The Books Council of Wales is inviting applications for a 4-year contract (2024–28) for a brand-new English-language literary magazine as it opens the tender process today, 4 March 2024.

£80,000 per annum is available to develop and establish one new title. The remit of the magazine is for an English-language literary magazine with a strong focus on fiction and creative non-fiction, featuring robust reviews and commentary, and which has a sustainable and adaptable business model at its core. 

The magazine will be funded by Welsh Government through Creative Wales, from the Cultural Periodicals Grant, and will join 4 other English-language titles in receiving a grant over the funding period. 

Helgard Krause, Chief Executive of the Books Council said: “This is an exciting opportunity for applicants to put forward their ideas for a brand-new title, with a view to launching the first issue at the end of the year. We are looking for a magazine with a robust and ambitious business model that will make a significant contribution to the culture of Wales, which will seek to attract the widest possible readership, and also support skills development as part of the wider publishing ecosystem”.

Guidelines and application documents are on the Books Council of Wales website – books.wales. Tenders | Cyngor Llyfrau Cymru. The closing date for stage 1 applications is 15 April 2024, with shortlisted applications going to a second stage in the summer.

Schools Love Reading project gives a boost to young readers

In November 2021, the Minister for Education and Welsh Language, Jeremy Miles announced a multi-million-pound investment in reading engagement… and we were about to embark on the most ambitious book-gifting project we have ever managed! The Schools Love Reading programme would provide every child in a state school in Wales with a book of their own to keep, as well as provide additional books for every school’s library. Two years, 438,245 books, 168,870 book tokens and 1,490 schools later, and the project was completed in December 2023.

Schools, food banks, publishers, bookshops and the Books Council of Wales have worked together to deliver the programme, and we would like to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone for their support and participation in the scheme to ensure every child was able to select and choose their own free book. We’re also delighted to share some of the findings from the evaluation report, which has shown what an important difference this scheme has made to children and young people across Wales.

The purpose of the scheme was to promote reading for pleasure among children and young people, and to ensure that readers had equal access to a diverse range of appealing and quality titles. Reading for pleasure is known to increase well-being and empathy, develop imagination, support educational attainment, and provide opportunities to explore new ideas and experiences.

The Minister for Education and Welsh Language, Jeremy Miles said: “Reading opens the door to new skills, boosts imagination and plays an important role in a child’s development. The Schools Love Reading campaign celebrates the power of reading, and supports learners, schools, parents and carers to encourage and enjoy it. We want to make sure that every child has the opportunity to reap the rewards from reading and it’s fantastic to see this campaign helping ignite a passion with high quality material.”

The programme was delivered in four stages:

• Individual book gift to every child in state primary schools in Wales, which was delivered via a curated selection of books sent to schools, for learners to choose from.
• £7 book token for every learner aged 11–16 in state secondary schools in Wales. Book tokens were delivered to schools, who arranged distribution to students. Some schools worked in partnership with local bookshops to arrange bookfairs or bookshop visits to help students make their purchases.
• Every state school received a pack of 50 books celebrating diversity, to add to their school or class library.
• 66,775 books have been distributed to foodbanks and community groups so that service users could choose books during their visits. Deliveries took place in November 2022 and again in November 2023, in time for Christmas.

Primary School book gifting – findings
There were 231 individual responses to the survey from 226 primary schools, in addition to discussion groups. In all, feedback was included from school staff, learners and parents/carers.

• 100% of schools agreed that the books were of a high standard and quality, and most importantly, 95% said that the children liked the choice of books.

 “We had a ‘book browse’ afternoon. Books were arranged with bean-bags around each display for children to move round and select a book having handled it, read the blurb, read the start etc.” – Primary school representative, survey

Many schools took the opportunity to create a special event out of the book gifting, to help the children browse the selection on offer and choose their own book to keep. One school offered a ‘book browse afternoon’, another a ‘book picnic’ and some schools combined it with other activities such as St Davids Day or World Book Day.

“Some of our children said this would be the first book they ever owned that they could keep and would not have to give back. It was lovely to see children carrying their books to the yard to read at break time and how proud they were to take them home and say they were ‘books to keep forever’.” – Primary school representative, survey

• Over 95% of schools agreed that the programme had increased opportunities for learners to read for pleasure, and nearly 80% said that the books have encouraged reading at home.

“Parents were very grateful for the books. Many of our children don’t have access to books at home so they were overjoyed to have a book to take home.” – Primary school representative, survey

Secondary School book tokens – findings
There were 68 individual responses to the survey from 61 secondary schools, in addition to discussion groups. In all, feedback was collected from staff, learners and parents/carers.

Older learners at secondary school level were gifted a £7 book token to enable them to choose any book either by visiting a bookshop or through shop visits to schools. We also hoped that this approach would build relationships between bookshops and schools, as well as introducing learners to their local bookshop.

• Over 90% of respondents from secondary schools reported that learners appreciated receiving their book tokens and 88% agreed that the book tokens provided had encouraged reading at home.

“I think it’s a fantastic boost to the pupils. I really enjoyed the pupils’ reaction and pleasure that choosing and ‘buying’ their own book brought. Some pupils had to be persuaded that yes it was real and yes it was actually a book all for themself.” – Secondary school representative, survey

We were especially pleased to see that all secondary school learners who participated in the evaluation felt that the programme had increased their desire to read for pleasure, and that they now read much more, having taken part in the scheme. Welsh-language books were also shown to be in demand, and learners stated that they were more likely to read Welsh books since taking part in the programme, reporting a greater interest in reading as a result of the initiative.

“There were some Welsh books that needed to be fought for because loads of people wanted to read them!” Secondary school learner, discussion group

• 95% strongly agreed or agreed that the programme increased opportunities for reading for pleasure, and 95% agreed that the programme improved access to books.

Collaboration with food banks
Three food banks took part in the survey to provide feedback, all of which found different ways to share the books with their service users, such as displays for browsing, or sharing books with local schools. Each of the food banks who responded detailed the positive outcomes of being able to provide families with a free book for their child/children.

“It was lovely to see children walking away with the books like it was treasure.” – Foodbank staff/volunteer, discussion

The books were described as ‘beautiful’, ‘high quality’ and catered to all ages. The availability of bilingual books was also referenced by participants as beneficial for families.

If you’d like to know more about the Schools Love Reading programme, there’s information about the scheme here, as well as our series of ‘I Love Reading!’ blogs by Welsh celebrities including Jess Fishlock, Mel Owen, James Hook and others.

SEASON’S GREETINGS 2023

The Books Council and the Distribution Centre will be closed from Thursday afternoon,
 21 December 2023 and will re-open after the holidays on Tuesday, 2 January 2024.

We wish you all a happy and peaceful Christmas.

The Books Council of Wales has today (7 December) announced the successful recipients of the English-language Cultural Periodicals Grant for 2024–28.

The grant, which is funded by Welsh Government through Creative Wales, is awarded as new, standalone funding every four years following an open competitive tender process. The tender was advertised in May, with interviews taking place in November 2023. Grants are awarded by an independent panel following a rigorous application and interview process.

The Books Council is pleased to be funding the following titles for the next franchise period:

Nation.Cymru – £25,000 per year for cultural content including book reviews and providing a digital free at the point of use platform for the publishing sector in Wales.

The Paper (@thepaperwales) – £10,000 per year plus a £10,000 start up grant during 2023/24. For providing a new platform for younger underrepresented writers, with a particular focus on working class writers.

Poetry Wales – £25,000 per year for providing a print and digital poetry magazine.

Welsh Agenda – £25,000 per year for cultural content including book reviews and providing a print and online platform for the publishing sector in Wales.

Helgard Krause, Chief Executive of the Books Council of Wales said: “We are pleased to be able to fund a number of excellent publications in this franchise round, including a new title, The Paper.  There was, as expected, a very high level of interest in the grant, with the total applications amounting to more than double the £180,000 available. I would like to congratulate all the recipients on their success in what was a very competitive and rigorous process, with difficult decisions for the panel awarding the grant.

Following the conclusion of the interviews and communication of the panel’s decisions to all applicants in November, we anticipate that the Sub-committee will be looking to advertise a tender for the development of one brand new English-language literary magazine with a strong focus on fiction and creative non-fiction with a sustainable business model at its core.

The precise vision for this new venture will be confirmed at the next English-language Publishing Development Sub-committee in February. A tender for a new franchise will be announced soon thereafter.”

50 new books to be published in Wales for children and young people, to help with empathy, literacy and to promote reading for pleasure.

The Books Council of Wales’ Rhyngom Project, which is funded by the Welsh Government, aims to promote diversity in reading books for pleasure for children and young people aged 3–16 years.

The project, which will take place over the next two years, will lead to the publication of 50 reading books for pleasure, celebrating the culture, people and history of the whole of Wales, supporting the health and well-being of children and young people and developing their empathy and literacy skills, which in turn will aid the delivery of the Curriculum for Wales.

There are four strands to the project. The first strand will be to publish Welsh adaptations of 30 English titles which promote and celebrate diversity – some of which have won awards such as the Diverse Book Award.

The second strand will involve identifying further gaps in the provision, and commissioning and publishing 20 brand-new original Welsh and English books (10 Welsh, 10 English) that celebrate diversity from a Welsh perspective.

The third strand will be to create educational resources based on the 50 titles. These resources – in print and digital format – will provide additional and valuable guidance for teachers in Wales.

The Books Council of Wales is currently selecting a panel of experienced educational practitioners who work with children and young people across the country, to support this strand of the project.

The fourth and final strand will be to coordinate a book-gifting scheme for primary and secondary schools in Wales. Every state primary school will receive a free copy of the books for children aged 3–7 years and children 8–11 years, and every state secondary school will receive a copy of the books for children 8–11 years and readers 12–16 years. They will also be given printed editions of the educational resources based on the titles.

At the heart of the vision for this project is recognising and celebrating the diverse nature of social groups and communities in Wales across the new titles.

To help select the titles for adaptation, and to advise on authors and ideas for original books, the Books Council is working with a panel of individuals who represent a wide range of organisations, communities and backgrounds in Wales, and who are keen ambassadors in their fields of expertise. The Books Council is also pleased to be working alongside partners such as Race Council Cymru (RCC), DARPL and Black History Wales. Every title to be published as part of this project has also been endorsed by the Welsh Government.

The Minister for Education and Welsh Language, Jeremy Miles said: “As someone who loves to read, I know what a pleasure it is to read a book, and I’m very pleased to support this project. It’s important that books represent and celebrate diversity, and that children and young people can see themselves and others in literature and develop empathy.”

One of the main aims of commissioning original Welsh and English books as part of the scheme was to ensure publishing opportunities for authors and illustrators from under-represented backgounds and communities. In order to secure a grant to publish books as a part of this project, publishers demonstrated their committment to commissioning new talent from writers and illustrators from a variety of different backgrounds.

To support new authors and illustrators, publishers have adopted a number of different models, including co-authorships between new and established authors, or commissioning budding authors who have not until now had the opportunity to work with a publisher in Wales.

Amongst the authors of the original books is Natalie Jones, a Welsh Jamaican writer and teacher, who will be writing a factual book (to be published by Y Lolfa) for children aged 3–7 years about 20 individuals from culturally diverse backgrounds who have achieved great things in Wales. For another publication, Haf Llewelyn, a highly acclaimed Welsh author, will be mentoring three new authors from under-represented communities to create a collection of short stories for readers aged 8–11 years (to be published by Atebol).

The twenty original Welsh and English books will be published in November 2024, and the 30 Welsh adaptations will be published in February 2025. All will be available for purchase from bookshops and Gwales online shop. Printed editions of educational resources based on the adaptations, and digital editions (on Hwb) of educational resources based on the original books, will be available by June 2025. The Books Council’s Distribution Centre will then be packaging the books and resources over a period of months, in order to deliver the free books to all maintained schools in Wales by September 2025.

Books Council of Wales’ newly appointed Young People’s Panel met for the first time on Friday, 7 July. The purpose of the scheme is to ensure opportunities for young people to express their opinions on reading material and current themes, as well as their aspirations for future publications. The panel will also consider various campaignes to promote reading for pleasure among young people.

The panel members were appointed following a call out in February for individuals between 17 and 20 years old. A high number of impressive applications were submitted by young people from across Wales. We would have liked to have been able to include every candidate on the panel. However, following a selection process, nine individuals were invited to join the panel and to attend meetings. Anna Nijo, one of the members, said, “By joining this panel, I hope to increase the number of people who enjoy reading books, perhaps by supporting schools to encourage their pupils to engage with the school or local library.”

The group’s enthusiasm and eagerness to share ideas and feedback in order to shape the future of the publishing industry in Wales is very evident. Gruffydd ab Owain explains, “My vision for the panel is to bridge the gap between books for children and books for adults, to ensure that diversity is maintained and expanded, as well as to explore strategies to better engage with young people.” In addition to this, the panel will be sharing valuable information in order to develop reading for pleasure campaignes in the future. Charlie Evans said, “I would like young voices to be at the root of literature promotion. I am truely looking forward to working with the panel.”

The panel will meet three times a year, once in person and twice in virtual meetings. It will be chaired by Llŷr Titus. Llŷr knows from experience how important it is to maintain teenagers’ interest in reading. Llŷr said, “As someone who remembers having difficulty when younger in finding a Welsh book that I enjoyed, I was very pleased to be able to accept the invitation to chair the panel. I believe that only by speaking with young people, and, more importantly, listening to them, can we learn how to improve the provision for them, and help them to enjoy reading books in Welsh. My hope is that this group’s contribution will lead to improvement, and that the people and organisations who need to listen and learn will do so.”

The Children’s Books and Reading Promotion Department is very grateful to the young people on the panel and to Llŷr Titus for their committment and valuable input, ensuring that we support the publishing industry and inspire new audiences to read for pleasure.

Two new Welsh-language Magazines to launch in 2023

There will be two new Welsh-language magazines available for readers this year after Gwasg Carreg Gwalch and Golwg secured grants from the Books Council of Wales to pilot two new titles.

Gwasg Carreg Gwalch will launch their new popular history magazine, Hanes Byw, in September and Golwg will launch a new digital sports magazine by the autumn.

The two new titles have been set up with funding from the Books Council of Wales, which supports both English- and Welsh-language magazines from Wales, thanks to funding from Creative Wales.

Owain ap Myrddin, from Gwasg Carreg Gwalch, said: “The aim is to raise stories from history and archaeology, etymology and folktales, traditions and art that are still relevant to our lives today, and that shine a light on contemporary issues. It will also include elements of stories and grassroots history that the Welsh community can delight in and feel comfortable to contribute to. The majority of the articles will relate to the past 250 years and there will be an emphasis on weaving the past with the present – as the influences of yesterday can still be felt in daily life today.”

Hanes Byw will launch on 28 September, with 4 issues a year available from bookshops or through subscription on the Carreg Gwalch website.

Golwg will launch their new sports magazine by the autumn. Owain Schiavone, Chief Executive of Golwg Cyf, said: “Golwg is delighted to have the opportunity to pilot a new sports magazine and we have exciting plans for it. We are keen to try to develop an innovative Welsh-language service that offers specialist commentary on a number of different sports, from the popular and mainstream to less well-known sports. We will release more information about the exact nature of the magazine in due course. We are keen to hear from anyone who would like to contribute to the project, via email, to owainschiavone@golwg.cymru”

Arwel Jones, Head of Publishing Development at the Books Council of Wales, said: “We’re pleased to be able to support the pilot programmes for these two new magazines, that bring a new range of subjects to the Welsh-language magazine market. The independent panel that awarded the grant noticed a gap in the provision for magazines relating to sports and to popular history. We have, therefore, been able to offer a one-year grant of £30,000 each to pilot brand new magazines on these subjects and to widen the choice for readers.”

The Books Council of Wales extends its warmest congratulations to Manon Steffan Ros as she is announced the winner of the Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing, for her novel The Blue Book of Nebo. It is the first time in the award’s almost 90-year history that it has been awarded to a book in translation. The Yoto-Carnegies are the UK’s longest-running and best-loved book awards for children and young people.

The original Welsh novel, Llyfr Glas Nebo, won the Prose Medal at the 2018 National Eisteddfod and was a winner in three categories of the Wales Book of the Year in 2019. Set in post-apocalyptic Nebo, the poignant story unfolds through the shared diary entries of mother and son as they adapt to survive and create a new life after The End.

The Blue Book of Nebo is published by Firefly Press, Cardiff-based children’s and YA indie publisher, which celebrates its tenth anniversary this year.

Arwel Jones, Head of Publishing Development at The Books Council of Wales said: “We’re absolutely delighted for Manon and send our warmest congratulations to her for winning the Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing. It is wonderful that Manon’s work has been recognised in this way and is a testament to her exceptional talent as a storyteller. Although The Blue Book of Nebo is Manon’s first YA book in translation, she has of course written many Welsh-language books and has honed her skills and her craft as a writer over time and in different genres, competing in Eisteddfodau, writing books for adults and children as well as writing for stage and screen. We hope that winning the award will enable more people to discover and enjoy Manon’s work.”

First Minister Mark Drakeford said: “I would like to congratulate Manon on the incredible achievement of The Blue Book of Nebo being the first ever translated book to win the Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing, showcasing the strength of storytellers from Wales on the international stage. I look forward to Manon’s books being enjoyed by an even wider audience in Wales and beyond.”

The winners were announced at a ceremony in London on 21 June 2023. As a Yoto Carnegie winner, Manon joins a selection of acclaimed authors such as Neil Gaiman, Philip Pullman and Terry Pratchett who have won the award in previous years.

As part of the prize, winners receive £500 worth of books to donate to a library of their choice. Manon 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. To celebrate Manon’s achievement, the Books Council of Wales has announced that they will match this amount through a donation of £500 of Welsh book tokens.

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

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 Sepetys for 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.