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Online, Tuesday 19th May
Children's Books Ireland Awards – For the first time in its thirty-year history the KPMG Children's Books Ireland Awards will be announced online, with all welcome to join in!
These awards are the most prestigious awards for children's books in Ireland and are a celebration of Irish writing and illustration for younger people. The ten shortlisted titles will compete for a total of five awards, with the winners to be announced from 12 noon on Tuesday May 19th on YouTube Live by book-loving broadcaster Rick O'Shea. A new award will also be presented to a young ‘Reading Hero', encouraging involvement from young readers across Ireland.
The shortlisted titles are:
All The Bad Apples, written by Moïra Fowley-Doyle.
Madame Badobedah, written by Sophie Dahl and illustrated by Lauren O'Hara.
Mór agus Muilc, based on a traditional tale told by John Óg Hiúdaí, Neidí Ó Colla and illustrated by Kim Sharkey.
Nóinín, written by Máire Zepf.
The Deepest Breath, written by Meg Grehan.
The Hug, written by Eoin McLaughlin and illustrated by Polly Dunbar.
The Tide, written by Clare Helen Welsh and illustrated by Ashling Lindsay.
The Star-Spun Web, written by Sinéad O'Hart.
Toffee, written by Sarah Crossan.
Scúnc agus Smúirín, written by Muireann Ní Chíobháin and illustrated by Paddy Donnelly.
The shortlist includes four books published by independent Irish publishers, three written in Irish, three verse novels and a spread of books for all ages, including picture-books up to young adult novels. The five awards to be announced are The Book of the Year Award, The Honour Awards for Fiction and Illustration, the Judges' Special Award, and the Eilís Dillon Award for a first children's book, named in honour of the revered Irish children's author whose birth centenary was on March 7th this year. The Reading Hero Award is a new initiative that recognises a young person's potential and gives them encouragement to pursue their chosen path. Teachers, parents, guardians, relatives, friends and librarians across the country were asked to nominate their KPMG Reading Hero.
Commenting on the awards and the online format for this year's announcement, KPMG Managing Partner Séamus Hand said, “We are delighted to partner with Children's Books Ireland in supporting these awards and while circumstances require that the ceremony will now be held online, we are all still really looking forward to celebrating the very best of Irish writing and illustration for younger people.”
