The winners of the 2020 Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals will still be announced on 17 June 2020 via a media announcement, but the decision has been made to extend the Shadowing period until the end of October 2020. This extension will provide greater opportunity for children and young people to engage with the Shadowing Scheme, including taking part in the ALCS CKG Writing competition.

Instead of the planned ceremony on 17 June at the British Library, the 2020 Medals winners will now be celebrated at a special event in collaboration with University of Central Lancashire (UCLan). With full details to be announced in due course, this event will take place during Libraries Week, CILIP’s annual celebration of the nation’s much-loved libraries, which has a focus in 2020 on celebrating books and reading and the vital role of libraries in the UK’s book culture.

The Shadowers’ Choice Awards – voted for and awarded by the children and young people who shadow the Medals – will also be announced during the celebration event. In the meantime, while schools are closed, CILIP is working with publishers to ensure that books are made available digitally where possible so children and young people with internet access can still participate in the Shadowing scheme from home.

Nick Poole, Chief Executive of CILIP, comments: “As we adjust to the current climate, we have made the difficult but necessary decision to no longer gather in the British Library for our annual winners ceremony. However, with equal enthusiasm, the winners of the Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals will be announced via the media and our social platforms. We have also decided to extend the Shadowing scheme to allow for the shortlisted books to be read by more children and young people, supporting the Awards’ mission ‘to inspire and empower the next generation to shape a better world through books and reading’.

“These are uncertain times, but we look forward to celebrating the wonderful books and this year’s shortlisted authors and illustrators during Libraries Week later this year, where CILIP will be encouraging libraries across the country to continue to showcase their reading offer and the contribution they make towards building a Nation of Readers.”