The winner of this year's CLiPPA (Centre for Literacy in Primary Poetry Award) is John Agard for his collection The Poetry World of John Agard, illustrated by Shirley Hottier. Presented annually in the U.K., the prize "encourages and celebrates outstanding poetry published for children." The winner receives £1,000 (about $1,335), a trophy, and opportunities to engage in ongoing publicity.
Agard won the CLiPPA with his wife Grace Nichols in 2003 with Under the Moon and Over the Sea and again in 2009 with The Young Inferno, illustrated by Satoshi Kitamura. He was on the shortlist in 2025 with Wise Up! Wise Down. This third win is unprecedented in the award's history.
Chair of judges Nicola Davies, said: "The first time I saw John Agard perform his work, over thirty years ago, I knew at once he was the most extraordinary artist. His poems gleam with human warmth and sunshine, but like all bright lights they cast important shadows, and illuminate things we have not noticed before. You can carry John's words in your head and your heart and warm your soul on them forever. His book The Poetry World of John Agard will invite new generations of readers into his wonderful universe and I'm delighted that it is this year's CLiPPA winner."
Jonathan Douglas, CEO of the National Literacy Trust, CLPE's parent organization, commented: "John Agard's poetry welcomes young readers to the magic and mystery of words, and his flamboyant, exuberant performances, whether live or on film, have turned countless numbers of children into poetry lovers."