The organization responsible for presenting the International Booker Prize and the Booker Prize, known as the Booker Prize Foundation, has introduced a new literary award called the Children’s Booker Prize.
Scheduled to debut in 2026, the Children’s Booker Prize will become an annual event starting in 2027. This prize, valued at £50,000 (approximately $92,000 in Canadian dollars), is designed to recognize outstanding fiction aimed at children aged between eight and 12. Eligible works must be written in English or translated into English and published in either the U.K. or Ireland.
This announcement represents the first addition to the Booker Prize Foundation’s awards lineup since the inception of the International Booker Prize in 2005. Frank Cottrell-Boyce, the current U.K. Children’s Laureate, will lead the panel of judges for the inaugural award in 2027. The judging panel will consist of a diverse group, including both children and adults.
Expressing his enthusiasm, Cottrell-Boyce stated, “I am absolutely thrilled to chair the judging panel for this prestigious award.” Gaby Wood, the Chief Executive of the Booker Prize Foundation, also expressed excitement about the new prize’s potential impact.
Wood stated, “The Children’s Booker Prize marks a significant milestone for us in the last two decades. We believe its influence will endure for many years to come.” She emphasized that the Children’s Booker Prize is not merely an award but a movement that aims to garner support from children, parents, educators, and all storytelling enthusiasts.
Over 30,000 copies of the shortlisted and winning books will be distributed to ensure widespread access to some of the finest children’s fiction globally. Since its establishment in 1969, the Booker Prize has been a prestigious platform celebrating exceptional fiction worldwide. Among this year’s nominees is Canadian author David Szalay, recognized for his novel “Flesh.”
Past Canadian winners of the Booker Prize include renowned authors such as Margaret Atwood, who shared the 2019 prize with British novelist Bernardine Evaristo. Other Canadian recipients of the prize include Michael Ondaatje in 1992 for “The English Patient” and Yann Martel in 2002 for “Life of Pi.”
The winner of the 2025 Booker Prize will be revealed during a ceremony in London on Nov. 9. The event will feature a keynote address by acclaimed author Penelope Lively, a former recipient of the Booker Prize and Carnegie Medal, in celebration of the new children’s literary prize.