Michael Morpurgo and Greg James shortlisted for Ruth Rendell Award 2024

The Ruth Rendell Award has announced an eight-strong shortlist which recognises writers and authors who have had a significant influence on literacy in the UK over the past year.

Children’s author Michael Morpurgo features on the shortlist alongside co-authors Chris Smith and Greg James, also the host of the Radio One "Breakfast Show". Creative professional Richard O’Neill, who teaches nomadic storytelling techniques and co-founded Diverse Book Week, joins the shortlist with poet and spoken word artist Sharena Lee Satti. Children’s author Harry Heape, poet Laura Mucha and Ellie Crawshaw-Prince, the "architect" behind Pip and Pap Phonics, complete the shortlist. 

This year’s shortlist was decided by judges Jonathan Douglas, chief executive at the National Literacy Trust, Di Redmond, screenwriter and non-executive director at Authors’ Licensing & Collecting Society (ALCS), school librarian Lorraine Gill and author Tom Palmer. 

The award was launched by ALCS and the National Literacy Trust in honour of crime writer and literacy advocate Ruth Rendell in 2016. This year’s winner will be announced at a reception at Goldsmiths’ Centre in London on 22nd February 2024.