We are inviting publishers to make a submission to the Spark! Award in any or all of our three age categories:
- Ages 4-7 - picture story books
- Ages 7-9 - younger fiction
- Ages 9-11 - older children’s fiction
Titles should have been published or are about to be published between 1st November 2019 and 31st October 2020.
They should be written by authors and illustrators, resident in the United Kingdom and who wish to engage with our young people.
We are working with colleagues at the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE) to ensure a fair and effective shortlisting process and further criteria will appear on our website as soon as possible. However, it is anticipated that these will be broad enough to include the best of contemporary writing for children. In essence, we are looking to shortlist the most engaging books that reflect our DIVERSE and EXCITING communities.
A special trophy will be awarded to each winning writer, and it is expected that the authors will wish to be involved in terms of reaching a wider audience in our boroughs and the ensuing positive publicity for each shortlisted book.
Writers will be invited to engage with our schools during the period January to May, through pre-recorded messages and at least one curated online 'visit' to groups of schools (we understand that this will be charged at Society of Authors’ rates). There is the potential for further visits and school bookings, where possible.
All shortlisted authors will be invited to our on-line ceremony in June when winners will be announced - as well as the pupil winners of the best and most creative responses to the books.
Members of the short-listing committees will be tweeting about the books that they are reading and enjoying and sending out these messages to teachers and pupils in our schools. Our plan is that the whole process will raise awareness and broaden understanding amongst the teachers, pupils and families of our two boroughs, of the great number of new and exciting books that are published each year for children.
