“In a climate where access to children’s books is under threat with the proposed closure of the Schools’ Library Service in Shropshire, the Shropshire Bookfest Book Award project – a long-established and highly regarded reading for pleasure initiative run by nationally recognised charity Shropshire Bookfest – is more vital to schools than ever.”

– Chris Tay, Shropshire Bookfest Chair of Trustees and former Head Teacher of Longden Primary School

Theatre Severn in Shrewsbury was packed to the rafters with children, teachers and shortlisted authors on Tuesday morning, 30th April, in a celebration to mark the culmination of Shropshire Bookfest Big Book Award 2024.  Nearly 1,300 pupils and their teachers joined in with the Awards Ceremony either in Theatre Severn or in their school halls via a live-stream.

“It was a joyful, fizzing event,” says “A celebration not only of all the Shropshire Big Book Award shortlisted authors and their books, but also the enthusiastic responses the children have had to reading them and the fabulous creative work they’ve inspired.”

“The shortlisted authors spoke about the inspiration behind their work, answered questions put to them by the pupils and were clearly moved by the sheer passion and enthusiasm for reading that the project had ignited within all the pupils.” 

Joanna Hughes, Shropshire Bookfest Project Manager.

Run every two years since 2010, the Book Award project offers children the chance to immerse themselves during the Spring term in reading six books which have been carefully selected for the shortlist. They are invited to express their responses through art, poetry, creative writing and film-making. And finally they cast their votes for the book they love the most.

“What makes the Shropshire Bookfest Big Book Award different from other literary awards – and one of the keys to its success – is that it is child-led from the start,” Joanna explains. “The shortlist for other children’s book awards is usually selected by adults. But all of the books submitted by publishers for the longlist of the Shropshire Bookfest Book Award  – and we had about 80 this year – are read and evaluated by children. And it’s on the basis of their comments that the shortlist is selected.

“It makes a huge difference to the pupils taking part in the project to know that the books have all been chosen and recommended by other Shropshire children of their age.”

Shropshire Big Book Award 2024 has been enthusiastically embraced by pupils and teachers alike:

“I have never had so many children read so many of the Bookfest books before and never so many reading all 6 books.  The achievement is even more astounding as this cohort is over 50% SEND, with a large number of high needs SEND and dyslexic pupils, combined with both year groups being Covid affected cohorts. The choice of books has been probably the best yet in terms of providing a range of books which provide accessibility as well as challenge. Thank you Bookfest for inspiring another group of pupils and creating new readers.”

Corinne Davies-Griffith, Year 5/6 Class Teacher/DHT/SENCO/DSL Hinstock Primary School, March 2024

“It is always great to have new material signposted as we get so little time to source and read new children’s books.”

K Thurston, Year 6 Teacher, Oxon CE Primary School, April 2024

The Awards Ceremony on 30th April reached a crescendo of excitement as ‘Lost on Gibbon Island’ by Jess Butterworth was revealed as the winner of Shropshire Bookfest Big Book Award 2024.

“Lost on Gibbon Island is AMAZING! I love this book, the style in which it is written in is very cool. The only thing wrong with it for me is that you can’t put it down!

Pupil from Castlefields Primary School, Bridgnorth       

“The best thing about this book is the adventure and ✨EVERYTHING ✨ It’s just amazing I can’t describe how good it is.!!!

Helena from Prestfelde School

“We read this book as a class read. I was excited to read it every day.”

Lianna from Clee Hill Academy

“I loved this book …. I really hope it wins – definitely 10/10.

Tomos, West Felton CE Primary School

Chris Tay, Chair of Shropshire Bookfest Trustees said:

“The shortlist reflected the views of a wide cross-section of children who got to grips with the longlist earlier in the year. There was something for everyone in the six books: fantasy, adventure, humour, magic, challenging themes, sorrow and joy, failure and triumph.

“Lost on Gibbon Island” is a great example of that narrative beloved by Enid Blyton fans: what happens when the adults are not there? That it is adroitly transferred to a setting and situation that chimes with many children’s concerns for contemporary global issues, is a credit to the skill of the author, Jess Butterworth, who is the deserving winner of this year’s Shropshire Bookfest Big Book Award, as chosen by the readers themselves.”

Prizes were awarded to pupils for their winning entries in four competitions:

The Letter-Writing Competition where children had composed letters to a character in a chosen shortlisted book offering them some advice at a key point in the plot.

Henry Leech – Prestfelde School

Cerys Thomas – St Mary’s Catholic Primary School

Noah Jenkins – West Felton CE Primary School

Isabelle Robinson – Pontesbury CE Primary School

Hakeem Zaman – Lilleshall Primary School

Amelie Bassett – Oxon CE Primary School

Poetry Competition – three winning poems were selected to be read out during the Awards Ceremony, each by the shortlisted author whose book had inspired the young poet:

Moon Flight Sea Shanty by Owen Lawson from West Felton CE Primary School

Bike Path (inspired by the shortlisted book The Night Animals) by Layla Rafferty from Rushbury CE Primary School

The Piano at the Station Recreation Poem by Nuala from Longden CE Primary School

Film Trailer competition: Children produced a short film showcasing one of the shortlisted books.  Nearly every school submitted at least one film, and the judges had a hard time narrowing down the top three runners-up and final winner:

Runners-Up:  Shrewsbury High School, Rushbury CE Primary School and Baschurch CE Primary School.

The overall winner of this competition was a whole class entry from Cheswardine Primary School.

The Art Competition once again attracted hundreds of entries, which challenged the judges drawn from the Shrewsbury Arts Society, who generously supported this competition as part of their YoungArts initiative.  Illustrator of the Horrible Histories series and patron of Shropshire Bookfest, Martin Brown awarded the prizes on stage during the Awards Ceremony in Theatre Severn:

First prize: Connie Ashley – Hinstock Primary School Bridgnorth

Second prize: Molly Kostka – Pontesbury CE Primary School

Third prize: Ashanti Tomiak-Michael – Bicton CE Primary School

Fourth prize: Felix Exham – Packwood Haugh School