The Children’s Laureate

When I was appointed Children’s Laureate in June last year I felt a great sense of honor, but not the kind of honor which is just for basking in. I knew I was in for a busy two years. A large part of my life now consists of dealing with demands and requests. The Laureate is often the first person approached by the media to comment on any story which is relevant to the children’s book world. I try to oblige whenever possible, reasoning that if the Laureate post didn’t exist perhaps no one would be asked to comment and the already small amount of media attention given to children’s books and reading would shrink.

Then there are the pleas to support charities, write articles, talk to teachers, judge writing competitions, and so on. Of course it’s impossible to do everything, so the answer often has to be a polite No. But even if I say Yes to a small percent, the diary fills up very quickly. It would be all too easy to spend the whole time responding and to leave no time for initiating, which is really the most important part of the job. Every Laureate is expected to launch at least one major project. When I meet groups of children I usually tell them that my job is “to help every child in the country enjoy books and reading.” I imagine my six predecessors would agree with this aim, but we have all gone about the task in different ways.

I have to confess that I had considered the possibility that I might one day be in this position, mainly because my husband was so keen on the idea and had spent years beating down any resistance I may have had! I had watched and admired what the previous laureates—three novelists, two illustrators and a poet—had done, and was keen that there should be a sense of continuity and that I would seek opportunities to draw public attention to their achievements, for instance, to Michael Rosen’s “Poetry Friendly Classroom” website and to Anne Fine’s “My Home Library” where children can download book plates designed by illustrators to stick in their second-hand books.

I knew that for me drama and music were going to be important, as my background is one of song-writing, play-writing and performing. And I was determined to champion libraries, which I regard as the greatest reading resource we have. Where else can children access such a range of books for free and participate in events such as toddler Rhyme Time sessions, or the Summer Reading Challenge? Also, I had a special interest in stories for and about deaf children. So I have been trying to keep some of the requests and demands at bay in order to find time for these special interests.

Libraries seemed to be the top priority, with all the cuts and closures being carried out or threatened. I felt that one of the best ways I could support them was by visiting as many as possible. Yes, I have also been writing articles and a poem, as well as lobbying MPs (Ed Vaizey and Ed Miliband), but above all I wanted to celebrate libraries and all the exciting things that go on in them, rather than just constantly moaning. So I decided I would embark on a Shetland to Cornwall library tour, and this is now being planned for the autumn. A tour of Northern Ireland is to follow next spring.

I’ve been doing quite a few “trial runs” for these tours, visiting libraries in Scotland, England and Wales, and I have devised a blueprint for the sessions, as follows: a class of seven-year-olds is invited well in advance so that they have time to prepare something to perform to me before I share my books with them. I felt that this format would be a good way of combining my library and drama themes, but I had underestimated how enchanted I would be. In Islington I have...