Tuesday, April 5, 2016

Lttle Rebels and London Radical Bookfair 2016

The London Radical BookfairThis year the event will take place on Saturday May 7th at Goldsmith’s UniversityThis is a free public event organised by the Alliance of Radical Booksellers (ARB) [see links below].

PRESS RELEASE

Double Hat-Trick on 2016 Little Rebels Award Shortlist!

Two authors have scored a hat-trick on this year’s shortlist for the 2016 Little Rebels Children’s Book Award for Radical Children’s Fiction. The shortlist of six books includes an anarchic appraisal of Gove’s education policies, the dramatic rescue of an indie bookshop and existential questions for the very young. Authors Gill Lewis and John Boyne both appear for the 3rd time. Bloomsbury has scored twice on the list.

The Little Rebels Children’s Book Award is now in its 4th year. The shortlisted 2016 titles (for books published in 2015) include 3 chapter books/fiction and 3 picture books; these are:
è Uncle Gobb and the Dread Shed by Michael Rosen, illustrated by Neal Layton (Bloomsbury Books); an anarchic story which shames many aspects of contemporary culture but, in particular, the government’s current education ideology.
è Gorilla Dawn by Gill Lewis (Oxford University Press); a novel set in the Democratic Republic of Congo which explores how the farming of a mineral needed for mobile phones is destroying the gorillas' natural habitat; Lewis’ Moon Bear was shortlisted in 2014 and she was the winner for the Little Rebels Award 2015 with Scarlet Ibis.
è The Boy at the Top of the Mountain by John Boyne (Doubleday/Penguin Random House UK); the story of one child’s moral corruption when he goes to stay in Hitler’s holiday house, the Berghof, in 1935; Boyne was previously shortlisted for The Terrible Thing That Happened to Barnaby Brocket in 2013 and Stay Where You Are and Then Leave in 2014.
è I’m a Girl by Yasmeen Ismail (Bloomsbury Books); a picture book which blasts gender stereotypes by portraying a girl character whose behaviour leads to her being called a boy.
è The Little Bookshop and the Origami Army! by Michael Foreman (Andersen Press); a community bookshop threatened by big business is saved by Origami Girl and local action.
è I Am Henry Finch by Alexis Deacon, illustrated by Viviane Schwarz (Walker Books); a philosophical book for the very young, addressing individualism, bravery and finding your way.

The Little Rebels Children’s Book Award recognises fiction for ages 0-12 which promotes or celebrates social justice and equality. It is run by specialist children’s booksellers, Letterbox Library and is awarded by the Alliance of Radical Booksellers (ARB). The judges, Kim Reynolds (Professor of Children’s Lit. Newcastle University), Wendy Cooling, (Bookstart co-founder & editor), Catherine Johnson and Elizabeth Laird (children’s authors) are meeting this month to discuss the shortlist.

Kerry Mason, Co-Director of Letterbox Library, said of this year’s submissions: “This was the first year that the shortlisters felt overwhelmed by choices. It seems there is a taste right now for children’s books with a message, particularly where that message is communicated in an imaginative and original way. This year’s shortlist pokes fun at our institutions, brings corporate powers to their knees and ponders vast questions such as ‘who am I?’ through the smallest of finches”.     

Speaking about the award, Little Rebels judge, Kim Reynolds, said, “This prize identifies well-informed and high-quality books that can help children understand that the way the world is currently organised is not inevitable and that even the youngest members of society can help to change it” (in Books for Keeps May 2015).

The winner of the Little Rebels Award will again be announced at The London Radical Bookfair. This year the event will take place on Saturday May 7th at Goldsmith’s University. This is a free public event organised by the Alliance of Radical Booksellers (ARB). The Little Rebels winner will be announced alongside the ARB’s sister adult award, the Bread & Roses Award for Radical Publishing.                                                                                                 ***ENDS***
 Contact:
Fen Coles
Letterbox Library
Unit 151 Stratford Workshops
Burford Road
Stratford E15 2SP
Tel: 020 8534 7502
Twitter: @LetterboxLib

Further Information
About Letterbox Library
Letterbox Library is a 33-year-old, not-for-profit, children’s booksellers and social enterprise. They specialise in children’s books which celebrate diversity, equality & inclusion. Further information can be found at www.letterboxlibrary.com They run the Little Rebels Award on behalf of the ARB (below).

About the Alliance of Radical Booksellers (ARB)
The ARB is a supportive community for the UK’s radical booksellers; www.radicalbooksellers.co.uk. Members of the ARB include Housmans Bookshop, Gay’s The Word, News from Nowhere, Freedom Bookshop and Letterbox Library. The ARB runs the adult, Bread & Roses Award for Radical Publishing, administered by Housmans Bookshop. For more information go to www.bread-and-roses.co.uk .

About the Little Rebels Children’s Book Award
Full details of the award, including the shortlist and prize giving ceremony for previous years, can be found at:  www.littlerebelsaward.wordpress.com.

About the London Radical Bookfair
Hosted by the ARB, this fair was run for the first time in May 2013. Previous venues have included the Bishopsgate Institute. Full details at: www.londonradicalbookfair.wordpress.com.

Significant dates
The winner of both the Little Rebels and the Bread & Roses Awards will be announced at the ARB’s London Radical Bookfair on Saturday May 7th 2016.

Letter reproduced in: Librarians for Social Change
newsletter No.6, 1970s
(Some things do change...)

A young critic, 1970s

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