Library
Vicky Mason
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The Carnegie Awards
You may have noticed a new display on the second floor of Augustine House Library, nestled among the Curriculum Resources collection: a selection of vibrant new books under the banner The Carnegies! We thought it would be a great opportunity to share a little more about these prestigious awards and why they matter so much to children and young people.
What are The Carnegies, and where does the name come from?
The Carnegie Medal was established in 1936 in memory of Scottish-born philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. A self-made man who built his fortune in the American steel industry, Carnegie was passionate about education and access to knowledge.
He often spoke about the impact libraries had on his own life, famously saying:
“if ever wealth came to me that it should be used to establish free libraries”
Andrew Carnegie. Taken from wikimedia commons
True to his word, Andrew Carnegie funded the creation of more than 2,800 libraries around the world. By 1919, over half of the library authorities in Great Britain had benefited from his generosity.
The Carnegie Medals
The Carnegie Medals are awarded annually by CILIP and the Youth Libraries Group for books created for children and young people which create outstanding reading experiences through writing or illustration.
As quoted by The Carnegies website:
The awards main mission is to champion librarians to inspire and empower the next generation to create a better world through books, by doing the following:
- Celebrating outstanding writing and illustration for children and young people.
- Recognising a broad range of perspectives, experiences, and voices.
- Championing the power of librarians to connect children and young people with outstanding books that represent their identities and help them shape a better world.
- Encouraging authors, illustrators and publishers to create more books for children and young people that reflect all identities and promote diversity.
- Promoting a readership and market that values diversity, representation and inclusion in books for children and young people.
- Challenging children and young people with a diversity of ideas and perspectives to promote empathy and understanding.
The Carnegie Medal for Writing
The Carnegie Medal for Writing is a prestigious annual literary award that celebrates outstanding English-language books written for children and young people.
Presented by CILIP (the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals) and the Youth Libraries Group, the Carnegie Medals honour books that offer exceptional reading experiences — whether through powerful writing or striking illustration.
Notable past winners of the Writing Medal include Philip Pullman, Neil Gaiman, Jennifer Donnelly, Terry Pratchett, Sally Gardner, and Ruta Sepetys — authors whose work continues to inspire readers of all ages.
The Carnegie medal for Illustration
The Carnegie Medal for Illustration is currently the only UK prize awarded specifically for illustration in a children’s book. First established in 1955, it was originally known as the Kate Greenaway Medal, named after the popular and influential 19th-century artist.
The award is given to an illustrator whose artwork significantly enhances the reading experience, helping to bring stories to life in powerful and imaginative ways.
Notable past winners include Levi Pinfold, Raymond Briggs, Quentin Blake, and Chris Riddell — all of whom have made lasting contributions to children’s literature.
The Shadowers’ Choice Medals for Writing and Illustration
Established in 2019, the Shadowers’ Choice Medals are unique awards chosen entirely by young people. These medals are part of the Carnegie Awards programme and reflect the voices of children and young people who take part in the Shadowing Scheme — a reading initiative that runs alongside the official judging process.
Young readers from schools and libraries across the UK and beyond form reading groups, where they read, review, and discuss the shortlisted books. After engaging with the titles, they vote for their favourites, selecting the winners of the Shadowers’ Choice Medals for Writing and Illustration.
The Theme for 2025
This year’s Carnegie Awards have especially highlighted the power of books to explore complex and challenging subjects for young people.
The 2025 shortlist has centred around the theme of marginalised young male perspectives, with authors praised for their storytelling and the sense of hope they bring to difficult topics.
Ros Harding, Chair of Judges for The Carnegies 2025, reflected on this year’s entries, saying:
“The two lists highlight the diversity and high quality within publishing for children and young people in the UK. “Many of the titles on the writing shortlist deal with themes around masculinity and boys finding their place in society, and the shortlisted authors successfully tackle these big ideas through believable and relatable characters, whilst avoiding lecturing people”. (Harding, R. 2025)
Shortlisted nominees for Writing 2025
The Carnegies shortlist for the nominees for Writing were:
- Glasgow Boys by Margaret McDonald
- Treacle Town by Brian Conaghan
- Play by Luke Palmer
- King of Nothing by Nathanael Lessore
- The Final Year by Matt Goodfellow
- All that it ever Meant by Blessing Musariri
- Little Bang by Kelly McCaughrain
- The Things We Leave Behind by Clare Furniss
Shortlisted nominees for Illustration 2025
The Carnegies shortlist for nominees for Illustration were:
- Grey by Lauren Child written Laura Dockrill
- Flying High by Yu Rong written by Cao Wenxuan
- Clever Crow by Olivia Lomenech Gill, written by Chris Butterworth
- Homebody by Theo Parish Author and Illustrator
- Wolf and Bear by Kate Rolfe Author and Illustrator
- Letters in Charcoal by Juan Palomino written by Irene Vasco, translated by Lawrence Schimel
- I Love Books by Mariajo Illustrajo Author and Illustrator
- The Invisible Story by Wen Hsu Chen written by Jaime Gamboa, translated by Daniel Hahn
Want to explore the nominees yourself? You can!
All this year’s Carnegie nominated titles are available in the Curriculum Resources collection at Augustine House Library. You’ll find them on the display shelf on the second floor, right next to the Curriculum Resources section.
These books are proving popular — some have already been borrowed — so don’t wait too long to check them out!
Presenting the winners of The Carnegies!
The winners were announced on 19th June 2025. Here are the results!
The winner of the Carnegie Medal for writing goes to…
Margaret McDonald with Glasgow Boys.
Glasgow Boys is written by Margaret McDonald a former NHS worker.
Meet Finlay. He’s studying for his nursing degree at Glasgow University, against all the odds. But coming straight from care means he has no support network.
How can he write essays, find paid work and NOT fall for the beautiful boy at uni, when he’s struggling to even feed himself?
Meet Banjo. He’s trying to settle in with his new foster family and finish high school. But he can’t forget all that has happened, and his anger and fear keep boiling over.
How can he hold on to the one good person in his life, when his outbursts keep threatening his already uncertain future?
Can Finlay and Banjo let go of the past before it drags them under?
The winner of the Carnegie Medal for Illustration goes to…
Olivia Lomenech Gill for Clever Crow, written by Chris Butterworth.
Whatever the changing seasons and evolving world presents to the crow, they use their adaptability, discerning memory and crafty problem-solving techniques to overcome every possible hurdle. Young readers will be bowled over by these unassuming creatures they come across every day, and will find a new-found respect for the birds that are smart, clever, crafty and playful, just like them. This stunningly illustrated and original Nature Storybook will astonish children and grown-ups alike and will be a book to remember and share with friends.
The winner of the Carnegie Shadowers’ Choice Medal for Writing goes to…
King of Nothing by Nathanael Lessore.
A fresh and innovative story about a self proclaimed bad boy whose unlikely new friendship makes him question his priorities, and challenges readers to look inwards at their own behaviour.
They’re used to ruling the school and Anton wears the crown. The other kids run away when he’s about but that’s the way he wants it – he’s got a reputation to live up to after all.
So when he gets into serious trouble at school, he doesn’t really care, but his mum most definitely does. She decides it’s time for Anton to make some new friends and join the Happy Campers, a local activity group. Anton would quite literally rather do anything else, especially when he finds out Matthew, the biggest loser in school, is also a member.
But after Matthew unexpectedly saves Anton’s life, Anton figures maybe this kid is worth a shot. Teaching him some game is the least Anton can do to repay the debt.
The winner of the Carnegie Shadowers Choice Medal for Illustration goes to…
Homebody by author and illustrator, Theo Parish.
In Homebody, Theo tells the heartwarming story of discovering how to live life on their own terms through beautiful illustrations and lyrical text.
Sometimes it can feel like the world is trying to fit you into a box, to label you one way or another, but there is nothing more wonderful than finding your true authentic self, whoever you are. Whether you are transgender or cisgender, we are all searching for ways to make our houses feel like homes . . .
Where can you locate these titles?
You can locate these titles on second floor of Augustine House Library.
Children’s fiction is divided into Picture Fiction (PF), Junior Fiction (JF) and Senior Fiction (SF), plus big books. You can also find poetry, plays and literary collections and Group reading packs – multiple copies of fiction books which can be borrowed as one item, shelved at CR 428
Need Help or advice?
If you would like to recommend a title or would like help or advice on using Curriculum Resources, please ask in the library or contact your Learning and Research Librarian for Education, Catherine.
Further information on The Carnegies.
If you would like to learn more about the awards, then go to, The Carnegies website.
Main image taken from the downloadable files via The Carnegies webpage
