SCHOLASTIC UK RENEWS PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CARNEGIES THROUGH 2028

carnegies.co.uk | #Carnegies2025 | @CarnegieMedals

Monday 9 June 2025: CILIP, the library and information association, is pleased to announce that Scholastic will continue as the official book supplier for the Carnegies Shadowing Scheme for a further three years, extending their sponsorship through to 2028. 

Following a successful partnership since 2023, Scholastic UK will remain a key distribution partner, ensuring that thousands of children and young people across the UK and internationally can access the shortlisted books to take part in the Carnegies’ acclaimed shadowing scheme. 

During the partnership so far, in addition to providing access to the shortlisted books, Scholastic UK has delivered a week-long programme each year featuring shortlisted authors and illustrators, created giveaways for schools in need, and supported the production of inspiring short films featuring shadowing groups. This renewed partnership will build on these initiatives and go even further to champion reading for pleasure among children and young people.  

Louis Coiffait-Gunn, CEO of CILIP, celebrated the renewed partnership, saying: “We’re thrilled to extend our partnership with Scholastic UK as the official book supplier for the Carnegies. From generous giveaways to imaginative events, Scholastic has gone above and beyond with the books and other resources they’ve distributed. Their creativity and commitment have helped us reach more young readers and celebrate their voices. As we approach our 90th year, we’re excited to build on this momentum and continue to champion libraries, learning and literacy.” 

Rachel Partridge, Scholastic UK’s Group Marketing, PR and Schools Commercial Director said: “Working with the team at CILIP as the official book supplier for the Carnegie Awards has been a really rewarding experience. Our mission to find new ways to encourage reading for pleasure and make book joy a reality for today’s children aligns perfectly with that of CILIP, and we have loved seeing the response from shadowing schools to the new initiatives that we’ve helped to the Carnegie team to deliver. Everyone at Scholastic could not be more delighted to continue with the partnership.” 

Scholastic will run the official Carnegies book shop at the upcoming 2025 ceremony, taking place at the Cambridge Theatre on 19 June and livestreamed online. Schools and libraries can still order the 2025 Carnegie-shortlisted books from Scholastic at discounted rates via their website. 

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For further information on The Carnegies 2025 please visit: www.carnegies.co.uk 
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Emma Dowson or Katie Cregg at ed public relations on edowson@edpr.co.uk or Katie@edpr.co.uk or 020 7732 4796.

NOTES TO EDITORS: 

The Carnegies 

• The Carnegies celebrate outstanding achievement in children’s writing and illustration respectively and are unique in being judged solely by librarians.  

• The Carnegie Medal for Writing is awarded annually to a children’s book author whose writing creates an outstanding reading experience. It was established in 1936 in memory of the Scottish-born philanthropist, Andrew Carnegie (1835-1919).  

• The Carnegie Medal for Illustration (previously known as the Kate Greenaway Medal), established in 1955, is awarded annually to a children’s book illustrator whose artwork creates an outstanding reading experience.  

• Each year thousands of reading groups in schools and libraries in the UK and overseas get involved in the Awards, with children and young people ‘shadowing’ the judging process. They read, discuss and review the books on the shortlists, get involved in reading related activities in groups, and vote for their favourite books to win the Carnegie Shadowers’ Choice Medals for Writing and Illustration.  

• In 2024, the Carnegie Medal for Writing was awarded for the first time to a Black British author, and then Children’s Laureate – Joseph Coelho – for his novel in verse The Boy Lost in the Maze illustrated by Kate Milner (Otter-Barry Books). The 2024 Carnegie Medal for Illustration and Shadowers’ Choice Award for Illustration were both awarded to Aaron Becker in a double-win for his wordless picture book The Tree and the River (Walker Books). The Carnegie Shadowers’ Choice Medal for Writing went to Tia Fisher for her debut novel told in verse, Crossing the Line (Bonnier Books UK).  

About Scholastic 

• For 100 years, Scholastic Corporation has been encouraging the personal and intellectual growth of all children, beginning with literacy. Having earned a reputation as a trusted partner to educators and families, Scholastic is the world’s largest publisher and distributor of children’s books, a leading provider of literacy curriculum, professional services, and classroom magazines, and a producer of educational and entertaining children’s media. The Company creates and distributes bestselling books and e-books, print and technology-based learning programs for pre-K to grade 12, and other products and services that support children’s learning and literacy, both in school and at home. With 15 international operations and exports to 165 countries, Scholastic makes quality, affordable books available to all children around the world through school-based book clubs and book fairs, classroom libraries, school and public libraries, retail, and online. 

• Learn more at www.scholastic.com.  

About CILIP, the library and information association 

• The Carnegies are managed by CILIP, the library and information association. The Medals are awarded annually by CILIP and the Youth Libraries Group (YLG) with longlists announced in February, shortlists in March and the winners announced at a ceremony in June. 

• CILIP is the leading voice for the information, knowledge management and library profession. Our goal is to put information and library skills and professional values at the heart of a democratic, equal and prosperous society.  

• CILIP is a registered charity, no. 313014. The YLG is a special interest group of CILIP who work to preserve and influence the provision of quality literature and library services for children and young people, both in public libraries and school library services. 

• YLG has 12 regional committees covering all of the UK, and each committee advertises and democratically recruits a judge to represent them on the panel of judges. Each judge serves a two-year term and each year the panel is a unique mix of new and experienced judges led by the Chair of Judges. Following the independent diversity review of the Awards, CILIP introduced a co-opting procedure so that if this recruitment process does not result in a sufficiently diverse and representative judging panel, up to two judges will be co-opted to join the panel. 

• In 2025, the judging panel includes 14 volunteer judges from CILIP’s Youth Libraries Group and Chair of Judges Ros Harding. Find out more about this year’s judges here.