information association

About the CILIP Equality and Diversity Action Plan

About CILIP’s Awards Partners

CILIP Partners with Yoto to Unlock New Future for Carnegie Greenaway Awards

Long-term sustainability of the UK’s longest running and best-loved children’s book awards secured with new headline sponsor

carnegiegreenaway.org.uk / #CKG22

Wednesday 9 February 2022: CILIP, the charity that manages the Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Children’s Book Awards, is pleased to announce it has agreed a three-year partnership with Yoto, the innovative, screen-free audio platform for children.

Together, they will work to increase the visibility, profile and reach of the Awards to inspire and empower a new generation of readers.

This year’s Awards will be re-named the Yoto Carnegie Greenaway Awards 2022 with immediate effect, ahead of the longlist announcement on 16 February.

The independent nomination and judging process for the Medals, which is uniquely carried out by librarians across the UK, remains the same. CILIP will continue working in partnership with the Awards’ existing sponsors including Peters, the official book supplier, and ALCS.

Nicholas Poole, chief executive of CILIP, says:

“We are hugely excited by our new relationship with Yoto, an innovative partner who shares our mission of inspiring and empowering a new generation of readers. Its support, along with that of our existing valued partners, ensures the long-term viability of the Awards and will enable us to increase their profile and visibility. Thanks to its involvement, the Yoto Carnegie Greenaway Awards – and the brilliant partners, librarians, publishers, authors, illustrators and retailers that we work with – will be able to engage and include more young people in reading the best books for pleasure.

“Yoto’s aim of putting kids in control chimes perfectly with the ambitions we have to further develop our Awards shadowing scheme and provide more opportunities for all children and young people to choose and access their favourite books from those selected by our librarian judges each year.”

Ben Drury, co-founder and ceo of Yoto, says:

“Yoto is dedicated to inspiring creativity and imagination in children. We are passionate about bringing the very best in children’s books to the widest audience through audio. We are hugely excited to be embarking on this new long-term partnership with CILIP where through the Yoto Carnegie Greenaway Awards we can celebrate the greatest children’s authors and illustrators being published each year. Yoto is thrilled to be associated with the most prestigious children’s books awards in the UK, and we look forward to helping ensure even more children can reap the benefits of the best books available.”

Jake Hope, chair of the CILIP Carnegie Greenaway Working Party, adds:

“Throughout their long history, the Carnegie and Kate Greenaway medals have celebrated outstanding writing and illustration, showcasing the expertise of librarians the length and breadth of the country who nominate for the Awards and who go on to pick the long and shortlists and the eventual winners. Today’s announcement about our new partnership with Yoto is particularly exciting because it enables us to make sure these books reach and connect with even more young readers in new engaging and creative ways.”

As part of the partnership, Yoto will work with publishers to access audio rights of the selected shortlist titles to create audio content for promotion through POS for retail, libraries and schools. Such a move means the best children’s books can reach an even broader audience to inspire and instil a love of reading across the UK.

Yoto is an audio platform that introduces children to a world of stories, music, educational activities, sound effects, podcasts and radio. Founders Ben Drury and Filip Denker were inspired by Montessori principles to create a screen-free audio device that kids could safely control themselves. The Yoto Player was listed as one of Time’s Best Inventions of the Year 2020.

Yoto’s platform features original content alongside audio licensed and co-created with partners including PRH, Macmillan, Sony, Disney, LEGO, Roald Dahl Story Company, HarperCollins, Hachette, Bonnier and Scholastic. In 2021, it partnered with the Puffin World of Stories initiative donating 90 Yoto Players, Card Cases and Card Sets to primary schools across the country.

Key Dates for the 2022 Awards:

The nominations for 2022 Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals were announced on 8 November with a total of 148 books nominated by librarians. Each nominated book is now being read by every member of the 2022 judging panel, which this year includes 14 children’s and youth librarians from CILIP’s Youth Libraries Group.

Wednesday 16 February 2022: Longlist announcement.

Wednesday 16 March 2022: Shortlist announcement and Shadowing begins.

Thursday 16 June 2022: 2022 Medal winners’ and Shadowers’ Choice announcement.


For media requests, including to arrange an interview with a spokesperson, please contact: Hannah Davies or Annabelle Wright at ed public relations on hannah@edpr.co.uk or annabelle@edpr.co.uk or 020 7732 4796


Notes to Editors

About Yoto

About the Yoto Carnegie Greenaway Awards and Shadowing Scheme

About CILIP, the library and information association

About the CILIP Equality and Diversity Action Plan

About CILIP’s Awards Partners

CILIP launches Greenaway Greats reading scheme to celebrate 20 years of Artsmark

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Artsmark, CILIP has teamed up with Arts Council England to create a special selection of Kate Greenaway titles, ‘Greenaway Greats’, offering young people a fantastic reading opportunity featuring outstanding illustration.

20 titles have been selected from the alumni of past winners, curated into 10 books for primary schools and 10 for secondary schools to create the Greenaway Greats reading scheme. The scheme offers young people a diverse selection of illustrated texts to explore, supported by high-quality reading resources to prompt debate, discussion and inspire creativity. Running from March to July, the Greenaway Greats reading scheme will culminate in the opportunity for young readers to vote for their favourite book from the lists. What will be your Greenaway Great?

Jake Hope, Chair of the Awards Working Party and author of Seeing Sense (Facet Publishing, 2020) commented:

‘The Kate Greenaway Medal has recognised some of the most innovative and exciting illustrators across its history.  To help celebrate the 20th anniversary of Artsmark we are delighted to offer children and young people the opportunity to make their own choice of Greenaway Greats.  We’ve curated two collections of ten books – one aimed at primary schools, and one aimed at secondary – and are inviting young readers to share their views and vote for their favourite to be named the readers’ Greenaway Great!  There will be loads of opportunities to get creative too with draw-alongs, opportunities to engage with illustrators and to have a lot of fun!’ 

Mirroring the annual Kate Greenaway Awards Shadowing Scheme, the Greenaway Greats reading scheme will offer young people the chance to read for pleasure and debate and discuss these illustrated books with their peers. The scheme encourages young readers to develop their visual literacy skills as they are encouraged to delve deeper into illustration, attending to the detail and developing their analytical skills. Focusing on illustrated texts is a great way to spark discussion around visual techniques, styles and representation and to inspire readers to explore their own creative responses to the books. Readers will be encouraged to produce their own artwork inspired by the book lists, from designing their own book covers, recreating their favourite spreads or producing original artworks inspired by the stories.

This year marks 20 years of Artsmark, the only creative quality standard for schools and education settings in England. The award, accredited by Arts Council England, supports schools to develop and celebrate arts, culture and creativity in their setting. 

Today, nearly 4500 schools and education settings are engaged in the programme – that’s 1.9 million children and young people who are benefitting from being part of the Artsmark community.

In this special anniversary year, Artsmark is celebrating the vital role reading and libraries play in the creative lives of children throughout their education, sparking imagination, nurturing creativity and supporting wellbeing.

Anne Appelbaum, Director of Children & Young People, commented:

‘As champions of a creative and cultural education, we are delighted to bring Artsmark and CILIP together to create the Greenaway Greats scheme, which celebrates what Artsmark stands for – providing young people with a platform to have their voice heard and to instil a joy in being creative. Artsmark is committed to ensuring every young person has equal access to diverse, high-quality cultural experiences, which is why we’re also gifting book packs to schools in our priority places.’

As part of the scheme, Arts Council is gifting Greenaway Greats book packs to a selection of Artsmark schools and education settings in Arts Council’s priority places, reaching children and young people most in need. The Greenaway Greats Reading Scheme will launch on Thursday 3rd March, World Book Day with the reveal of the Greenaway Greats titles and accompanying resources. Any school, specialist or alternative education setting can participate, by purchasing the book packs from our official supplier, Peters, and receive a 26% discount.

Pre-order your book packs with Peters today and be among the first to receive them when the Greenaway Greats Reading Scheme launches on World Book Day!

Find out more at www.carnegiegreenaway.org.uk/greenaway-greats

Schools interested in how Artsmark can support their school can find out more at artsmark.org.uk, including other exciting ways to get involved in Artsmark’s 20th anniversary celebrations, such as Day to Create on 6 July.