Dermot O'Leary joins Oscar's Book Prize judging panel

TV presenter and children's author Dermot O'Leary will join Horrid Henry author Francesca Simon and children's book consultant Jake Hope on the judging panel of Oscar’s Book Prize for 2020.

Also on the judging panel are Viveka Alvestrand and James Ashton, who founded the £5,000 literary award in memory of their son in 2013, and Amazon UK Books country manager Simon Johnson.

The prize, which is supported by Amazon and the National Literacy Trust, celebrates the best in literature for under-fives and is now open for entries. It has been running for seven years and counts Princess Beatrice as its patron.

O’Leary said: "I’ve always been surrounded by books and was read aloud to from an early age. Books give me so much pleasure so I was inspired to get involved with Oscar’s Book Prize because it celebrates those very early books that we all need as children to show us what a truly magical experience reading can be."

Publishers can submit entries for the 2020 prize now and until 5 p.m. on Friday 21st February 2020. The shortlist will be announced on Friday 17th April, with the winner revealed on Thursday 7th May at a ceremony at the May Fair Hotel in central London.