Frank Cottrell-Boyce, a novelist and screenwriter, has been named the new children’s laureate. The role involves championing reading and children’s books, which he will do from this year until 2026. Cottrell-Boyce said he was “so proud” to hold the position, adding that writing and reading had transformed his life. Joseph Coelho, whose Luna Loves picture books and Fairy Tales Gone Bad made him known, vacated the position after two years.
Cottrell-Boyce is the next in a line of illustrious previous holders, including Julia Donaldson, Quentin Blake, and Michael Morpurgo. Coelho presented the Liverpool-based writer with the unique silver laureate medal at a ceremony in Leeds on Tuesday.
Cottrell-Boyce believes that children’s literature has become too undervalued and warned against losing a generation unless action is taken. “I write children’s books because I think they help build the apparatus of happiness inside us,” he explained. As laureate, he aims to introduce more equity and ensure that every child has access to books and reading and the long-term benefits they provide.
Cottrell-Boyce’s first novel, Millions, published in 2004, won the Carnegie Medal and became a Danny Boyle-directed film. His screen credits include working for Doctor Who, Goodbye Christopher Robin, and co-writing the Platinum Jubilee Paddington sketch. The Waterstones Children’s Laureate, managed by BookTrust, is reappointed every two years to a writer or illustrator. Its purpose is to celebrate storytelling and creativity, promote reading and children’s literature, and advocate for all children’s rights to lead lives enriched by books.
In conclusion, Cottrell-Boyce, the new children’s laureate, believes that children’s literature carries transformative powers that have been undervalued in contemporary society. As a result, he will seek to sensitise readers to the benefits that it offers and ensure that it is more equitably distributed to vulnerable populations. Ultimately, he believes that literature is critical in building people’s personal and social lives
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