Kate Greenaway Medal
The Kate Greenaway Medal is an esteemed annual award in the United Kingdom that recognizes outstanding illustration in children's literature. Established in 1955, it is the only award in the country dedicated specifically to children's book illustrators, and it encompasses a broader range of works, as it can be awarded for illustrations in not just picture books but also chapter books and novels. Named after the prominent 19th-century illustrator Kate Greenaway, the award emphasizes artistic merit and the effective integration of illustrations with text.
The judging process involves a panel of volunteer judges from the field of children's librarianship, who assess the artistic quality and overall aesthetics of nominated works. Each year, a long list of candidates is announced in February, followed by a short list in March, with the winner revealed in June. In addition to the main award, the process includes engagement from young readers through "shadowing" groups, who also evaluate the nominated books and contribute to a children's choice prize. The winner of the Kate Greenaway Medal receives a gold medal and a significant cash prize, enhancing recognition for their contributions to children's literature.
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Kate Greenaway Medal
The Kate Greenaway Medal is an award given annually for excellence in illustration for a children’s book published in the United Kingdom. It is the only such award given for children’s literature illustration in that country. The award differs from many other awards for illustrators because the book does not have to be a picture book. It can be given for illustrations in chapter books and novels. The medal has been awarded since 1955, and it is named after a woman who illustrated children’s literature in the nineteenth century.
Background
Kate Greenaway was born in Hoxton, England, in 1846. Her father did wood engravings for a newspaper, and her mother ran a store. The modest income they earned was enough to send Greenaway into the Nottinghamshire countryside for long summer stays with family. The natural environment and country sights she experienced there would influence her later work.
Greenaway’s father noticed that she exhibited artistic talent at a very young age, and she began attending classes at an art school when she was seven. At the age of twelve, she won a local art contest. Within a few years, she was winning prizes at the national level. Greenaway’s work was published for the first time in 1867. Greenaway also did illustrations for Valentine’s Day and Christmas cards that were very popular at the time. Her name became prominent during the Christmas season in 1878, when her book Under the Window, Pictures and Rhymes for Children sold out. A series of successes followed, including illustrated versions of Mother Goose nursery rhymes and an illustration of the story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin.
As people began to seek books with her illustrations, publishers capitalized on her popularity by including her name as part of the title, such as Kate Greenaway’s Alphabet and Kate Greenaway’s Album. Many of her drawings featured children in clothing that was nostalgically old-fashioned for the time and managed to capture a sense of emotion that people found charming. Her drawing style was so unique and popular that children’s clothing, accessories, and playthings such as dolls that replicated her technique were in high demand. Her work was also heavily imitated and even faked. This competition and piracy eventually caused Greenaway to give up illustrating for children’s books. Her career was cut short by breast cancer, which claimed her life when she was only in her fifties. However, she was a prolific artist who created hundreds of designs for books, cards, calendars, wrapping paper, and other materials.
The Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) presents the Kate Greenaway Medal every year. Initially, the Youth Libraries Group of the Library Association awarded the medal. This group came together with the Institute of Information Scientists to form CILIP.
Overview
The Kate Greenaway Medal was first awarded in 1955. In the previous year, the judges for the Carnegie Medal gave a special commendation to the illustrator of a children’s book. The Carnegie Medal is an annual medal given in the United Kingdom to the author of the most distinguished children’s book published in the previous year. This led to the creation of the Kate Greenaway Medal as a separate annual award for illustrations in a book published in the United Kingdom.
The award is unique among the top awards for children’s illustrators because it is not limited to picture books. The award can go to illustrators whose works enhance chapter books or other books with added drawings. The main criteria are that it has to be published first in Britain with English text and it has to be intended for children or young people. The drawings have to display great artistic merit, coordinate well with the text, and add to the visual experience of reading the book. The judges also look at the overall aesthetics of the book. This includes whether the typeface and size add to or interfere with the reading process, how well the illustrations are integrated with the text, and how the overall appearance of the book affects the reader.
The award process begins with the announcement of the “long list” of nominations in February of each year. A panel of fourteen volunteer judges drawn from children and youth librarians from across the United Kingdom begin by verifying each nominee’s eligibility and reviewing each book to see how well it meets the award criteria. In March, a short list of finalists is announced. The award is presented in June. In some years, additional “commended” or “highly commended” nominees have also been acknowledged.
The Greenaway and related Carnegie Medal judging processes include a group known as “shadowers.” Children in reading groups across the United Kingdom and in other areas of the world also read the nominated books and follow a process similar to that used by the judges to review them. The shadowers then vote for the book they feel best meets the criteria. The top shadow vote getter from each short list is named a children’s choice prizewinner and recognized at the June awards ceremony.
The actual Greenaway award includes a gold medal and a cash prize. Until the year 2000, the winner also received £500 worth of books to donate to a library of their choice. A bequest left in 2000 by children’s book collector Colin Mears provided a fund for cash prizes for the winner. Since 2000, each winner has received a prize worth £5,000, or about $7,500.
Bibliography
“Australians Nominated for 2019 Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals.” Books + Publishing, 7 Nov. 2018, www.booksandpublishing.com.au/articles/2018/11/07/119062/australians-nominated-for-2019-carnegie-and-kate-greenaway-medals/. Accessed 15 Mar. 2019.
Cavendish, Richard. “Death of Kate Greenaway.” History Today, Nov. 2001, www.historytoday.com/archive/death-kate-greenaway. Accessed 15 Mar. 2019.
“The CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal.” CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Children’s Book Awards, www.carnegiegreenaway.org.uk/greenaway.php. Accessed 15 Mar. 2019.
“Kate Greenaway Biography.” Pook Press, www.pookpress.co.uk/project/kate-greenaway-biography/. Accessed 15 Mar. 2019.
“Kate Greenaway Medal.” Central Connecticut State University, web.ccsu.edu/library/nadeau/award%20books/KateGreenaway.htm. Accessed 15 Mar. 2019.
“Kate Greenaway Medal.” Foyles Co., www.foyles.co.uk/kate-greenaway-medal. Accessed 15 Mar. 2019.
“Kate Greenaway Papers.” University of Southern Mississippi, www.lib.usm.edu/legacy/degrum/public‗html/html/research/findaids/greenaway.htm. Accessed 15 Mar. 2019.
Onwuemezi, Natasha. “All-White Carnegie Longlist Controversy Prompts CILIP ‘Review.’” Bookseller, 7 Mar. 2017, www.thebookseller.com/news/cilip-review-carnegie-and-kate-greenaway-medals-500231. Accessed 15 Mar. 2019.