RED HOUSE BOOK AWARD 2012
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness (based on an idea by Siobhan Dowd) has won the Red House book award for Older Readers book and best overall book of 2012. The Award is run by the Federation of Childrens’ Book Groups and is selected by the votes of 83,000 young readers. He said: “Winning the Red House is terrific, especially because it’s chosen by young readers themselves. Trust me, as a writer for young people, I know how bracingly honest they can be about their opinions, so to have been selected from a really strong shortlist is a splendid feeling. Properly chuffed.“
Both Patrick and illustrator Jim Kay collected the Award from last year’s winner, Michael Morpurgo at a ceremony which was part of the Imagination Childrens Festival. Jim Kay said: “I’m bowled over by this. It’s the first award I’ve ever been involved in, it’s great to think that it’s all down to young people reading and discussing wonderful new stories. As an illustrator it’s been a pleasure to work on such a brave and moving book.”
MORE AWARD NOMINATIONS…
After the success of the Red House book award win for A Monster Calls, there is news from the USA, where the book has been shortlisted for the LA Times Book Award, and also for the extremely cool Bram Stoker Awards, which are run by the Horror Writers Assocation.
And it’s currently longlisted for both the Carnegie Medal (both Siobhan and Patrick are Carnegie winners in previous years) and Kate Greenaway Award… congratulations to Patrick Ness and the illustrator of the beautiful but rather creepy pictures, Jim Kay. The shortlists will be announced in late march, so watch this space…
… AND ANOTHER WIN!
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness (based on an idea by Siobhan) has won a Red Tentacle award, designed to reward books that are “progressive, intelligent and entertaining” genre fiction. And the wonderful illustrator of A Monster Calls, Jim Kay was nominated for an Inky Tentacle for his cover art…
Cavan Festival
County Cavan is in the Republic of Ireland, close to the border and thus a very fitting place to hold a Festival around Siobhan’s work. “One Cavan: One Writer” is the initiative of Josephine Brady, an energetic Librarian who is both a fan of Siobhan’s work and the woman behind a year’s worth of activities in the town around Siobhan’s work. In September (on Ireland’s “Culture Night”) the official launch was held with representatives of the Dowd family and the Irish Minister for Culture, Jimmy Deenihan, TD in attendance. The Trust has supported the project by financing some resource packs about Siobhan’s books to be used in schools, and throughout next year many activities will be taking place -- not only book groups around the texts, but creative writing in schools, lectures and plays inspired by her stories.
Letterbox Reception
The first grant awarded by the Trust was for a pilot project for an expansion of the Letterbox Club scheme targetting 11-13 year old Looked after Children. In 2010 60 children in 11 different Local Authorities were selected, sent books and writing materials throughout the year, and their reactions and reading was monitored by academics at the University of Leicester. By 2011 and the Official launch this september, this had expanded to over 935 children across 47 Local Authorities.
The Launch / celebration of the scheme this september was held at Portcullis House in Westminster, hosted by Edward Timpson MP, Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Looked After Children, on behalf of Booktrust, who run the Letterbox club. Many politicians, academics and representatives from both the childrens’ book world and local authorities attended, including Letterbox Club patron Dame Jacqueline Wilson who said:
“A child in care is often shuffled around many different homes, often with many changes of school so it’s no wonder that some of these kids find it hard going and stop trying hard with school work. Sometimes looked-after children struggle a bit with their reading and don’t know what to choose for themselves in a bookshop or a library. That’s where the Letterbox Club parcels are so great, giving children the chance to feel that they’re special; that people care about them; that they can achieve great things educationally; that they have a fantastic future ahead. If my Tracy Beaker were real, she would have relished those parcels.”
Schools Campaign
NEW FOR 2012 -- TEACHERS AND LIBRARIANS: WE NEED YOUR HELP -- Tell us how you spread the Joy of Reading and win £1000 worth of books for your school!
The Siobhan Dowd Trust is proud to announce that Michael Rosen, Poet and ex-Childrens’ Laureate will be on the judging panel of our schools campaign, which is asking teachers and librarians for their ideas about how they encourage a love of books in their schools. We will use the entries to build up a database of ideas which can be shared and swapped… and the ten best or most innovative ideas will receive £1000 worth of books selected by experts as some of the titles which every school should have one (or more) copies of. All schools in the UK are welcome to take part: nurseries through to sixth form, but we’re sorry fee-paying schools are not eligible for entry. For details of how to enter (and the start of the database as we get entries), please see the section for Teachers and Librarians.