A New Chapter: Children's Booker Prize Paves the Path to Literacy

The Booker Prize introduces a new category for children's books, involving child and adult judges, aiming to boost literacy amid declining reading enjoyment. Prizes and donating 30,000 shortlisted books seek to increase exposure to children's literature as part of a wider effort to reverse literacy declines.

The prestigious Booker Prize has announced a new category exclusively for children's books, with a rewarding prize of £50,000. Welcoming both English-authored and published entries in England or Ireland, the Children's Booker will host a judging panel comprising three children and three adults to select the top storytelling work.

This initiative comes amidst what many are calling a 'literacy crisis.' Research by the National Literacy Trust reveals a worrying decline in reading habits among British children. This trend mirrors findings in Australia, where enjoyment of reading is decreasing, particularly between the ages of 6 and 17.

The Booker Prize Foundation hopes to counter this trend by distributing 30,000 copies of shortlisted books to encourage engagement with exceptional children's literature. This, alongside multiple literacy initiatives in Australia and elsewhere, is aimed at reinvigorating children's reading habits, highlighting the urgent need for a communal push towards enjoyable reading experiences.

(With inputs from agencies.)