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Children's Laureate, now known as the Waterstones Children's Laureate,[1] is a prestigious position awarded in the United Kingdom once every two years to a "writer or illustrator of children's books to celebrate outstanding achievement in their field." The role promotes the importance of children’s literature, reading, creativity and storytelling while promoting the right of every child to enjoy a lifetime of books and stories. Each Laureate uses their tenure to focus on an aspect of children’s books – these have included poetry, storytelling, readers with disabilities and illustration.[1]
The aim of the Waterstones Children’s Laureateship is to celebrate and promote creativity, storytelling and inspiring all children to read a rich and diverse range of stories. The Laureateship also promotes the importance of children’s books, reading and champions the right of every child to enjoy a life rich in books and stories. The post stemmed from a discussion between the (now deceased) Poet Laureate Ted Hughes and children's writer Michael Morpurgo.[2] The Waterstones Children's Laureate receives a £30,000 bursary and an inscribed silver medal.[1]
The main sponsor of the Waterstones Children's Laureate is Waterstones, with additional funding from Arts Council England and support from children's publishers. A selection panel considers nominations from a range of organisations representing librarians and sellers, including the International Board on Books for Young People.[3] The Waterstones Children's Laureate is managed by BookTrust, who supports the Laureate, organise events and run the official website.[1]
The post is currently held by Frank Cottrell-Boyce.
- ^ a b c d "Everything you need to know about the Waterstones Children's Laureate". www.booktrust.org.uk. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
aboutwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Waterstones Children's Laureate supporters". www.booktrust.org.uk. Retrieved 6 December 2022.