Unforgettable Voices and Bold Storytelling Celebrated as Yoto Carnegies 2023 Shortlist Announced

The UK’s longest running book awards for children and young people, The Yoto Carnegies, today announced their 2023 shortlists. The Yoto Carnegies celebrate outstanding achievement in children’s writing and illustration and are unique in being judged by children’s and youth librarians, with the respective Shadowers’ Choice Medals voted for by children and young people.

- The Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing sees an all-female shortlist dominated by YA fiction, featuring first time shortlistings for critically acclaimed authors Jessie Burton, Patrice Lawrence, Sita Brahmachari and Manon Steffan Ros.

- 2023 marks first shortlistings for three small presses Little Island, Firefly Press and UCLan Publishing, as Bloomsbury Children’s Books dominates with three titles.

- The shortlist for the Yoto Carnegie Medal for Illustration features a diverse and bold range of illustrative and artistic styles, from a manga-inspired graphic novel, to traditional Chinese paper-cutting, from sharp, simple ink drawings to expansive watercolours.

- Strength of voice and originality of narrative style is celebrated, with many of the stories portraying inspirational characters or figures from real life overcoming adversity and finding strength in community and personal relationships.

13 books have been shortlisted in total; seven for the Carnegie Medal for Writing and six for the Carnegie Medal for Illustration. The 31 longlisted titles were whittled down by the expert judging panel, which includes 12 librarians from CILIP: the library and information association’s Youth Libraries Group.

The 2023 Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing Shortlist is:

The Light in Everything by Katya Balen
When Shadows Fall by Sita Brahmachari, illustrated by Natalie Sirett
Medusa by Jessie Burton, illustrated by Olivia Lomenech Gill
The Eternal Return of Clara Hart by Louise Finch
Needle by Patrice Lawrence
I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys
The Blue Book of Nebo by Manon Steffan Ros

The 2023 Yoto Carnegie Medal for Illustration Shortlist is:

Rescuing Titanic illustrated and written by Flora Delargy
Alte Zachen: Old Things illustrated by Benjamin Phillips, written by Ziggy Hanaor
The Worlds We Leave Behind illustrated by Levi Pinfold, written by A. F. Harrold
The Visible Sounds illustrated by Yu Rong, written by Yin Jianling
The Comet illustrated and written by Joe Todd-Stanton
Saving Sorya: Chang and the Sun Bear illustrated by Jeet Zdung, written by Trang Nguyen

Janet Noble, Chair of Judges for The Yoto Carnegies 2023, said: "This year's shortlists clearly demonstrate that authors, illustrators and publishers are continuing to create outstanding books for children and young people that represent a wide range of identities, helping to ensure the diversity of experiences across the UK is reflected. Stories of bravery, compassion and community are told authentically and sensitively in a range of distinctive written and illustrative styles, with fantastic debuts taking pride of place alongside well-known names. We're sure shadowing groups across the country will share our excitement in reading and discussing these superb books in the coming months, and we wish them luck in choosing their winners - we know it's not going to be an easy decision! The 2023 judges and I are immensely proud that these 13 books will become part of the distinguished legacy of The Yoto Carnegies."

The winners will be announced and celebrated on Wednesday 21 June at a live and streamed lunchtime ceremony at The Barbican, hosted by former Children’s Laureate Lauren Child CBE, who won the Carnegie Medal for Illustration – then known as the Kate Greenaway Medal – in 2000 for her first Charlie and Lola book, I Will Not Ever Never Eat A Tomato.

The winners will each receive £500 worth of books to donate to a library of their choice, a specially commissioned and newly designed golden medal and a £5,000 Colin Mears Award cash prize. The Shadowers’ Choice Medals, voted for and awarded by children and young people shadowing the shortlist from today, will also be presented at the ceremony. Following the brand refresh of the Awards this year, the Shadowers’ Choice winners will also receive a golden medal for the first time.

As the official book supplier, Scholastic are working with CILIP to donate shortlist packs to 10 schools in disadvantaged areas to allow them to also take part in the shadowing and widen the reach of engagement with the awards. Applications will be open from 24th – 31st March, with packs to be sent out immediately afterwards to the selected schools.