Polka Theatre wins Eleanor Farjeon Award

Polka Theatre has won the 2014 Eleanor Farjeon award, which is given every year for outstanding service to the world of children’s books.

The £2,000 award is now in its 48th year and is voted for by members of the Children’s Book Circle, an association for anyone with a professional interest in children’s books.

Polka Theatre is based in Wimbledon, London, and is a theatre dedicated to shows for children. It is currently showing "Grandad, Me… and Teddy Too", a play for 2-5 year-olds about the long-distance relationship between a girl and her granddad. Its Christmas show is "Peter Pan", adapted from the J M Barrie novel by Peter Glanville.
 
The theatre beat five other nominees; story discovery centre The Story Museum, touring theatre company Tall Stories, and three other children’s theatres – Union Theatre, Pegasus Theatre and Little Angel Theatre.

Previous winners of the Eleanor Farjeon Award include David Almond (2013), Quentin Blake (2012), Seven Stories (2010) and current children's laureate Malorie Blackman (2005).

The award was presented at a ceremony at Penguin’s headquarters in London last night (24th December).