Booker Prize Foundation Announces New £50,000 Award for Children’s Fiction
LONDON – The booker Prize Foundation today announced the launch of a new £50,000 annual award dedicated to celebrating outstanding fiction for children, marking a critically important expansion of the prestigious literary prize’s scope. The award, backed by the AKO Foundation, aims to champion future classics and foster a lifelong love of reading among young people.
The initiative responds to growing concerns about literacy rates and social mobility, with organizers emphasizing the power of reading for pleasure to improve educational outcomes. The Booker Prize,traditionally focused on adult fiction,is extending its reach to recognise the vital role children’s literature plays in shaping culture and inspiring future generations. “It aims to be several things at once: an award that will champion future classics writen for children; a social intervention designed to inspire more young people to read; and a seed from which we hope future generations of lifelong readers will grow,” said Gaby Wood, chief executive of the Booker Prize Foundation.
The new prize will uniquely involve children directly in the judging process, with details on how to apply to become a young judge to be announced in spring 2026. Ongoing consultation sessions will be held with Beano Brain, a youth insight association, and the National Literacy Trust will track long-term trends in children’s reading habits.
Philip lawford, chief executive of the AKO foundation, highlighted the foundation’s commitment to the project, stating, “The evidence linking reading for pleasure to improved educational outcomes and greater social mobility is compelling. We are proud to contribute to a project that will inspire and empower young readers.”
The Booker Prize, first awarded in 1969, recognizes outstanding fiction written in English and published in the UK or Ireland. Wood added that the goal is not only to reward excellence in children’s writing but to help more young people ”discover stories and characters that will keep them company for life.” the award underscores a broader effort to place children’s books “at the center of our culture.”
