By Sophie Aires
Following in the footsteps of writers such as Joseph Coelho, Cressida Cowell and Lauren Child, Frank Cottrell-Boyce has been named Waterstones’ Thirteenth Children’s Laureate for 2024 to 2026. The role first began in 1999, then curated by children's author and Poet Laureate Ted Hughes and renowned children’s writer Michael Morpurgo. The role is now managed by BookTrust who work alongside the Laureate.
The aims of the Laureateship are to celebrate creativity and storytelling. It endeavours to inspire children to read diverse and rich literature and, most importantly for Cottrell-Boyce, to promote the importance of children's reading, championing the right of every child to enjoy a lifetime filled with books and showing society the benefits this can bring to young people.
The multi-award-winning children’s author is famed for beloved stories such as Millions (his debut and CILIP Carnegie Medal award-winning children’s novel) and Cosmic. He is also a screenwriter. His mission as Laureate is advocating for young people's right to read as he believes that “the life-changing benefits of children’s reading have not been taken seriously.” Cottrell-Boyce describes an uncertain future for today's youth, but says “[w]e know that reading – and especially being read to – helps build the machinery of happiness in a child.”
This campaign is called Reading Rights: Books Build a Brighter Future and it includes plans for a national summit including expert voices from relevant sectors. Cottrell-Boyce has pledged to dedicate his time as Laureate to bringing awareness to evidence which shows that reading can transform a child’s life chances, as well as shedding light on the poverty crisis children face today. In a statement, Cottrell-Boyce said “I write children’s books because I think they help build the apparatus of happiness inside us… I’m going to do everything in my power to get reading as a right for all into the national conversation. Because it's about time.”
The Government has previously been called into question about investments into early years reading. As described in a statement by the BookTrust, “[d]espite 95% of parents with children under seven knowing how crucial reading is, new statistics in research conducted for BookTrust show that one in five children aged 0–4 have a book read to them less than once a month.” Cottrell-Boyce has spoken on this issue, saying: “It’s just so bald. We’ve got to close that gap. There’s nothing disputable about it – and I think it’s really achievable. It’s not building a bridge to Ireland or a floating airport. It’s not some crazy, incredibly expensive dream.”