Lifetime Achievement Award 2016

The BookTrust Lifetime Achievement Award is given to a children's writer or illustrator whose body of work, in the opinion of the panel of judges, merits recognition for a lifetime's achievement in children's literature.

Judith Kerr: winner in 2016

Judith Kerr

Judith Kerr, the celebrated children’s author and illustrator, was awarded the BookTrust Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016.

When she was a child Judith escaped 1940's Germany, which was the inspiration for her Out of the Hitler Time trilogy. The books, including When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit, tell of her family's escape from Germany through Switzerland and France before settling in England.

Judith shot to fame in 1968 when The Tiger Who Came to Tea was published, becoming one of the best-selling children's books of all time.

As well as The Tiger Who Came to Tea, Judith also created the beloved Mog books. This series of books chronicled the life of a family tabby cat, Mog as she experiences new babies, getting lost and more.

The BookTrust Lifetime Achievement Award was set up in 2015 to celebrate an author or illustrator's outstanding contribution to children's books.

Judith was presented with her award at London Zoo by BookTrust President Michael Morpurgo.

She sadly passed away in May 2019.

Judges

Nicolette Jones

Writer, critic and broadcaster

Nicolette Jones is a writer, critic and broadcaster specialising in literary and arts journalism. She has been the Children's Books Reviewer of The Sunday Times for more than two decades, and in 2012 was shortlisted for the Eleanor Farjeon Award for distinguished service to the world of children's books.

Cressida Cowell

Author

Cressida Cowell wrote and illustrated the popular How to Train Your Dragon series, which has sold over 7 million copies worldwide and is published in 38 languages. How to Train Your Dragon is also an award-winning DreamWorks film series and a TV series shown on Netflix.

Chris Riddell

Author, illustrator and former Children's Laureate

Chris Riddell is a prolific writer and illustrator whose work is familiar to both children and adults, and who served as Waterstones Children's Laureate 2015-2017. He has won the prestigious Kate Greenaway Medal twice, in 2002 and 2004, and his solo work includes the Goth Girl and Ottoline series.

John Agard

Poet

John Agard is one of the most exciting poets writing in the English language, and in 2013 he was awarded the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry. He has also written verse plays and librettos and has been a writer-in-residence at the BBC, the South Bank and the National Maritime Museum.

Shami Chakrabarti

Campaigner

Shami Chakrabarti CBE is Britain's leading human rights campaigner and Liberty's former director. A lawyer, she is Chancellor of the University of Essex, Honorary Professor of Law at the University of Manchester, Honorary Fellow of Mansfield College, Oxford and a Master of the Bench of Middle Temple.

Diana Gerald

BookTrust CEO

Diana Gerald joined BookTrust as Chief Executive in March 2015 and works closely with partners in Government, the Arts Council, publishing, libraries, children's centres, school and local authorities. She is also a trustee of SA-YES, a South African charity which mentors young people leaving care homes in Cape Town.