Each year Redbridge runs the Children’s Book Awards, with the processing starting in September but ending in June. This year we were back in a packed Redbridge Town Hall for our 20th annual Redbridge Children’s Book Award ceremony.
All schools across the borough are invited to take part in the awards and vote for their favourite children and teen books. This year the following schools filled the main hall:
Secondary Schools
- Bancrofts
- Ilford County High School
- Loxford School
- Palmer Catholic Academy
- Seven Kings High School
- Wanstead High
- West Hatch High
- Woodford County High
Primary Schools
- Downshall Primary
- Fairlop Primary
- Gordon Primary
- Seven Kings Primary
- Uphall Primary
- William Torbitt Primary
During the Redbridge Children’s Book Awards there is an opportunity for students to get signed copies of the shortlisted titles and meet the authors whose books they have voted for. We were delighted to have three of the shortlisted authors present – SF Said, Sufiya Ahmed and Christopher Edge, who were mobbed by excited students queuing to get their books signed.
Also at our top table were:
- The Deputy Mayor, Saira Jamil at Redbridge Council
- Cllr Kam Rai, Deputy Leader at Redbridge Council
- Cllr Namreen Chaudry, Cabinet Member for Leisure, Culture and Communities at Redbridge Council
- Mark Baigent, Corporate Director of Regeneration and Culture at Redbridge Council
- Gareth Morley, Head of Arts, Culture & Libraries at Vision
- Damien Atkinson, Head of Leisure and Culture at Redbridge Council
The ceremony began when Dr Stuart Lawrence gave a wonderful keynote speech, talking about empathy, the importance of reading and believing in yourself and your potential even when you come against challenges.
A drumroll, loud cheers and applause accompanied the announcement of the winners of the 2023 Redbridge Children’s Book Awards.
This year’s winners were:
- Winner of the Children’s category: Tyger by SF Said
- Winner of the Teenage category: Hollow Fires by Samira Ahmed
The ceremony included the writing and poetry competitions winners to be presented with their prizes, which was judged by local author, Eithne Cullen.
- Poetry Junior category winner: I Wish by Milly Nakum (Woodford County High School)
- Poetry Teenage category winner: She Said by Shiloh Vijayendran (Woodford County High School)
- Short Story Junior category winner: Short Story by Anisha (Fairlop Primary School)
- Short Story Teenage category winner: The Mountain’s Stomach by Dorothy Willerton (Bancrofts School)
Every year there is a quiz on the shortlisted books, in this year’s quiz the results were as follows:
- Winner of the Children’s section: Fairlop Primary School
- Winner of the Teenage section: Ilford County High
Many thanks to everyone who attended, especially SF Said, Sufiyah Ahmed and Christopher Edge who gave up their time to make the afternoon special and Dr Stuart Lawrence for his excellent talk.
Of course, the Redbridge Children’s Book Awards wouldn’t happen without the students, librarians and teachers who participated so enthusiastically and most of all, thanks to my team in the Redbridge Schools’ Library Service and my colleagues in libraries who worked very hard behind the scenes to ensure the afternoon was such a success.
The Redbridge Children’s Book Award is organised by Redbridge Schools’ Library Service
Post Author: Nina Simon
Manager Redbridge Schools’ Library Service
