Beth reaches shortlist of Kate Greenaway Medal 2020

Published: 11 May 2020 at 13:54

MA Children’s Book Illustration graduate impresses with ‘Child of St Kilda’

Congratulations to MA Children’s Book Illustration graduate Beth Waters, who has made the shortlist of this year’s CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal with her book Child of St Kilda.

The prestigious CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal, along with its stablemate Carnegie Medal, is the UK’s oldest book award for children and young people. Selected by volunteer Youth Librarians from a longlist of 20 books, the 8 shortlisted titles reflect the very best in children’s writing and illustration published in the UK.

Beth began working on the book during her Masters project, and secured a contract to publish it with Child’s Play whilst attending the Bologna Book Fair as part of the course. This also allowed her to travel to St Kilda to do more research for the book.

Beth told us: “I'm really over the moon to have my book on such a prestigious shortlist, I couldn't believe it when I heard the news because it's my first book, so it's a huge honour.

“I'm also just really happy because it shows that people really want to read about this tiny remote Scottish Island and are interested in it's amazing story. It's a beautiful and fascinating place that absolutely deserves to be known about. It's also not lost on me in our current strange situation that this is a book about extreme isolation and the importance of community in times of difficulty.

The winner will be announced on Wednesday 17 June 2020, and will receive £500 worth of books to donate to their local library; a specially commissioned golden medal; and a £5,000 Colin Mears Award cash prize.

All our best wishes go to Beth - both for the competition itself and her future career as an author/illustrator.