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The Children’s Booker Prize — A Huge Boost for Children’s Fiction
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by Najam-uddin Ahmad
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The Children’s Booker Prize of £50,000 will be awarded annually to the best contemporary fiction, written in or translated into English and published in the UK and/or Ireland, for children aged 8 to 12 years old from 2027.
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The Booker Foundation has launched a new award — the most ambitious endeavor — “Children’s Booker Prize” annually from 2027 and supported by AKO Foundation.
According to the announcement, the prize will be awarded annually to the best contemporary fiction, written in or translated into English and published in the UK and/or Ireland, for children aged 8 to 12 years old from 2027. The prize will be open to authors worldwide, both for books written originally in English and for those translated into English, as long as they are published in the UK and/or Ireland within the eligibility period.
Submissions:
The submissions for the inaugural prize will be opened in spring 2026, with the shortlist of eight books in late November 2026. The winner, selected by a combined panel of child and adult judges, will be announced at a high-profile event for young readers in February 2027. The eligibility period for the 2027 prize is 1 November 2025 to 31 October 2026.
The Prize Money:
The inaugural award for children’s fiction offers £50,000. If a book that has been translated into English wins, the author and translator will share the £50,000 equally. If a graphic novel wins the author and illustrator will share the £50,000 prize equally; if a highly illustrated book wins, the author and illustrator will share the £50,000 in a manner to be agreed with the publisher. Each shortlisted author will receive £2,500.
The Aim of the Prize:
The Booker Prize Foundation announces the Children’s Booker Prize at a time when children’s reading for pleasure is reportedly at its lowest in 20 years, and as the UK government and the National Literacy Trust have announced a National Year of Reading 2026 to change the nation’s reading habits.
The prize is being launched to inspire more children to discover and read great contemporary fiction and will tackle the challenge in a number of ways.
At least 30,000 copies of the shortlisted and winning books will be gifted to ensure more children can own and read the world’s best fiction. The aim of the prize is to engage and grow a new generation of readers by recognising and championing the best children’s fiction from writers around the world.
The Judging Process:
The multi-award-winning children’s book author and screenwriter Frank Cottrell-Boyce, who is the current Waterstones Children’s Laureate, will be the inaugural Chair of judges for the prize. Uniquely, the prize will be judged by a mixed panel of adult and child judges. Cottrell-Boyce and two other adult judges will select a shortlist of eight books. Three child judges will be recruited — with the support of schools and a range of partners across the culture and entertainment industries — to join the adults in choosing the winning book. The child judges will be announced in late November. The process will give children a direct voice in the outcome, ensuring the book is recommended by young readers to their peers.
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The Children’s Booker Prize is not just a prize — it’s part of a movement: a cause that children, parents, carers, teachers and everyone in the world of storytelling can get behind.
— Gaby Wood, Chief Executive of the Booker Foundation
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Gaby Wood, Chief Executive of the Booker Foundation, said, “The Children’s Booker Prize is the most ambitious endeavour we’ve embarked on in 20 years – and we hope its impact will resonate for decades to come. It aims to be several things at once: an award that will champion future classics written for children; a social intervention designed to inspire more young people to read; and a seed from which we hope future generations of lifelong readers will grow. In other words, the Children’s Booker Prize is not just a prize — it’s part of a movement: a cause that children, parents, carers, teachers and everyone in the world of storytelling can get behind.”
She added, “The Booker Prize Foundation exists to inspire more people to read the world’s best fiction — because if you can imagine a different world, you can help to create a better one. The possibility of welcoming young readers into our growing global community is hugely exciting. We hope they discover stories and characters that will keep them company for life.”
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Stories belong to everyone. Every child deserves the chance to experience the happiness that diving into a great book can bring. The Children’s Booker Prize will make it easier for children to find the best that current fiction can offer. To find the book that speaks to them.
— Frank Cottrell-Boyce, Chair of judges for the Children’s Booker Prize 2027
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Philip Lawford, Chief Executive Officer, AKO Foundation said, “We are very pleased to support the Booker Prize Foundation in launching the Children’s Booker Prize. At AKO Foundation we believe strongly in the importance of nurturing a love of reading from an early age. The evidence linking reading for pleasure to improved educational outcomes and greater social mobility is compelling, and this initiative aligns closely with our priorities as a funder. We are proud to contribute to a project that will inspire and empower young readers.”
Frank Cottrell-Boyce, Waterstones Children’s Laureate 2024-2026 and Chair of judges for the Children’s Booker Prize 2027, said, “Stories belong to everyone. Every child deserves the chance to experience the happiness that diving into a great book can bring. The Children’s Booker Prize will make it easier for children to find the best that current fiction can offer. To find the book that speaks to them. By inviting them to the judging table and by gifting copies of the nominated books it will bring thousands more children into the wonderful world of reading.
“I am absolutely buzzing about the news that I’m going to be chairing the judging panel. It’s going to be — as they say — absolute scenes in there. Let the yelling commence.”
The announcement has received an acclaim across the world. The leading children’s authors, who have held the position of Waterstones Children’s Laureate, as well as the Publishers’ Association, the Booksellers’ Association and Waterstones all welcomed the robust prize.
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Born on June 02, 1971, is an Urdu novelist and short story writer. He did his masters in English Literature from Islamia University, Bahawalpur in 1996.
Najam-uddin Ahmad has published three novel and two collections of short stories. He is also renowned for his translations from English into Urdu. He has seven books of translations on his credit.
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