Brian Selznick in the running for both Carnegie and Kate Greenaway awards

Andersen Press, Oxford University Press and HarperCollins are leading the CILIP Carnegie longlist with a duo of titles each while Flying Eye and Templar dominate the CILIP Kate Greenaway with three titles each.

The longlists of the two prestigious children’s literature prizes, judged by librarians, have been revealed with a Carnegie nomination for late author Mal Peet and a possible fourth Kate Greenaway Medal win for Chris Riddell. Writer and illustrator Brian Selznick’s The Marvels (Scholastic) is in the running for both awards. If he triumphs in both, he will be the first ever writer and illustrator to be awarded both medals for the same book.

The 20-strong longlist for the CILIP Carnegie Medal, now in its 80th year, sees the late Mal Peet’s final novel Beck (completed by Meg Rosoff) competing against debut authors M.G. Leonard and Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock and previous Carnegie Medal winners Philip Reeve and Frank Cottrell Boyce. Meanwhile children’s laureate Riddell faces stiff competition from 19 others on the The Kate Greenaway longlist, now in its 60th year, including fellow former Kate Greenaway Medal winners Levi Pinfold, William Grill and Emily Gravett.

Oxford University Press has two titles in the Carnegie longlist: Railhead by Philip Reeve and Dreaming the Bear by Mimi Thebo. HarperCollins' two titles are Time Travelling with a Hamster by Ross Welford and Pax by Sara Pennypacker. Meanwhile, Andersen Press also has two on the longlist: The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner and Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt.  This publisher is also leading the Branford Boase Award nominations. The 19 other publishers include big hitters such as Pan Macmillan for Sputnik’s Guide to Life on Earth by Frank Cottrell Boyce and Simon & Schuster for How Not to Disappear by Clare Furniss as well as indies such as Firefly Press for Aubrey and the Terrible Yoot by Horatio Clare.

Nobrow children's imprint Flying Eye and Bonnier Publishing’s imprint Templar are both leading the way with three books each up for the The Kate Greenaway. Flying Eye’s titles include: The Journey illustrated and written by Francesca Sanna, Wild Animals of the North illustrated and written by Dieter Braun and The Wolves of Currumpaw illustrated and written by William Grill. Templar has Rain illustrated and written by Sam Usher, The Whale illustrated by Ethan Murrow, written by Vita Murrow, and Greenling illustrated and written by Levi Pinfold.

Walker Books have two nominations for the illustration prize: Return illustrated and written by Aaron Becker and A Great Big Cuddle illustrated by Chris Riddell and written by Michael Rosen. Bloomsbury also has a duo up for the prize: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone illustrated by Jim Kay, written by J K Rowling  and A Beginner’s Guide to Bear Spotting illustrated by David Roberts, written by Michelle Robinson. It is also nominated for the Carnegie for Whisper to Me by Nick Lake.

Details have also been unveiled about the Amnesty CILIP Honour which “most distinctively illuminates, upholds or celebrates freedoms”. One title from each of the two shortlists will win this commendation and will carry a special logo.

Philip Pullman won the Carnegie CLIP for Northern Lights (1995) 10 years ago in the 70th anniversary of the award. Other former winners include Anne Fine, Sarah Crossan, and C.S Lewis in the Carnegie with illustrators Quentin Blake, Anthony Browne, and Shirley Hughes being honoured in the Kate Greenaway.

Tricia Adams, chair of the Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals judging panel, said: “It is truly a special privilege to be chairing the panel in this historic double anniversary year. The subject matter that emerges from the two lists – stories about refugees, our relationship with the natural world, and living with disability and loss – reflect the very real issues children have to deal with. In turbulent times, we need children’s books to provide a safe space from which to help make sense of the world.”

President of the Carnegie Kate Arnold said: “Over the past 80 years, the Carnegie and, latterly, the Kate Greenaway Medal have played a crucial role in highlighting excellence in children’s books. Just as librarians do every day in recommending books to readers at school and in public libraries, the medals act as a guide to exciting new stories, storytellers and artists. This year’s longlists are exceptionally strong, with images and stories that will linger in the imagination long after the last page has been turned.”

The shortlists for both will be announced on 16th March, with the winners being announced on 19th June in central London. The winners will each receive £500 worth of books to donate to their local library, a specially commissioned golden medal and a £5,000 Colin Mears Award cash prize. One title from each of the shortlists will also be named the recipient of the Amnesty CILIP Honour. The prizes are judged by a panel of expert librarians.

The Carnegie Medal, awarded annually, was established in 1936 in memory of the Scottish-born philanthropist, Andrew Carnegie (1835 – 1919) who set up more than 2,800 libraries across the English speaking world. The Kate Greenaway Medal was established in 1955 for distinguished illustration in a book for children in tribute to the nineteenth century artist known for her children’s illustrations.

2017 CILIP Carnegie Medal longlist:

Aubrey and the Terrible Yoot by Horatio Clare (Firefly Press)
Sputnik’s Guide to Life on Earth by Frank Cottrell Boyce (Pan Macmillan)
Unbecoming by Jenny Downham (David Fickling Books)
The Bone Sparrow by Zana Fraillon (Orion Children’s Books)
How Not to Disappear by Clare Furniss (Simon & Schuster)
The Smell of Other People’s Houses by Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock (Faber & Faber)
Whisper to Me by Nick Lake (Bloomsbury)
Beetle Boy by M.G. Leonard (Chicken House)
The Stars at Oktober Bend by Glenda Millard (Old Barn Books)
Pax by Sara Pennypacker (HarperCollins)
Railhead by Philip Reeve (Oxford University Press)
Beck by Mal Peet with Meg Rosoff (Walker Books)
Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt (Andersen Press)
The Marvels by Brian Selznick (Scholastic)
Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys (Puffin)
Island by Nicky Singer (Caboodle Books)
Dreaming the Bear by Mimi Thebo (Oxford University Press)
Time Travelling with a Hamster by Ross Welford (HarperCollins)
Wolf Hollow by Lauren Wolk (Corgi)
The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner (Andersen Press)

2017 CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal longlist:

Alpha illustrated by Barroux, written by Bessora, translated by Sarah Ardizzone (The Bucket List)
Return illustrated and written by Aaron Becker (Walker Books)
Wild Animals of the North illustrated and written by Dieter Braun (Flying Eye Books)
Bob the Artist illustrated and written by Marion Deuchars (Laurence King Publishing)
The Lion Inside illustrated by Jim Field, written by Rachel Bright (Orchard Books)
Perfect illustrated by Cathy Fisher, written by Nicola Davies (Graffeg)
Tidy illustrated and written by Emily Gravett (Pan Macmillan)
The Wolves of Currumpaw illustrated and written by William Grill (Flying Eye Books)
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone illustrated by Jim Kay, written by J.K. Rowling (Bloomsbury)
The Whale illustrated by Ethan Murrow, written by Vita Murrow (Templar)
Greenling illustrated and written by Levi Pinfold (Templar)
A Great Big Cuddle illustrated by Chris Riddell and written by Michael Rosen (Walker Books)
A Beginner’s Guide to Bear Spotting illustrated by David Roberts, written by Michelle Robinson (Bloomsbury)
The Journey illustrated and written by Francesca Sanna (Flying Eye Books)
The Marvels illustrated and written by Brian Selznick (Scholastic)
There is a Tribe of Kids illustrated and written by Lane Smith (Two Hoots)
Rain illustrated and written by Sam Usher (Templar)
Counting Lions illustrated by Stephen Walton and written by Virginia McKenna and Katie Cotton (Frances Lincoln Children’s Books)
Little One illustrated and written by Johanna Weaver (Hodder Children’s Books)
The Great Fire of London illustrated by James Weston Lewis, written by Emma Adams (Wayland)