Choosing books to go in our book-gifting packs
Booktrust brings together independent panels of experts to select books for inclusion in the Booktrust national book-gifting programmes, Bookstart, Booktime and Booked Up.
Senior book consultant Wendy Cooling liaises with publishers and chairs the selection panels.
Kim Scott Walwyn Prize winner announced
Literary agent Clare Alexander was awarded the Kim Scott Walwyn Prize on 8 May at a ceremony held at St. Anne's College, Oxford.
Booktrust at the London Book Fair
This year’s London Book Fair at Earl’s Court saw not only record visitors, frantic bidding wars and a wealth of challenging seminars but also the celebratory event for Booktrust’s exciting new developments for their book gifting schemes.
Viv Bird, Director of Booktrust, was joined by authors Bali Rai and Nick Sharratt to announce renewed funding from the Department for Children, Schools and Families for their Bookstart, Booktime and Booked Up projects.
Booktrust staff were joined by authors including Philip Reeve and Joshua Doder and representatives from across the publishing industry to celebrate the programmes which gives free books to babies, reception-aged children and Year Seven pupils.
Speaking at the event, Nick Sharratt honoured the importance of an early exposure to books to encourage and stimulate children’s imagination, and the valuable work undertaken by Booktrust:
“I’m in complete admiration of Booktrust and its book gift schemes, glad to have been able to contribute from time to time towards its enormously important work and extremely pleased to be involved with this year’s Booktime project. And I’m delighted and very honoured to have had six books included in the Bookstart packs over the years.”
Search for books by Bali Rai and Nick Sharratt on the Booktrust children's books website
(April 2008)
Kim Scott Walwyn Prize shortlist announced
The shortlist for the Kim Scott Walwyn Prize, which honours outstanding achievements by women in publishing has been announced:
Clare Alexander, agent, Aitken Alexander Associates
Eleo Gordon, editorial editor, Viking
Alison Kennedy, production and distribution director, Egmont UK
Jessica Kingsley, chairman and managing director, Jessica Kingsley Publishers
The winner, who will receive a cheque for £3,000, will be announced at a ceremony at St Anne’s College, Oxford, on Thursday 8 May.
Big Picture campaign announces Ten Best New Illustrators
Booktrust's Big Picture campaign, which aims to raise awareness of picture books, announced its ten Best New Illustrators at the Bologna Book Fair on 31 March.
Booktrust finds the best children's book of all time
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by CS Lewis is the best children’s book of all time, according to a new survey.
The poll of 4,000 people was conducted by Booktrust to support our government backed initiative Bookstart, which provides children with free books up and down the UK.
Find out the most popular book by region
Booktrust announces continued support for book-gifting programmes
Booktrust is pleased to announce continued support from the Department for Children, Schools and Families for their three book-gifting programmes throughout 2008-9. We are also delighted that the Comprehensive Spending Review 2007 set aside funding over the next three financial years (2008-2011) to support the provision of new books.
Booktrust’s book gifting schemes comprise the Bookstart, Booktime and Booked Up programmes. Bookstart works with locally-based organisations to give free books to children at eight months, 18 months and three years. Booktime, which is run in association with Pearson, gives a free book to every reception-aged pupil. Booked Up continues this work into secondary schools by giving a free book from a choice of twelve to every Year Seven pupil, encouraging them to keep up the reading habit after their transition to secondary school.
So far, Booktrust has reached over 11 million children with their book-gifting schemes.
Viv Bird, Director of Booktrust comments: ‘It is a wonderful affirmation of Booktrust’s success that the Government has decided to continue our funding. This confirmed support will enable Booktrust to encourage even more children to discover and enjoy reading.’
(20 February 2008)
The Big Picture Best New Illustrators
Booktrust has launched their Big Picture campaign, with the search to find the UK’s Best New Illustrators.
The Big Picture aims to celebrate picture books and put them back in the public eye.
The Big Picture Best New Illustrators Award will be given to 10 illustrators who have been published in the UK since 2000. A longlist of 27 names including, Mini Grey, Joel Stewart, Emily Gravett and Polly Dunbar, has just been released and the final 10 winners will be announced by Michael Rosen at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair on 31 March 2008.
Sarah Hall wins John Llewellyn Rhys Prize
Sarah Hall's The Carhullan Army has won the 2006/07 John Llewellyn Rhys Prize. Chair of judges Suzi Feay presented Sarah with a cheque for £5,000 at a ceremony at City Inn, Westminster, London, on 29 November.
Booktrust President wins Nobel Prize
Booktrust is delighted that its President, Doris Lessing, has been awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature.
School libraries research
Booktrust has commissioned a survey of head teachers in state primary schools and librarians in state secondary schools in England into spending in school libraries.
The survey was carried out on Booktrust’s behalf by the Institute of Public Finance Ltd (IPF) and the results were interpreted in further detail by the Library and Information Statistics Unit, Loughborough University (LISU).
Trevor Glover
Among his many accomplishments, Trevor Glover, who died on 12 September, was an enthusiastic and committed Chair of Booktrust. His intelligence and good humour will be missed at Book House.
New website for translated fiction
This Spring, Booktrust will be launching a new, reader-focused website to promote translated fiction in the UK.
Website editor James Smith wants to hear from publishers who would like to see their titles included on the site (and/or would be willing to provide extracts), as well as translators, authors and anyone else who works to promote translated fiction in the UK and has opinions about the subject.
If you would like to get involved, please contact James at james.smith@booktrust.org.uk
