Exciting innovation appears across both shortlists, with the Medal for Writing fea- turing subversive storytelling, reimagined folklore, and inventive verse and chro- nology, whilst the Medal for Illustration showcases a range of artistic styles from typography to kirigami, the Japanese art of paper cutting and folding.
Two graphic novels feature on the Medal for Illustration shortlist including an ad- aptation of Lord of the Flies illustrated by Aimée de Jongh, a classic text also recently adapted for the BBC by acclaimed screen- writer Jack Thorne.
Kengo Kurimoto and Oboh Moses are shortlisted in the Medal for Illustration for their debut books, alongside five illustra- tors who are brand new to the Carnegies. Only Kate Rolfe returns for a consecutive time after being shortlisted in 2025. Patrick Ness is shortlisted for a fifth time, fourteen years after A Monster Calls won in 2012, with the chance of an unprece- dented third win in the category. Three more previous Writing Medal winners are also shortlisted, including Jason Reynolds who won in 2021, Katya Balen who won both the Medal for Writing and Shadowers Choice in 2022, and Tia Fisher, winner of the Shadowers’ Choice 2024. Writers and illustrators from around the UK including Birmingham, Dumfries, London, Norwich, and Suffolk have been shortlisted for both awards. Walker leads the field for publisher nomi- nations with three titles shortlisted across both Medals, closely followed by Andersen Press, Faber & Faber, and Lantana who each have two titles shortlisted.
Carnegies Shortlists
The 2026 Carnegie Medal for Writing shortlist:
l Ghostlines by Katya Balen (Blooms- bury Children’s Books) – The connection between a small community and nature is also particularly strong in Ghostlines, written by 2022 Medal for Writing and Shadowers’ Choice winner, Katya Balen. Set on a small island home to thousands of puffins and very few people, this is a ‘compelling’ story about what home means to different people.
l Not Going to Plan by Tia Fisher (Hot Key Books) – previous winner, Tia Fisher, has been shortlisted for her verse novel, Not Going to Plan. A powerful story about sexual consent and unplanned pregnancy, the judges praised the way Fisher con- structed the poems and played with lan- guage to evoke emotion and highlight the characters’ relationships.
l Popcorn by Rob Harrell (Piccadilly Press) – Rob Harrell explores mental health in his illustrated young fiction novel, Popcorn. Told through the eyes of
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an anxious young boy on school photo day, Harrell offers a ‘window into what some- one with anxiety lives with’ written with empathy, hope and humour.
l The Boy I Love by William Hussey (Andersen Press) – William Hussey sets his shortlisted title, The Boy I Love, in the First World War trenches with a love story of two young men on the frontline. Platoon leader Stephen is broken-hearted from the loss of his first love, when he meets Private Danny McCormick, a smart, talented young recruit. From their first meeting, there’s something undeniable between them – something forbidden by both society and the army.
l Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody by Patrick Ness, illustrated by Tim Miller (Walker) – Patrick Ness is in the running for an unprecedented third win for the Medal for Writing, 14 years after winning with A Monster Calls in 2012. His short- listed title, Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody, is a ‘laugh out loud funny’ illustrated tale that is ‘completely absurd but so clever’ in the way it ‘subverts’ norms and narrative voice, and tells a unique story of anxiety, depression and friendship whilst ‘advocat- ing uniqueness and individuality’.
l Wolf Siren by Beth O’Brien (Harper- Collins Children’s Books) – debut author Beth O’Brien, was inspired by Red Riding Hood to write her feminist reimagining, Wolf Siren. In this ‘rich and layered’ story, O’Brien uses ‘beautiful and lyrical’ language to transport readers to a small village and magical woodland filled with wolves and secrets.
l Twenty-Four Seconds from Now by Jason Reynolds (Faber & Faber) – Former medal winner Jason Reynolds is shortlisted for Twenty-Four Seconds from Now, a story ‘full of heart’ about the moments leading up to a young man’s loss of virginity. Told backwards in time from the tender moment, judges praised the ‘fresh’ framing device and ‘skill’ used to write a gentle moment so powerfully.
l Birdie by J. P. Rose (Andersen Press) – A 1950s Yorkshire mining town is the setting of J. P. Rose’s shortlisted novel, Birdie. Featuring a determined pit pony and an even more headstrong young girl, this ‘affecting and emotional’ story spotlights Birdie’s struggle with racism and belonging as she moves to a new home.
The 2026 Carnegie Medal for Illustration shortlist
l The Playdate illustrated by Clara Dackenberg, written by Uje Brandelius, translated by Nichola Smalley (Lanta- na) – Home is explored in The Playdate, illustrated by Clara Duckenberg. On the surface, this is a story about a young girl excited to visit her friend for a playdate,
April-May 2026
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