Internationally recognised art and literary critic, writer and cultural producer. Published in ELLE, Glamour, Esquire and Cosmopolitan; member of the Union of Writers.
On March 2025, at the London Book Fair, I had the privilege of attending one of the most important events in the world of children’s literature – the announcement of the shortlist for the Carnegie Medal. It’s awarded by CILIP (the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals), who describe it as “the UK’s oldest and most prestigious book award for children’s writing”. As an author, I was delighted to join publishers, illustrators and librarians in celebrating the power of storytelling for young readers.
The air was filled with the subtle scent of fresh print – a scent that always reminds me of those magical moments when I first opened a new book and was transported to another world. And as the Carnegie shortlist was announced, I felt that anticipation of new discoveries all over again. After all, an award isn’t just a prize; it’s an opportunity to tell the world who you are, to showcase your creativity, to inspire someone and to take your career to a new level.
This year’s shortlist included many new names, indicating an influx of fresh talent into children’s literature. It was particularly pleasing that seven of the twelve publishers whose books were shortlisted are independent. This shows that the Carnegie is supporting a diversity of voices and giving smaller publishers a chance to make their mark. These include Firefly Press, Otter-Barry Books, UCLan Publishing and Lantana, who have all published works nominated for the Illustration Award. Commenting on the significance of this year’s selection, Ros Harding, chair of the judges for The Carnegies 2025, said the shortlists “highlight the diversity and high quality within publishing for children and young people in the UK… It is wonderful to see such an inclusive range of cultures, experiences, voices and illustrative styles feature in the shortlisted books…”
The themes of the featured books reflected important issues facing modern society. In particular, many authors explored the problems of growing up, finding oneself and the role of young people in today’s world. I was particularly moved by Brian Conaghan’s Treacle Town. The story of Con O’Neill, trapped in a world of brutal violence, sectarian revenge and personal tragedy, and his desire to break out of this vicious circle through slam poetry, seems incredibly powerful and true.
Another important book about finding oneself, “All That It Ever Meant” by Blessing Musariri, which tells the story of Mati’s family, grieving the loss of his mother, and their journey to Zimbabwe, where they try to come to terms with their grief and find their place between two cultures, attracted particular attention.
The works nominated for the Carnegie Medal for Illustration impressed me with their variety of styles and techniques. In “The Invisible Story” by Jaime Gamboa, illustrated by Wen Hsu Chen, intricate white paper constructions create a three-dimensional effect and tell the story of a book that no one reads until a special girl finds it. I particularly liked this idea – to show that stories can be invisible to some, but open to others.
No less moving are the illustrations in “Grey” by Lauren Child, written by Laura Dockrill. Simple shapes combined with skilfully constructed compositions tell the story of a child who feels that all her colours have disappeared. Despite the happy orange balloon, the giant yellow sun and the bright green trees, the child still feels grey. But words of support and an outstretched helping hand bring back her colours and give her hope. I think this book is full of empathy and understanding and can be a comfort to readers of all ages.
In 2025, the shortlist for the Carnegie Medal for Writing included:
“Treacle Town” by Brian Conaghan (Andersen Press)
“The Things We Leave Behind” by Clare Furniss (Simon & Schuster UK)
“The Final Year” by Matt Goodfellow, illustrated by Joe Todd-Stanton (Otter-Barry Books)
“King of Nothing” by Nathanael Lessore (Bonnier Books UK)
“Little Bang” by Kelly McCaughrain (Walker Books)
“Glasgow Boys” by Margaret McDonald (Faber & Faber)
“All That It Ever Meant” by Blessing Musariri (Zephyr, Head of Zeus)
“Play” by Luke Palmer (Firefly Press)
The shortlist for the Carnegie Medal for Illustration included:
“The Invisible Story” by Wen Hsu Chen, written by Jaime Gamboa, translated by Daniel Hahn (Lantana)
“Grey” by Lauren Child, written by Laura Dockrill (Walker Books)
“I Love Books” by Mariajo Ilustrajo (Quarto)
“Clever Crow” by Olivia Lomenech Gill, written by Chris Butterworth (Walker Books)
“Letters in Charcoal” by Juan Palomino, written by Irene Vasco, translated by Lawrence Schimel (Lantana)
“Homebody” by Theo Parish (Macmillan Children’s Books)
“Wolf and Bear” by Kate Rolfe (Macmillan Children’s Books)
“Flying High” by Yu Rong, written by Cao Wenxuan, translated by Simone-Davina Monnelly and Jake Hope (UCLan Publishing)
In this way, the announcement of the nominees for the 2025 Carnegie Medal was further confirmation that children’s and young people’s books play an important role in shaping the personalities and world views of the younger generation.
