Ms Ereira writes:

The Carnegie Medal is the oldest and most prestigious award for children’s literature. Over the decades the winners, selected by a panel of librarians, have included books which have gone on to become universally loved classics.

The roll-call of past winners includes Arthur Ransome, C.S. Lewis, Terry Pratchett, Philip Pullman, Noel Streatfeild, Sally Gardner and Elizabeth Acevedo. There is also an award for illustration, which has previously been won by artists including Raymond Briggs, Shirley Hughes, Janet Ahlberg, and Children’s Laureates Quentin Blake, Anthony Browne, Chris Riddell and Lauren Child.

Our book clubs have been reading the books shortlisted for this year’s writing award, and were lucky enough to make a trip to the award ceremony to hear which books had won. The ceremony was for the first time held in the Cambridge Theatre, home of Matilda, and our group loved the beautiful set and the atmosphere it created.

The ceremony was hosted by Manjeet Mann, who has twice been shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal herself and won the Shadowers’ Choice award for her verse novel Run, Rebel. The event was livestreamed to all participating schools, but as real-life attendees we were treated to a Q&A with the shortlisted authors and illustrators before the livestreaming began.

One of our group observed: ‘I liked how everyone on stage (authors; the host; illustrators) expressed themselves and gave very inspirational words about how to be a great writer, “Look, look, look, look around you, there is a world full of imagination” and “Always carry a notebook and write down your ideas”.

Two prizes were awarded in each category: the Judges’ Choice award and the Shadowers’ Choice award, voted for by school book groups. The winner of both awards for Illustration was Aaron Becker for The Tree and the River. One of our group was particularly thrilled by this because Becker’s previous books had been much-loved childhood favourites of theirs.

The winner of the Shadowers’ Choice award for writing was Tia Fisher for Crossing The Line, a book inspired by her friend’s experience of becoming involved in county lines.

The winner of the Medal for Writing was Children’s Laureate Joseph Coelho for The Boy Lost in the Maze, a beautifully illustrated verse novel which weaves together the myth of Theseus with a modern story about a boy’s quest to find his long-lost father. This is the first time the medal has been awarded to a Black British writer, and it was particularly joyful to see him receive it from his partner Manjeet Mann!

Joseph Coelho’s message to all the young readers watching, as he reflected on his own personal journey, was: “Allow time and space for the dreams you don’t yet know you have.”