World Book Day responds to 'celebrity bias'

Author David Almond has accused World Book Day 2018 of 'shortchanging' children by including too many celebrity authors in its list of specially prepared 1 books that children will be able to exchange for their vouchers on World Book Day in March 2018.

Other authors, illustrators and librarians have also voiced their concerns on social media, arguing - like Almond - that the list is too celebrity-focused and that 'home-grown' authors and illustrators are being ignored. Author Sarah Crossan, whose titles include The Weight of Water and One, tweeted, 'I'm not commercial enough to be a WBD author - but loads are - and I'm sad for them and for the kids missing out'. There are four celebrity authors on the list of ten books, including Clare Balding, Julian Clary, Nadiya Hussain and Tom Fletcher - who have all previously written successful children's books. There are also two 'celebrity brands' in the list, including a selection of Paddington Bear short stories by Michael Bond and a Marvels The Avengers story. Author Dave Rudden (Knights of the Borrowed Dark) said, "As a kid I had to think very carefully about every book I picked because it'd be a long time before I could afford another one. I know my parents were always a little nervous at navigating choice in bookshops as well." He argues that a day like WBD "is a chance to not have to play it safe, but to expose young and reluctant readers to the full span of brilliant books and indeed authors out there". He added, "While I have nothing against any of the authors on the list (I'm a fan of Clare's, I love Tom's Book Club, and I very proudly did a World Book Day event last year), I worry that this list tells parents they should only buy a book when they know the author from TV and it tells kids books are a sideproduct of fame, and that stories are not an end in themselves." World Book Day director Kirsten Grant responded to the criticism, saying, "There are lots of hugely loved authors and brands on the list, from Mr Men to Paddington, to the Oi! series, as well as fabulous newer stars like Pamela Butchart and yes, there are celebrity writers on the list (who have written their own books), but if they are the catalyst to encouraging a non-reader to pick up a book and start a nationwide conversation about reading, then everyone will be better off." She pointed out that each World Book Day 1 book will include an extract by an up-and-coming author, to enable children "to continue their reading journey and discover great new authors". Grant added, "World Book Day's (WBD) mission as a small charity is to promote reading for pleasure amongst children and young people. From research conducted for our 20th anniversary, the book that one in four children (one in three for those on school meals) 'bought' with their 2016 1 book token was the first they have ever personally owned. "With a remit to give access to books to children from all backgrounds (which many of whom don't necessarily have already), and to inspire them to develop a love of reading, getting the right mix of the 1 books (Euro 1.50 in Ireland) is key, as they drive children and parents into bookshops to redeem their book tokens and pick up their free WBD book - or many choose to use theirs to get 1 off a full-price book instead." This year's list has "a mix of names that children will already know and love, as well as those that we hope they will discover for the first time", she added. According to research from the National Literacy Trusts's Annual Literacy Survey 2016, six in ten KS2 children said they were also inspired to read more by the World Book Day campaign. "This is in no small part thanks to our writers' and illustrators' ongoing support and spreading our reading message through their fanbases," said Grant. While WBD no longer creates 1 books for teenaged readers, there will be an announcement about its young adult plans in the coming weeks. Here is the full list of the 1 WBD 2018 books: - Oi Goat! by Kes Gray and Jim Field (Hodder Children's Books) - Mr Men: My Book About Me By Mr Silly written and illustrated by Adam Hargreaves, original concept by Roger Hargreaves (Egmont) - The Baby Brother From Outer Space! by Pamela Butchart, illustrated by Thomas Flintham (Nosy Crow) - Paddington Turns Detective and Other Funny Stories by Michael Bond, illustrated by Peggy Fortnum (HarperCollins) - Nadiya's Bake Me a Story by Nadiya Hussain, illustrated by Clair Rossiter (Hodder Children's Books) - Terry's Dumb Dot Story: A Treehouse Tale by Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton (Macmillan) - The Girl Who Thought She Was a Dog by Clare Balding, illustrated by Tony Ross (Puffin) - Brain Freeze by Tom Fletcher, illustrated by Shane Devries (Puffin) - The Bolds' Great Adventure by Julian Clary, illustrated by David Roberts (Andersen Press) - Marvel's The Avengers: The Greatest Heroes by Alastair Dougall (DK) - Rugby Roar by Gerard Siggins (O'Brien Press) Ireland only.