CILIP: the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals
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News from CILIP
Friday 7 July 2006
For immediate release (Please copy to online discussion lists)
"LIBRARIES ARE OUR ARSENALS IN THE STRUGGLE AGAINST FUNDAMENTALISM", SAYS CILIP CARNEGIE MEDAL WINNER
"That reading is fundamental is of course true. But as the CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Award ceremony takes place on July 7th, it is perhaps appropriate to say that reading is also anti-fundamentalist." Mal Peet, CILIP Carnegie Medal Winner 2005.
Twelve months ago, the CILIP Carnegie & Kate Greenaway Medals Ceremony was cancelled as a result of the London bombings. Exactly one year later on Friday 7 July, Mal Peet was announced as the winner of this year's CILIP Carnegie Medal for his outstanding historical novel, Tamar.
Unable to attend the ceremony, Peet has written an acceptance statement www.carnegiegreenaway.org.uk/press/pres_car_win_0506.html. In it he asserts the value for young people of understanding the past and the continuum of humanity, and warns of the political consequences of disconnection or alienation from the past. Reading, he says, is not only fundamental, but also anti-fundamentalist.
Tamar is a fictionalised exploration of history and its impact on the present, which focuses on the untold story of the resistance movement in Holland towards the end of World War Two. Peet is highly skilled in weaving a complex structure into an accessible and pacy novel combining a young contemporary voice with the history of tragic events sixty years ago.
This year's CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal for illustration was awarded to the newcomer Emily Gravett for Wolves. Emily, a former traveller who spent eight years on the road after leaving school at 16 with almost no formal qualifications, graduated from Brighton University's Illustration degree course just two years ago in 2004. Her career as a picture book illustrator took off immediately when she won the 2004 Macmillan Prize for Illustration for Wolves and a publishing deal followed. The book has already been widely acclaimed both in the UK, and internationally, with rights sold in five countries.
Teresa Scragg, Chair of CILIP's Youth Libraries Group and of the Judges also took the opportunity to announce substantial additional funding for the Medals from two major UK charities, The Carnegie UK Trust and The Children's Literary Trust. The new funding comes as both Medals celebrate important milestones in their histories. In 2007 the CILIP Carnegie Medal will celebrate its 70th anniversary and the CILIP Kate Greenaway its 50th. The lists of past Medal winners provide a roll call of the great children's writers and illustrators of the 20th and 21st centuries and highlight the UK's strong tradition of quality writing and illustration for young people.
The Carnegie UK Trust, the charity set up by the Scottish-American philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, after whom the Carnegie Medal was named, will fund additional activities to support the celebration of the anniversaries in 2007 and for the following five years. www.carnegieuktrust.org.uk
The Children's Literary Trust, the charity arising from the celebration of British children's literature at Her Majesty's 80th Birthday Celebrations on 25 June 2006, is making an award in order to augment existing funding and support profile raising for the Awards, starting with the anniversary celebrations next year. www.childrenspartyatthepalace.co.uk
One of the aims of the CILIP Carnegie & Kate Greenaway Medals is to support literacy and reader development with a focus on reading for pleasure. This aim is addressed through its extensive national shadowing scheme. 2006 sees 60,000 children in schools and libraries nationwide 'shadowing' the judging process and enjoying the short-listed books in the build up to today's ceremony and the announcement of the 2005 Medal winners.
The shadowing scheme inspires all kinds of creative and highly original ways of working with books. Book groups with names like Bookbusters, Bookaholics and a 'book biscuit club' meet before, during and after school. There are book buddying schemes where secondary schools work with local primaries on the CILIP Kate Greenaway, engaging them in word play, creative writing and art sessions. One school group has even made their own picture books.
Young people have also been sharing their reading experiences and opinions with other 'shadowers' via the dedicated website hosted by CILIP. With flash animation and sound, video and audio clips of the authors and illustrators, the site includes a 'Have Your Say' page where book related issues can be discussed; 'Charts' display the most reviewed titles and latest reviews. The site is lively and easy to use and it has experienced over 1.5 million page views since the shortlists were announced in May. You only have to look at the site for a few seconds to pick up the enormous sense of enthusiasm and fun that the shadowing scheme generates across the country. Check out what's happening today at www.ckg.org.uk/shadowing.
Contact: Louisa Myatt, Marketing Manager, CILIP
Tel: 020 7255 0650 Email: Mailto:[log in to unmask]
Notes for Editors
* For more information about the winners and shortlisted titles go to www.carnegiegreenaway.org.uk/press/press.html
* Over 3,000 reading groups in schools and public libraries have registered to take part in the shadowing scheme for the awards, involving over 60,000 children and young people. For further information visit www.ckg.org.uk/shadowing
* Timetable change: CILIP wishes to increase public awareness of the Medals and is responding to the needs of schools, libraries, publishers and booksellers in creating a longer schedule for the shortlisting. From next year the schedule will allow time to reprint short-listed titles when necessary and to distribute promotional materials to schools, public libraries and retailers before the shortlist announcement.
CILIP Carnegie & Kate Greenaway New Timetable 2006 - 2007
Eligible books published between 1 January & 31 August 2006
Open for nominations 1 September 2006
Close of nominations 3 November 2006
Short-listing January 2007
Short lists announced 16 April 2007
Ceremony & winners announced 21 June 2007
* CILIP: the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals is the leading professional body for librarians, information specialists and knowledge managers. It forms a community of around 35,000 people engaged in library and information work, of whom around 22,000 are CILIP Members and around 13,000 are regular customers of CILIP Enterprises. CILIP members work in all sectors, including business and industry, science and technology, further and higher education, schools, local and central government, the health service, the voluntary sector, national and public libraries. For more information about CILIP, please go to www.cilip.org.uk.
* 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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