CILIP, the UK’s library and information association, has announced the nominations for the 2027 Carnegies, launching the 90th anniversary celebrations of the UK’s longest-running and best-loved book awards for children and young people.
The Carnegies celebrate outstanding achievement in children’s writing and illustration respectively and are unique in being judged solely by librarians. 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, 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
125 nominations have been made for the 2027 Medals. 62 books are in contention for the Carnegie Medal for Writing, which is awarded to a book written in English for children and young people that sparks an outstanding reading experience, and 63 books for the Carnegie Medal for Illustration, which celebrates an outstanding reading experience through illustration. This includes four titles that have received nominations in both Medal categories.
The graphic novels and comic-format titles nominated for the 2027 Carnegie Medal for Illustration are When the Sky Falls, written by Phil Earle, adapting his World War Two adventure, with art by Fred Fordham, published by Andersen Press. The story centres on the incredible friendship between a young boy and a silverback gorilla during World War Two, inspired by a true story.
Also nominated is WAR, the work of the award-winning creators of ILLEGAL and GLOBAL, Eoin Colfer and Andrew Donkin, with art by Giovanni Rigano, published by Hodder Children’s Books, offering insight on the human impact of armed conflict (reviewed here). Set in an unnamed city in an unnamed country, WAR follows fourteen-year-old Kat, a graffiti artist whose world is shattered by invasion. But where buildings crumble, the human spirit endures.
Queens of the Crypt (Volume 1) is a supernatural, horror-comedy Young Adult graphic novel by Dom&Ink, published by Hot Key Books. When seventeen-year-old Barnaby Jones comes out to their parents as nonbinary over breakfast, they expect that to be the toughest part of their day. But that was before Barnaby discovers their best friend, Fi, has been kidnapped by a faceless killer who’s been abducting teens all across the small town of Widow’s Creek. And then Barnaby unwittingly summons the undead and fabulous Queens of the Crypt through a portal in their bedroom closet…
Everything Amplified, co-authored by Ziggy Hanaor and Sarah Lippett, with art by Sarah, published by Cicada Books, a Young Adult graphic novel about the complexities of teenage life, the tangles of twinship and the power of music to somehow make sense of it all.
Also nominated is Korobá: The Case of the Missing Kolo, by Àlàbá Ònájìn, published by Scallywag Press, a mystery adventure set in a vibrant African community. Ten-year-old Korobá knows everyone in Makoko, the Nigerian fishing village where she lives. Between doing chores for her mother, she roams free with her best friends, Saidat and Joba, and her adorable dog, Popi. The last thing Korobá would expect in Makoko is a thief. Yet Saidat’s wooden piggy bank has been stolen!
Monsters, by Stéphane Servant, with art by Nicolas Zouliamis, translated by Sarah Ardizzone, published by Pushkin Children’s Books, straddles the line between graphic novel and illustrated book, in which a circus is coming to the village at the end of the world. There will be knife-jugglers and fire eaters, death-defying acrobats and wonders too strange to name… but of all the fantastical acts, the most shocking and terrifying of all is the Monster of Dreams….
The 90th anniversary celebrations will culminate in a special awards ceremony on Tuesday 22nd June 2027, hosted by acclaimed author and current Waterstones Children’s Laureate Patrice Lawrence MBE, her appointment announced in July.
An award-winning writer and Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, Patrice has previously been both shortlisted and longlisted for the Carnegie Medal for Writing. The 2027 ceremony will be held live and streamed at the Cambridge Theatre, home of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s multi award-winning Matilda The Musical.
The Carnegies are organised by CILIP and are uniquely judged by librarians. CILIP accepted nominations for the 2027 Carnegies from its members, as well as nine external bodies. CILIP invited nominations that met the criteria for the Medals and reflected the spirit of the Awards mission: To champion librarians to inspire and empower the next generation to create a better world through books and reading.
Check out the full lists of nominated titles:
• Carnegie Medal for Writing Nominated Titles 2027
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).
• Carnegie Medal for Illustration Nominated Titles 2027
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
What happens next?
Each nominated book is read by all 13 members of the 2027 judging panel, librarians from CILIP’s Youth Libraries Group (YLG) who volunteer their time and expertise. From these nominations, the judges will determine the longlists, shortlists, and ultimately the 2027 Medal winners, based on the official criteria for Writing and Illustration.
As the Carnegies celebrate 90 years of championing exceptional children’s books, the 2027 awards will spotlight world-class writing and illustration for children and young people across ages and interests, from both new and established talent.
Get involved
Children and young people will once again take on the role of judges through the Carnegie Shadowing Scheme – a reading-for-pleasure initiative that brings the Carnegie books to life in schools and libraries across the UK and overseas. Shadowing groups read, review and creatively engage with the titles before voting for their favourites, with winners announced at the ceremony in June 2027.
Following its introduction in 2026, longlist shadowing will continue alongside the established shortlist shadowing programme, offering age guidance, tailored resources and flexible ways for schools and libraries to take part with readers of different ages and interests.
Shadowing registration for 2027 is now open. Group leaders can sign up to receive a free publicity pack when the shortlists are announced in March.
Scholastic pre-orders have opened, offering discounts on longlist and shortlist book packs for schools and libraries. Packs can be pre-ordered via the Scholastic website. Packs will be shipped to arrive on the day of longlist announcement and next day for shortlist announcement.
While waiting for shadowing to begin, groups can register with Sora, CILIP’s digital reading partner, to access the 2026 shortlisted books for free, and enjoy free access to the 2027 shortlists once announced.
As the Carnegies mark their 90th anniversary, the 2027 awards will celebrate nine decades of outstanding children’s literature, the expertise of librarians, and the transformative power of reading. It starts with a spark.
Key Dates for the Carnegies 2027
Tuesday 23 February 2027: Longlists announced
Wednesday 17 March 2027: Shortlists announced
Tuesday 22 June 2027: CarnegieMedal Winners announced
• For further information on the Carnegies 2027 please visit: carnegies.co.uk
The Carnegies are sponsored by the Authors’ Licensing & Collecting Society (ALCS), Sora, and Scholastic. If you are interested in partnering with CILIP on the 2027 Carnegies, please email carnegies.coordinator@cilip.org.uk.
- About the Author
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John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.
He’s the writer of comics such as Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”, with Dave Hailwood.
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