The Authors’ Licensing & Collecting Society (ALCS) and the National Literacy Trust have announced the shortlist for the 2026 Ruth Rendell Award, which recognises the writer or author who has had the most significant influence on literacy in the UK over the past year.

Examples of this could include:

  • Working with literacy or education charities to support literacy development
  • Working with schools, adult education settings or community groups to improve literacy levels
  • Using their platform to highlight literacy issues (e.g. social media)
  • Lobbying the government or other influential groups on literacy issues
  • Participating in events, workshops, awards, festivals and initiatives dedicated to reading and writing

The award was launched in 2016 by ALCS and the National Literacy Trust in honour of the best-selling crime author and literacy advocate Ruth Rendell, who passed away in 2015. Previous winners include Andy McNab, Cressida Cowell, and Chris Smith and Greg James. Tom Percival is the current holder.

The 2026 Shortlisted Authors

Maisie Chan is a multi-award-winning author. She won the Jhalak Prize and Branford Boase with her debut children’s novel Danny Chung Does Not Do Maths. Her new novel Nate Yu’s Blast From the Past is a bighearted tale of family, forgotten stories and the search for belonging.

Piers Torday is an award-winning and bestselling writer for children, whose work has been translated into 14 languages and adapted for the stage. He was LoveReading4Kids Guest Editor in October 2025. Books include The Last Wild trilogy (Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize), There May Be a Castle and The Lost Magician series (Teach Primary Book Award). 

Nathanael Lessore, whose debut book Steady For This was shortlisted for the Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing 2024 and won the Branford Boase Award 2024. Laugh-out-loud funny, warm, with emotional depth – this tremendous debut novel is not to be missed. His second book, King of Nothing, was shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2025 and the Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing 2025.

Maz Evans is the author of over fifteen books for children, including the bestselling Who Let the Gods Out series. Maz has been a creative writing lecturer going on to found Story Stew, a creative writing programme that has made its way to different primary schools and literary festivals. She has also founded Book Buddy, which works to get more books placed into various school libraries.

Rob Biddulph is a British children’s author and illustrator whose debut picture book, Blown Away won the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize in 2015. His works are known for their distinctive illustration style and rhyming text. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Biddulph launched the online initiative #DrawWithRob, providing free draw-along videos for children. The project gained widespread attention and led to a Guinness World Record for the largest online art lesson, achieved in May 2020 with over 45,000 participants. In addition to the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize, his titles have been shortlisted for awards such as the Kate Greenaway Medal and the British Book Awards. Favourites include Odd Dog Out, Gigantic and his middle-grade illustrated fiction series Peanut Jones.

Laura Henry-Allain MBE is an award-winning international educationalist, storyteller, producer and consultant. She is the creator of the well-loved, award-winning, first Black British animation, JoJo and Gran Gran global series, developed and produced by CBeebies, and is the series producer. Her bestselling children’s books include My Skin, Your Skin and My Family, Your Family. Laura is a board member of the Children’s Media Foundation and vice president of The British Association of Early Childhood Education.

Nicola Garrard is an English teacher, schools festival programmer at BookFest and Shoreham WordFest, a First Story Writer in Residence and YA author. Her debut novel, 29 Locks was shortlisted in the Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize, Mslexia Children’s Novel Competition and longlisted in the Branford Boase Award, and was followed by a critically acclaimed sequel, 21 Miles. Her latest YA/Crossover novel, On the Edge was nominated for the Carnegie Medal for Writing. Her fiction is driven by a commitment to social justice, youth empowerment and giving voice to the unheard.

Making up the shortlist is MC Grammar, the creation of award-winning teacher and rapper Jacob Mitchell, who went viral in 2019 after a video of him rapping popular children’s book The Gruffalo received over five million view. Having struggled in school himself, the father of two credits his discovery of books as his turning point with education. Jacob believes no child should be left behind, and that there needs to excitement, challenge, inclusion and, most importantly, fun in the classroom! The Adventures of Rap Kid is his debut children’s series.

The winner of the 2026 Ruth Rendell Award will be announced at a reception at Goldsmiths’ Centre in London on 26th February 2026. You can find out more about the Ruth Rendell Award here.

For more on the Ruth Rendell Award shortlisted authors, browse our related content 

Nicola Garrard - Author of the Month

Rob Biddulph - our Guest Editor of the Month

Nathanael Lessore Wins the Children’s & Young Adult Jhalak Prize Award for King of Nothing

Nathanael Lessore awarded 2024 Branford Boase Award for Steady For This

Piers Torday - LoveReading4Kids' Guest Editor of the Month

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