Reader of the Year Award launched by the SLA and Barrington Stoke

The Barrington Stoke Reader of the Year Award is to be launched as a national award to celebrate young readers, recognising pupils in Year 7 and 8 who have overcome challenge to discover the joy of reading.

The winner will receive £400 worth of Barrington Stoke books for their school library, a £100 book token for themselves, and a digital subscription to First News for both home and school.

Nominations open

Nominations are now open for the award, which celebrates engagement, enjoyment and determination over academic attainment or reading fluency. Awarded by the SLA, the Barrington Stoke Reader of the Year Award will also highlight the vital role school libraries and librarians play in getting the right books into the hands of the right pupils, helping every child develop their own positive relationship with reading.

Teachers, headteachers and school librarians from across the UK can nominate Year 7 and 8 pupils (S1 and S2 in Scotland). The closing date for nominations is Friday, 15th May, after which the judging panel will choose a shortlist. Nominations for the Barrington Stoke Reader of the Year Award can be made at: sla.org.uk/reader-of-the-year.

The winner will be announced at the SLA's Annual Awards Ceremony, which take place on 18th November 2026 in London. Jane Walker, sales & marketing director at Barrington Stoke, said that young people are "at the heart" of the publisher's work. "We know that some of them face real challenges on the path to developing a love of reading. We're therefore thrilled to be working with the School Library Association, sponsoring an award to celebrate those readers, while also recognising the crucial role of the school librarians who support them on that journey."

Judging panel

The judging panel will include SLA School Librarian of the Year 2025 – Julie Broadbent, author and SLA Patron Tom Palmer and Barrington Stoke author Catherine Johnson, as well as representatives from Barrington Stoke, the School Library Association and children's newspaper First News, who will join the award as media partner.

Author Catherine Johnson said, "I am so excited to be a judge for the brand-new Barrington Stoke Reader of the Year Award! I firmly believe that school libraries and librarians are an integral part of any school community. And I am thrilled to help shine a light on those students - a vital part of those communities - who have found their way into books."

Accessibility

Barrington Stoke's focus on "making books accessible to every reader" makes them a perfect partner for the award that recognises young people who have had to overcome challenge to discover the joy of reading, said Victoria Dilly, CEO of the SLA

"The Barrington Stoke Reader of the Year Award will celebrate the curiosity, empathy and imagination that all children and young people can unlock when they discover the joy of reading. With children's reading for pleasure at an all-time low, and a mandatory Year 8 reading test soon to enter the curriculum, the need to celebrate children's reading enjoyment has never been so important."