The Week Junior and The Bookseller have announced the launch of The Week Junior Book Awards celebrating the uplifting, enriching, and life-enhancing power of books to change children’s lives and the talented people who create them.
The Week Junior Book Awards aims to address the lack of critical discourse around children’s literature caused by reduced review pages and underfunded libraries. They will shine a light on both established children’s authors and new, diverse voices, giving them an established platform to promote their books to a wide audience, says the publisher.
Entries for the awards will open on 6th March 2023, with nine categories including fiction, non-fiction, illustrated books and emerging authors. The winning titles will demonstrate original ideas, outstanding illustration, and smart storytelling that engage children’s curiosity and ignite their imaginations. Over 100,000 The Week Junior readers will also have a seat at the voting table, as they are invited to choose their Cover Of The Year. All shortlisted authors, illustrators and publishers will be invited to a glittering drinks reception and award ceremony taking place after The Bookseller Children’s Conference in London on 2nd October, 2023.
The publisher has announced the full list of categories as follows:
- Fiction: Younger Readers (age 6–9)
- Fiction: Older Readers (age 9–12)
- Nonfiction: Younger Readers (age 6–9)
- Nonfiction: Older Readers (age 9–12)
- Illustrated Book (including Graphic Novels)
- Best Book By a New Author
- STEM Book in association with The Week Junior Science + Nature magazine
- Audiobook
- Cover of the Year (voted for by The Week Junior readers)
The judging panel, led by The Week Junior’s editorial director, Anna Bassi, and The Bookseller’s editor, Philip Jones, will be announced in February.
Anna Bassi, editorial director for The Week Junior, said: “We are very proud to launch these awards, which are a fantastic new opportunity to support and celebrate books for children. Inspiring young people to fall in love with reading is a foundational objective of The Week Junior and this programme will shine a light on the authors and illustrators whose work helps foster that habit for life. We’re thrilled to be partnering with The Bookseller, whose experience and expertise will help establish the awards as a valued and important fixture in the publishing calendar.”
Philip Jones, editor of The Bookseller, said: “We are delighted to be collaborating with The Week Junior on these much-needed new awards for children’s books, authors and illustrators. This is a sector doing outstanding work and these prizes will make sure the creatives and publishers behind these books receive the exposure they need as well as the recognition they merit. I’m particularly pleased to see The Week Junior taking the lead in bringing its trusted brand and huge reach into the fold to support children’s books, at a moment when the conversation around how best to champion writing for children has become vital.”
Following the awards, The Week Junior Book Festival will take place in London during October half term. Attracting hundreds of young readers and their families, this event invites authors to showcase their work on stage, in a series of interactive, fun and inspiring sessions.
The publisher has listed the full schedule of events for the awards as follows:
- Open for entries: 6 March, 2023
- Entry Closing Date: 6 April, 2023
- Shortlist announced: 19 May, 2023
- The Week Junior Reader Voting Open: 19 May, 2023
- The Week Junior Reader Voting Closes: 1 August, 2023
- The Bookseller Children’s Conference: 2 October, 2023
- Award Ceremony: 2 October, 2023
- The Week Junior Book Festival: October Half Term
