First Children's Booker Prize is Announced

There is a new award for writing children’s books — the Children’s Booker Prize. Announced on October 17, it will start in spring 2026, with the first award being given in February 2027. The Children’s Booker Prize is a way to recognize the greatest children’s fiction book that is appropriate for ages eight through twelve. Children will have a chance to get their books awarded.

The Children’s Booker Prize is designed to encourage kids to have a love for reading. According to Gaby Wood, the chief executive of the Booker Prize Foundation, the goal of the award is “to inspire more young people to read”.

At the beginning of the year, a report from the National Literacy Trust showed that a third of eight- through eighteen-year-olds enjoyed reading in their spare time. That was the smallest value seen in twenty years.

The Children’s Booker Prize “is going to make a big difference,” says Frank Cottrell-Boyce, the children’s laureate for 2024 to 2026 and a judge for the Children’s Booker Prize 2027. He also states, “It will bring thousands more children into the wonderful world of reading.” The organizers of the Children’s Booker Prize hope it will spark discussions and increase the availability of children’s books.

Children’s author Anna Fine says, “Especially when it comes to writing for children, which has all too often been the overlooked Cinderella of the book world,” the more book prizes, the better.

Additionally, according to Cottrell-Boyce, “Every child deserves the chance to experience the happiness that diving into a great book can bring.”

The Children’s Booker Prize 2027 has certain requirements that must be met. The books have to be published in the United Kingdom or Ireland and have to either be written or translated into English. They must also be published between November 1, 2025, and October 31, 2026. Lastly, the books have to be fitting for ages eight through twelve.

The Children’s Booker Prize will be open for nominations in spring 2026. In November 2026, the best eight books will be announced. The winner will be declared in February 2027.

According to Gaby Wood, “The Children’s Booker Prize is the most ambitious endeavor we’ve embarked on in twenty years — and we hope its impact will resonate for decades to come.”

The Children’s Booker Prize is based on the Booker Prize, the adult edition of it. The Booker Prize is one of the largest and most famous book awards. The first one was founded in 1969 and occurred in the United Kingdom.

It was previously called the Booker Prize for Fiction (1969-2001), and then it was renamed the Man Booker Prize (2002-2019). After that, it became the Booker Prize in 2020.

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