The Frances Lincoln Diverse Voices Children’s Book Award 2013
5 Dec 2011
Announcing the Judging Panel for the Frances Lincoln Diverse Voices Children’s Book Award 2013
Shami Chakrabarti, Director of Liberty (The National Council for Civil Liberties), and Alex Wheatle MBE, the award-winning British novelist of Jamaican heritage, have joined the judging panel of The Frances Lincoln Diverse Voices Award, which was jointly founded by Frances Lincoln Ltd and Seven Stories, the national centre for children’s books, in memory of Frances Lincoln (1945-2001) to encourage and promote diversity in children’s fiction.
Shami Chakrabarti, Director of Liberty, said:
“Diversity in children’s books is crucial – in this ever-shrinking world we are all foreigners somewhere. I’m delighted to be part of an award recognising the importance of this element in young people’s fiction.”
Alex Wheatle commented:
“I am proud to play my small role in a great initiative to encourage more diversity in children’s fiction.”
The prize of £1,500, plus the option for Janetta Otter-Barry at Frances Lincoln Children’s Books to publish the novel, will be awarded to the best work of unpublished fiction for 8-to-12-year-olds by a writer, aged 18 years or over, who has not previously published a novel for children.
Kate Edwards, Chief Executive of Seven Stories, the national centre for children’s books, Jake Hope, Children’s Librarian for Lancashire Libraries and a freelance consultant and Janetta Otter-Barry complete the judging panel.
To date there have been three awards and Janetta Otter-Barry has commissioned or published eight books by writers who entered the award: four Takeshita Demons books by Cristy Burne, winner of the inaugural award; Too Much Trouble by Tom Avery, the 2010 winner; last year’s winner Om Shanti Babe by Helen Limon, which will be published in 2012; and A Hen in the Wardrobe and The Black Cat Detectives, the first two titles in the Cinnamon Grove series by Wendy Meddour, who entered the 2009 award.
For more details about the award and how to enter visit click here.
Email: diversevoices@sevenstories.org.uk or Telephone 0845 271 0777
The closing date for all entries is midnight on Monday 31 December 2012
For more information about Frances Lincoln go to www.franceslincoln.com
Publicity enquiries to Nicky Potter T: 020 8 889 9735 E: nicpot@dircon.co.uk
