Author Patrice Lawrence has been named the Waterstones Children's Laureate for 2026 to 2028, succeeding Frank Cottrell-Boyce. Managed by the BookTrust and sponsored by Waterstones, the position "celebrates creativity and storytelling, promotes the vital importance of reading and children's literature, and champions the right of every child to enjoy a lifetime enriched with books and stories. Each Laureate brings their own passion and creativity to their tenure."
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| Patrice Lawrence (photo: David Bebber) |
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Lawrence is an award-winning writer whose debut YA novel, Orangeboy, won the Bookseller YA Book Prize and the Waterstones Prize for Older Children's Fiction, and was shortlisted for the Costa Children's Book Award. Her subsequent novels include Needle, which was shortlisted for the Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing and winner of the 2023 Little Rebels Award, and, most recently, People Like Stars, shortlisted for the Nero Book Awards. In 2021, she was awarded an MBE for Services to Literature and in 2023 she was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
"During my tenure as Waterstones Children's Laureate, I will champion the power of books to make us feel like we belong, and shared stories as a tool for bringing people together," Lawrence said. "We are living in a divided world where many people feel isolated. We need this now, more than ever."
BookTrust co-CEO Diana Gerald said Lawrence's appointment "gives a much-needed voice to the vulnerable children pushed to the edge of our society. We're looking forward to supporting her work with communities across the country to explore how sharing stories can strengthen wellbeing, build relationships and nurture meaningful community connection."