Of Laureates
It seems no time at all since Michael Rosen took up the post as fifth UK Children’s Laureate, but his time is nearly up and the next one will be announced on 9 June.
Who will it be? The story so far: Quentin Blake, Anne Fine, Michael Morpurgo, Jacqueline Wilson and Rosen.
Will the BGBGB pattern prevail? If so, Lauren Child and Malorie Blackman are in the mix. If not, Anthony Horowitz is among the touted.
Here’s what the Independent has to say. If we had a fairy godmother, we would wish for the same sort of positive media coverage of children’s literature issues in this country, rather than reactive ’shock horror’ awards outrage.
In the US, the Children’s Poet Laureate, Mary Ann Hoberman, has launched a series of children’s poetry videocasts.
Meanwhile, the Australian Children’s Literature Alliance is beavering away to ensure our own Laureate is appointed sooner rather than later.
April 25th, 2009 at 6:15 pm
Ahem Australian Children’s Literature Alliance
*cough*Bob Graham*cough*
Or Alison Lester. She would also rock.
I can see an argument for writers like John Marsden, Paul Jennings or Mem Fox to take on the role, but I feel like they’ve already done such strong advocacy work that it would be almost extraneous to pick them. I’d like to see a writer with a poet’s soul appointed, someone who has something new and interesting to offer the landscape of children’s literacy. The reason I love Bob Graham so much is that he blends the green world and urban environments so effortlessly, he makes a lower socio-economic Australian childhood magical and resonant without sentimentality.
Out of the possibilities mentioned above Malorie Blackman would be my pick for UK, though I guess the commercialisation of Lauren Child makes her a very democratic choice – and she’d probably be fun! Malorie Blackman would bring a depth and resonance to the role.
April 25th, 2009 at 9:18 pm
Lauren is already the UNESCO Artist for Peace so she’s in with more than a chance
http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=44283&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html