Frank Cottrell-Boyce announced as the new Children's Laureate

Frank Cottrell-Boyce, the multi award-winning author and screenwriter, has been announced as the Waterstones Children's Laureate 2024 - 2026, taking over from outgoing laureate Joseph Coelho. 

At today's ceremony, Cottrell-Boyce declared his ambitions for children's books and the life-changing benefits of reading to be 'taken seriously', and launched his new campaign, Reading Rights: Books Build a Brighter Future, which will be the focus of his laureateship over the next two years.

The campaign aims to ignite a fierce national conversation about the role books and reading can play in transforming children's lives. With ample research showing that reading for pleasure is the single biggest factor impacting the life-chances of a child, as well as the 'crisis point' facing the millions of children now living in poverty, he warned: "We risk losing a generation unless we act."  A national summit bringing together expert voices in the political, education, literacy and early years sectors is also planned.

"Addressing invisible privilege and inequality"

During his speech, Cottrell-Boyce said, "Writing and reading has transformed my life - and I write children's books because I think they help build the apparatus of happiness inside us. I'm privileged to be part of those intimate, crucial, person-forming moments when people share stories with the children in their lives. I'm privileged to visit schools up and down the country - to read to children, and to see a Britain that is innovative, eccentric, funny, up for it, open-hearted.

"But I also get to see a different Britain. A Britain that is not fair. A Britain that's a stranger to equality. For too long, the life-changing benefits of children's reading have not been taken seriously. And now - as our children face an unknown future - we risk losing a generation unless we act.

So, my tenure as Waterstones Children's Laureate will have happiness at its heart, but it will be about urgency.  It will be about addressing invisible privilege and inequality.  It will be about the increasing number of children in poverty being left further and further behind.  It will be about calling for national provision so that every child - from their earliest years - has access to books, reading and the transformative ways in which they improve long-term life chances.  It will be about campaigning for a visible sign that this country values its children - to show them they are important.  That they are, in fact, our only hope.

So, I'm going to do everything in my power to get reading as a right for all into the national conversation. I'm calling the campaign Reading Rights: Books Build a Brighter Future Because it's about time."

You can watch Frank Cottrell-Boyce share his plans for his Laureateship here.

25 years of the Children's Laureateship

Cottrell-Boyce was presented with the bespoke silver Laureate medal by outgoing Waterstones Children's Laureate, Joseph Coelho, at a ceremony held at Howard Assembly Room, Leeds.

For 25 years, the Children's Laureate has been the foremost representative of children's literature, awarded biannually to a renowned writer or illustrator in recognition of exceptional talent. Managed by BookTrust and sponsored by Waterstones, this prestigious role celebrates creativity and storytelling, promotes the vital importance of reading and children's literature, and champions the right of every child to enjoy a lifetime enriched with books and stories. Each Laureate brings their own passion and creativity to their tenure.

Frank Cottrell-Boyce

Liverpool-based Frank Cottrell-Boyce is a multi-award-winning children's author. Since his debut Millions won the CILIP Carnegie Medal (and was made into a film directed by Danny Boyle), he has penned a plethora of much-loved books including Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Flies Again, Cosmic, Framed, The Astounding Broccoli Boy and Runaway Robot. He is also a script and screenwriter, devising the London 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony, co-writing the Platinum Jubilee Paddington sketch, alongside writing for Doctor Who, Goodbye Christopher Robin and most recently The Beautiful Game.

During his acceptance speech as the new Children's Laureate, Frank Cottrell-Boyce said, "Our children are living through the aftermath of a series of crises, the pandemic, a series of wars and an unfolding environmental crisis. The only public conversation is about how we can make our children 'catch up' - which seems to me a kind of code for forgetting this ever happened. None of us has the slightest idea about what the future now holds for them - but the one thing we do know is that they will need to know how to be happy.

"Every child has to have the opportunity to begin to build the apparatus of happiness within themselves.
I will use my time as Waterstones Children's Laureate to call for a reset in our attitude towards how we value children's books and reading - to start this story again - and to campaign for the millions of children living in poverty to be given the same life-changing chances. To stand up for the children in this country and their Reading Rights.  So, whoever wins Thursday's election has a huge responsibility. Whoever we wake up to Friday morning, they have the power to make a revolutionary change in children's lives."

Children's Laureate advocacy

Diana Gerald, CEO at BookTrust, added that reading can help young children who missed out on critical development opportunities during the pandemic to catch up on skills in literacy, language development, and communication. Reading, she said, "can help children overcome the consequences of rising levels of poverty and inequality, particularly if we read with them in their early years. The appointment of Frank as Children's Laureate gives us a powerful advocate for the disadvantaged and vulnerable children and the transformative effect that reading can have on their lives.”

Kate Edwards, chair of the Waterstones Children's Laureate Steering Group and chair of the Waterstones Children's Laureate 2024-26 Judging Panel, said, "We couldn't be more thrilled to welcome Frank to this prestigious role as the Laureateship celebrates its 25th anniversary - not only does his wonderful writing entertain and inspire, but he has long been a passionate voice in the campaign for children's books to be given the value and recognition that they deserve.”

Images copyright David Bebber