Brother William's Year Book Launch

Not many books get the chance of being launched in the private gardens of Westminister Abbey but this extremely enjoyable picture book showing a monastry garden throughout the year was written by the Westminister Abbey gardener.


Jan Pancheri is the youngest child in a large family, she used to entertain herself and others by writing and telling stories. She has been at Westminster Abbey for 5 years and knew from day 1 that she would write a book around the gardens. The atmosphere is very special, contact with the soil in general and specifically Westminister Abbey gardens has an healing effect and brings its own spirituality.

The first photograph is the May Irises with June Digitals (see months in book) from within the garden itself, then the author and third photograph is the entrance to the little cloister (illustrated inside front cover). These three pictures were taken by Garden Designer Penny Hinves for Carousel.

The final picture comes from the publisher.
Pic credits - left to right:
Monk; Maurice Lyon Director, Frances Lincoln Children's Books; Canon Jane Hedges of Westminster Abbey; Rufus the dog; Jan Pancheri - author; Yvonne Whiteman, Editor; Monk.

We are all born free wins another award

In the photographs:

Jane Ray at Saxmundham during the Halesworth Arts Festival

Top photograph
Back row from left to right
Judith Escreet (Frances Lincoln), Marcia Williams, Margaret Mallet (judge)Nicky Parket (Amnesty International) and Janetta Otter Barry (Frances Lincoln)
Front row from left to right
Chris Usher (Amnesty International) and Jane Ray.

We Are All Born Free, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Pictures, published by Frances Lincoln Children’s Books in association with Amnesty International has won a Special Award, 2009 English 4-11 Best Children’s Illustrated Book Award.

Jane Ray and Marcia Williams represented the 30 artists who donated their work to the book at the award ceremony on 20th May at the British Academy, London.


You can read more about this fine book in Carousel issue 40 - backnumbers available from Carousel, details on home page.

Bisto Book of the Year

Siobhan Dowd has won the Bisto Children’s Book of the Year for her novel Bog Child (David Fickling). Dowd died in August 2007, aged just 47, after a long illness. The award was accepted on her behalf by her sister, Oona Emerson, who was presented with the Bisto Children’s Book of the Year Trophy and a cheque for €10,000. The money will be donated to The Siobhan Dowd Trust, established to help disadvantaged children to improve their reading skills and experience the joy of reading. Dowd won the same prize last year, with The London Eye Mystery. A look at her books will be published in the summer edition of Carousel.

Macmillan Prize Artists at Foyles Gallery

The winners of the 2009 Macmillan Prize for unpublished children's picturebook illustration are on display in The Gallery of Foyles on Charing Cross Road until Friday 15 May. The first prize (£1,000) was awarded to 22-year-old Fridtjof Olsen for The Owl Who Chased the Moon. Second prize went to Russian-born Ekaterina Trukhan for her book Victor, and third prize to Rebecca Patterson for The Deep End,

The judges - illustrators Nick Sharratt and David Roberts; Kate Skipper, Picture Books Buyer at Waterstone's; critic Nicolette Jones; Macmillan Children's Books MD Emma Hopkin; and Art Director Anne Glenn - looked at 273 portfolios before choosing the winners. The standard was, they agreed, higher than ever this year. The exhibition is open daily from 10am-6pm.

Booktrust Short Story Competition

Yes You Can!


Enter Booktrust’s short story competition to be President for a Day


Booktrust is inviting young writers to enter a short story competition to win a place on the judging panel for their internationally acclaimed Booktrust Teenage Prize 2009.


The charity that encourages people of all ages to enjoy reading is challenging young writers aged 11-16 to write a 500-word short story with the title President for a Day.


The deadline for competition entries is 27 July 2009. The guidelines and entry form are available for download from the website www.bookheads.org.uk


The authors of the four best short stories will win a place on the judging panel for the Booktrust Teenage Prize 2009.


They will join Times journalist Alyson Rudd, author Marcus Sedgwick, librarian Judi James, writer and translator Daniel Hahn and Aniketa Khushu, a young judge whose short story won her a place on the judging panel last year.

Royal Mail Awards for Scottish Children's Books Shortlist

Early Years (0-7 years)

- MANFRED THE BADDIE by John Fardell (Quercus)
- PINK! by Lynne Rickards and Margaret Chamberlain (Chicken House)
- STICK MAN by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler (Scholastic)

Younger Readers (8-11 years)

- DINO EGGS by Charlie James (Bloomsbury Children's Books)
- THE ELEVENTH ORPHAN by Joan Lingard (Catnip Publishing)
- FIRST AID FOR FAIRIES AND OTHER FABLED BEASTS by Lari Don (Floris Books)

Older Readers (12-16 years)

- CRASH by J.A. Henderson (OUP)
- OSTRICH BOYS by Keith Gray (Random House)
- THE RECKONING by James Jauncey (MacMillan)

John Vernon Lord Exhibition

The Spring Exhibition at The Illustration Cupboard, Bury Street, London W1
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by John Vernon Lord.

A warm welcome to all awaits at this outstanding exhibition of artwork by John Vernon Lord for this new edition of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
This is the first occasion John has offered his original artwork for sale at exhibition and provides collectors and enthusiast will a refreshing opportunity to see a favourite old story in an unusual and original light.

Closes 16 May - though double check this date if visiting as an earlier date is mentioned on the Illustation Cupboard website.

Inaugural Frances Lincoln Diverse Voices Children's Book Award

Takeshita Demons, by Cristy Burne, a fast-paced adventure story about a Japanese schoolgirl who confronts the demons from her grandmother’s tales, has won the first Frances Lincoln Diverse Voices Children’s Book Award.

Created in memory of Frances Lincoln, the prize of £1,500 plus the option for Janetta Otter-Barry at Frances Lincoln Children’s Books to publish the novel, is awarded to the best manuscript for 8-to-12 year olds that celebrates diversity in the widest possible sense.

Presenting the award to Cristy Burne on 30th April 2009 at Seven Stories, the Centre for Children’s Books, John Nicoll, Managing Director of Frances Lincoln said:
“Frances was passionate about nurturing new talent on the Frances Lincoln Children’s list, and this award is just the sort of initiative she would have wanted to support.”

Kate Edwards, Chief Executive of Seven Stories, the Centre for Children’s Books added:
“The Diverse Voices Children’s Book Award has been an invaluable experience for Seven Stories. The overwhelming response and the diversity of storytelling have shown there’s a very real place for this award in the world of children’s books. We believe the publication of Takeshita Demons will help to improve the range and richness of stories available for children to read. The strength of our partnership with Frances Lincoln Children’s Books and the enthusiasm of the judges have
made the award an uplifting experience and a great success.”

Accepting the award, Cristy Burne said:
“This award is a tremendous opportunity for writers to showcase and share voices and stories from all over the world. I am thrilled that Miku and her adventures have met with such a great response and I can’t wait to share her with a wider audience. I’m extremely excited to be working with Janetta and her team.”

Carol Ann Duffy

I'm absolutely delighted that Carol Ann Duffy has been named as the new Poet Laureate. She is good to read and one of those rare poets who are a pleasure to hear reading their own poetry.

Do go and look at her books for children, as well as of course her adult poetry. She is extremely well served by the illustrator Jane Ray so take a peek at, for instance, "Lost Happy Endings" and "The Stolen Childhood and Other Dark Tales".

She was interviewed by Chris Stephenson for Carousel in 2003 (issue 24) - extract follows:

Her writing for children, poetry in particular, is an integral part of Carol Ann's output. "I don't write down a gear. They come from the same source. Different focus perhaps, and perhaps with more simplicity...As an adult poet, you car a lot of baggage about with you, like an old lobster with bits of worn-out shell hanging from its body. I have to fight more to get that same simplicity".