By Admin 
Now a new and encouraging announcement has been made regarding the Booker Prize, which is counted among the most prestigious literary awards in the world. The Booker Prize Foundation said on 24 October that from now on this award will not be limited to adult writers only. In fact, a new award is being started for children also. Its name will be ‘Children’s Booker Prize’. This decision is not only a big step in the world of literature, but is also a great opportunity for those children who want to enter the world of stories at a young age.
According to the Booker Prize Foundation, this new award will be for children aged 8 to 12 years. Children from any country can participate in this award. Provided that his book is published in English language or translated into English. However, the traditional terms of the Booker Award will apply to this new edition as well. That means the book should have been published in UK or Ireland. The Foundation says that the aim of this initiative is to increase interest in good books among children and to honor their literary talent.
Prize of 50,000 pounds, children will also be in the jury
Under this award, the winner will be given an amount of 50,000 pounds (about 67,000 US dollars or about 55 lakh rupees). The special thing is that the jury of this award will include both children and adults. That means, the only ones who can understand and evaluate the world of children will be the children themselves. The jury will be led by Britain’s famous author and current Children’s Laureate Frank Cottrell Boyce. At the announcement, Boyce said, “Now the real bomb is about to happen. Let’s start screaming!” Boyce himself is a British screenwriter, novelist and actor, who is famous for his stories written for children.
The process will start from next year, the first award will be given in 2027
The Foundation said that the Children’s Booker Prize will open for entries in early 2026. The process of review and selection of books will last for about a year, after which the first award will be given in 2027. This step will not only be inspiring for children but will also open new opportunities for publishers and writers to create better literature for this age group.
Booker tradition from 1969 to present
The Booker Prize was established in 1969. This award is considered the most prestigious literary honor in the world today. The Booker Prize is awarded to authors who have written exceptional fiction in English or translated English. So far, luminaries like Salman Rushdie, Margaret Atwood, Ian McEwan, Arundhati Roy and Hilary Mantel have won this honour. The Booker Award has a deep connection with India too and now its expansion to the creative world of children can prove to be a big opportunity for Indian readers and young writers too.
Indian writer received Booker Award this year
It is difficult to talk about the Booker Prize and not mention India. This year, Indian writer, lawyer and activist Banu Mushtaq has won the International Booker Prize for her book ‘Heart Lamp’. ‘Heart Lamp’ is the first book written in Kannada language to win the Booker Prize. It has been translated into English by Deepa Bhashthi and she has become the first Indian translator to receive this honour.
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