The prestigious Booker Prize organisers have announced a new prize for children’s fiction. The Children’s Booker Prize will launch in 2026, with its first award presented in 2027.
The annual prize will celebrate the best contemporary fiction for children aged eight to 12. Eligible books must be written in or translated into English and published in the UK or Ireland.
According to the Booker Prize, the award aims to encourage a new generation of readers. It will recognise and promote outstanding children’s fiction from writers around the world. The nominated books will also join almost 700 titles in the Booker Library.
Beyond being a prize
Gaby Wood, Chief Executive of the Booker Prize Foundation, highlighted the ambitious nature of the project in a statement. She described the Children’s Booker Prize as the organisation’s most ambitious endeavour in 20 years.
The prize aims to champion future children’s classics and encourage more young people to read. It also hopes to help create a new generation of lifelong readers.
The Booker Prize Foundation launched the award at a time when children’s reading enjoyment continues to decline. An annual survey by the National Literacy Trust found that reading enjoyment among children and young people in the UK has fallen to its lowest level in two decades.
Judging process
The Children’s Booker Prize will use a mixed panel of adult and child judges. Multi-award-winning children’s author Frank Cottrell-Boyce, the current Waterstones Children’s Laureate, will serve as the inaugural Chair of Judges.
Two other adult judges will join him in selecting a shortlist of eight books. Three child judges will also join the panel with support from schools and partners across the culture and entertainment industries.
The judging process will give children a direct role in choosing the winner. This approach will allow young readers to recommend the winning book to their peers.
As with the Booker Prize and International Booker Prize, each shortlisted author will receive £2,500. The winning author will receive £50,000.
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