The Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals has released longlists for the Carnegie Medal (author of a book for children & young people) and Kate Greenaway Medal (illustrator). CILIP noted that the awards' mission "to recognize a diverse range of voices and perspectives is reflected in this year's longlist, with books portraying the experiences of children and young people across the globe.... This year's list spans multiple forms; including fiction, graphic novels, verse novels, poetry and a novella--reflecting contemporary issues as wide-ranging as depression, assisted suicide, controlling behavior, grief, gender conformity, the refugee crisis and women's rights, and helping young people to navigate these important issues."
Shortlists will be announced March 19 and winners named June 18. Both winners receive £500 (about $650) worth of books to donate to their local library, a golden medal and a £5,000 (about $6,520) Colin Mears Award cash prize. You can find the complete CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway longlists here.
One title from each of the medal shortlists will also be named recipient of the Amnesty CILIP Honor for works "that most distinctively illuminated, upheld or celebrated human rights."
In addition, the Shadowers' Choice Award, a new honor, has been introduced this year. CILIP said it "will be voted for and awarded by the children and young people who shadow the medals. This award has evolved out of CILIP's recent Diversity Review, which identified opportunities to empower and celebrate the young people involved in the Medals through the shadowing scheme by giving them a more significant voice and visible presence in the process and prize giving."
Alison Brumwell, chair of the judging panel, said she was "overwhelmed by the caliber of this year's longlists. The authors and illustrators recognized this year for their outstanding achievements have produced works which entertain, challenge, inspire, and even outrage. The forty books selected by judges offer intimate insights into family life, superb world-building and thoughtful, incisive explorations of complex themes and issues. Young readers have the opportunity to encounter characters in a diverse range of narratives who both reflect their own experiences and build empathy for different ways of living. This year's shadowing groups will have plenty to debate and discuss!"