www.ckg.org.uk / #CKG21 / #BestChildrensBooks
Nominations have been published for the 2021 CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals. The CILIP Carnegie Medal is awarded to a book written in English for children and young people that creates an outstanding reading experience through writing; while the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal recognises a book that creates an outstanding reading experience through illustration.
A total of 152 books have been nominated for the 2021 Medals; 77 books are in contention for the CILIP Carnegie Medal and 75 for the Kate Greenaway Medal. This includes four titles that received nominations in both Medal categories.
Alongside nominations from CILIP members, the list of 152 books includes nominations from external nominating bodies: BookTrust, CLPE, English & Media Centre, IBBY, Inclusive Minds CIC, National Literacy Trust and RNIB. CILIP invited nominations that met the criteria for the Medals and reflected the spirit of the Awards mission: To inspire and empower the next generation to create a better world through books and reading.
For the first time titles first published in Ireland were eligible for the Medals and two titles made the nominations list from Irish publishers: Little Island (Carnegie) and O’Brien Press (Kate Greenaway).
The nominations list also sees first time nominations for independent publishers Pokey Hat and ZunTold, alongside crowdfunding publisher Unbound.
Each nominated book is read by every member of the 2021 judging panel – which this year includes 14 children’s and youth librarians from CILIP’s Youth Libraries Group − who volunteer their time as judges.
From these nominations, the judging panel will decide the long and shortlists and finally, the 2021 Medal winners, based on the official Medals criteria. The long and shortlists identify a range of outstanding books for children and young people of all ages and interests, celebrating world-class writing and illustration from new and established authors and illustrators.
2021 will also see the continuation of the Shadowers’ Choice Awards voted for by children and young people who take part in the Awards shadowing scheme – a reading for pleasure initiative that engages thousands of children and young people in schools and libraries in the UK and overseas through ‘shadowing’ reading groups. Young people read and engage with the shortlists critically and creatively, through group participation and digitally: posting online reviews, artworks, videos, exploring human rights and taking part in visual literacy based creative activities. Taking on the role of judges, the groups will vote for their favourite books to receive the Shadowers’ Choice Award at the winners’ ceremony in June 2021.
All nominations published have received at least one nomination from a CILIP member or external body and have been checked and verified for their eligibility.
CILIP Carnegie Medal Nominated Titles 2021
CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal Nominated Titles 2021
Explore this year’s Carnegie nominated titles visually here.
Explore this year’s Kate Greenaway nominated titles visually here.
18 February 2021
Longlist announcement
18 March 2021
Shortlist announcement and Shadowing begins
16 June 2021
2021 Medal winners’ and Shadowers’ Choice announcement