Children's Laureate
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Children's Laureate is a position awarded in the UK once every two years to a distinguished writer or illustrator of children's books. A biannual bursary of £10,000 is offered. "The idea for the Children's Laureate originated from a conversation between (the then) Poet Laureate Ted Hughes and children's writer Michael Morpurgo."[1]
A panel of judges considers nominations from a range of organisations representing librarians, critics, writers and booksellers, including the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY). They also consider authors and illustrators nominated directly by children.
The award is funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and a range of other publishing industry and charity sector sponsors. It is currently sponsored by Waterstone's (the successor to Ottakar's) bookstores.
The Children's Laureate selection panel for the 2007 to 2009 award was chaired by Shami Chakrabarti, director of pressure group Liberty.[2]
Contents |
[edit] Children's Laureates
| Years | Author |
|---|---|
| 1999–2001 | Quentin Blake |
| 2001–2003 | Anne Fine |
| 2003–2005 | Michael Morpurgo |
| 2005–2007 | Jacqueline Wilson |
| 2007–2009 | Michael Rosen |
[edit] U.S. equivalent
In January 2008 the Library of Congress inaugurated its National Ambassador for Young People's Literature scheme, as the U.S. equivalent of the Children's Laureate. The inaugural Ambassador is Jon Scieszka.[3]
[edit] See also
- Blue Peter Book Awards
- Carnegie Medal
- Guardian Award
- Kate Greenaway Medal
- Nestlé Smarties Book Prize
