Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Human Rights Awards Added to Carnegie, Greenaway

Shelf Awareness

The Chartered Institute of Library & Information Professionals and Amnesty International will honor human rights in children's literature for both the Carnegie (children's literature) and Kate Greenaway (illustration) medals. Beginning in 2016, a title from each of the shortlists will receive the Amnesty CILIP Honor, "a commendation for the books that most distinctively illuminate, uphold or celebrate freedoms." Winners will be announced at the medals ceremony next June, and these titles be able to carry an Amnesty CILIP Honor logo.

"Amnesty International and CILIP both oppose censorship and support the right to intellectual freedom, so this is a very natural partnership," said Nick Poole, CILIP's CEO. "The Amnesty CILIP Honor will highlight the fact that so many of the books chosen by expert youth librarians for the CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals have human rights at their heart."

Amnesty International U.K.'s head of publishing Nicky Parker commented: "Stories are absolutely central to Amnesty's work and we've got a long and proud history of promoting children's literature. Books have a unique ability to inspire empathy, broaden horizons and empower young readers. We hope this award will make it easy for parents and teachers to identify books which will teach children about truth, freedom and justice and encourage them to feel they can shape a better world."

No comments: