My Experience as First Time Judge
for the Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals
Judges: Lynne Hackett,
Anne Smallwood, Joy Court, Martha Lambert, Angela Noble,
Lauren Child, Yvonne Manning, Gill Jenkins, Tracey Richardson,
Kirsty Blyth, Eileen Armstrong and Sarah Wilkie
I had always wanted to be a member of the judging panel for the
Medals, but especially having, in recent years coordinated Carnegie/
Greenaway shadowing in secondary schools; when, perhaps for the
first time, I was able to acquire and assiduously read all the
books on both short lists in order to lead discussion groups and
hopefully stimulate some fierce debate! Sometimes I would agree
with the choice of winners and sometimes not. Either way I became
fascinated with the whole process and was delighted to be selected
as the representative for Youth Libraries Group Wales 2000/2001.
The first meeting of the judges was a training day to run through
both the criteria for the medals and the whole programme of events
and meetings we should expect over the coming months. We were
then treated to a wonderful talk by Jane Doonan, an expert on
book illustration for children and a big enthusiast of picture
books especially. I had not realised what a sophisticated medium
they really are and shall never look at them in quite the same
way again.
Back in my service area I was soon inundated with brown paper
packages, large and small, containing lots and lots of books.
Tottering towers appeared all over my house much to the consternation
of my daughter who thinks we have quite enough books as it is!
As the deadline for the first meeting approached, reading became
the priority of each day with work, eating and sleeping fitted
in at intervals. I was lucky enough to be able to take some leave,
and spent whole days ploughing through the long lists with the
growing feeling that each book I read was better than the one
before. How was I going to choose!
Fortunately the judging meetings are very structured and very
democratic so that one feels that each title has been discussed
fully and judged fairly. Any initial nervousness one may feel
at entering into a debate is soon dissipated by the desire to
defend ones favourites. I was surprised at the intensity of discussion
and the passion the judges all clearly felt for reaching the best
possible decisions with regard both to the short lists and the
final winners.
Once a decision had been reached it was agony to keep the results
secret. Not even my daughter, who loved the Greenaway Medal winner
I Will Not Ever, Never Eat a Tomato, was allowed to know before
the official announcement, despite copious pleading and giving
me her last Rolo. The award ceremony was a delight, though we
all had butterflies while we waited for the authors and illustrators
to arrive. I was looking after Adele Geras, who was warm and charming
and seemed to know everyone in the room. I lost track of her on
several occasions in the crowds of schoolchildren, journalists,
librarians, publishers, etc, and was compared to an anxious sheep
dog by the Chair of YLG!
Several glasses of champagne later, awaiting my train at Paddington
Station, I had time to reflect on the last few months and decided
that despite all the very hard work involved, and the sometimes
emotional strain of being a Carnegie/Greenaway Judge, I couldn’t
wait till next year.
Angela Noble CKG Judge, YLG Wales
Other Carnegie/Greenaway
articles
Acceptance Speech Beverley
Naidoo, winner or the Carnegie Medal 2000
Media Coverage Louise
Aldridge, Editor
CKG Co-ordinator's Report
Teresa Scragg
Revised Criteria for the
Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals
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