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News from CILIP 
Friday 9 July 2004 
For immediate release  (Please copy to online discussion lists)


SHIRLEY HUGHES WINS SECOND CILIP KATE GREENAWAY MEDAL 26 YEARS AFTER HER FIRST

Shirley Hughes has won the 2003 CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal for her book 'Ella's Big Chance: A Fairy Tale Retold', it was announced today.

Shirley, one of the UK's best-loved picture book creators won her first Kate Greenaway Medal in 1977 for 'Dogger', now an established classic. That she has now secured the UK's most prestigious award for children's book illustration for the second time, almost three decades later, highlights the enduring quality and appeal of her work, which is familiar to at least two generations of young readers.

Colin Brabazon, Chair of the Kate Greenaway judging panel comments:
"Shirley Hughes continues to produce masterful picture books. 'Ella's Big Chance' impressed in so many ways - a wonderful flowing line, an exceptional sense of composition and a gorgeous use of colour. Up against stiff competition, the combination of outstanding craftsmanship and artistic imagination made this book shine through. It exudes quality".

'Ella's Big Chance' is Shirley Hughes' inventive retelling of Cinderella. The traditional fairy tale is transported into the 1920s, where talented dressmaker Ella slaves over her sewing machine, whilst her stepsisters parade the latest fashions in her father's dress shop. In accordance with tradition, Ella does go to the ball and meets her prince, but this updated classic has a twist in the tale!

The winning book is also a delight for lovers of fashion illustration. All the dresses featured are Shirley Hughes' own designs and were inspired by the great French couturiers of the 1920s such as Doucet, Poiret and Patou.

Shirley Hughes studied at Liverpool School of Art and the Ruskin School of Art in Oxford before embarking on a career as a freelance artist. Her first book as both author and illustrator, 'Lucy and Tom's Day' was published in 1960, since when she has published over 50 picture books. In 1999 she was awarded the OBE for her distinguished services to children's literature.

The CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal, established in 1956 and named in honour of the distinguished illustrator is awarded for 'outstanding illustration in a book for children and young people'.  Sister award to the CILIP Carnegie Medal, it is judged by an expert panel of children's librarians, and follows the same unique process of nomination, and judging.  Since the bequest left in 2000 by children's book and illustration collector, Colin Mears, the winner receives a cheque for £5000 in addition to the coveted medal.  

The full shortlist for the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal 2003 was:

ANTHONY BROWNE  The Shape Game                  (Doubleday)	
ALEXIS DEACON   Beegu                                   (Hutchinson)
DEBI GLIORI             Always and Forever              (Doubleday)
MINI GREY               The Pea and the Princess        (Cape)
SHIRLEY HUGHES  Ella's Big Chance                       (Bodley Head)
DAVE McKEAN             The Wolves in the Walls         (Bloomsbury)
BEE WILLEY              Bob Robber and Dancing Jane     (Cape)
CHRIS WORMELL   Two Frogs                               (Cape)  	

For more information about the awards and background on Shirley Hughes and 'Ella's Big Chance' visit http://www.carnegiegreenaway.org.uk/press/press.html


Contact:                Louisa Myatt, CILIP Marketing Manager
                        Tel: 020 7255 0650  Email: [log in to unmask]



Notes for Editors
        *       "Ella's Big Chance" is the winner of the 2003 CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal, announced in 2004. Books published between 01/01/03 and 31/12/03 were eligible for the award.
        *       The winner of the CILIP Kate Greenaway also receives The Colin Mears Award of £5000, made possible by a bequest from Colin Mears, a collector of children's books. Mears, a Worthing-based accountant had a long-standing interest in children's illustration and was a keen collector of works by Kate Greenaway and Edward Ardizzone. 
        *       CILIP: the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals is the leading professional body for Librarians and Information Managers. It was formed in April 2002 by the unification of The Library Association and the Institute of Information Scientists. It has 23,000 members, most of whom are personal members whose working environments include libraries in higher and further education, industrial and commercial organisations, the health sector, professional and learned societies, government departments and agencies, schools, voluntary organisations and national and public libraries.
        *       The Youth Libraries Group (YLG) is a Special Interest Group of CILIP. It works in a "pressure group" role, independently and with other professional organisations, to preserve and influence the provision of quality literature and library services for children and young people, both in public libraries and school library services.

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