Chris Riddell named UK Children’s Laureate

In the UK, children’s author and illustrator Chris Riddell has been appointed the ninth Waterstones Children’s Laureate, taking over from outgoing Laureate Malorie Blackman, who has occupied in the role since 2013. Riddell was presented with a Children’s Laureate medal and a £15,000 (A$30,014) bursary cheque at a ceremony in London, where he announced plans to promote visual literacy during his two-year term. Riddell is the creator of the ‘Goth Girl’ series and the ‘Ottoline’ series (both Pan Macmillan), a double CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal winner for Pirate Diary (Richard Platt, Walker Books) and Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver (Walker Books), and has collaborated widely, including on books with Neil Gaiman and Russell Brand. In his role as Laureate, Riddell plans to keep a Laureate’s Log—an online visual diary of his term; celebrate and defend the role of school libraries and librarians; promote reading in schools; and hold live illustration performances, ‘as a way of drawing people into books and stories.’ ‘During my term, I want to use the immediacy and universality of illustration to bring people together and lead them all into the wonderful world of books and reading,’ said Riddell. The Children’s Laureate award is managed by BookTrust and sponsored by Waterstones, with additional funding and sponsorship from publishers and Arts Council England. More details of the appointment can be found on the award website here.

Category: International news