Meet the 2018 judges

Her current projects focus on migration, xenophobia and the creation of safe spaces through children’s picturebooks and other arts-based practices, in collaboration with government and NGOs in Scotland, Mexico and Egypt, through grants from the Arts and Humanities Research Council Global Challenges Research Fund (AHRC-GCRF), the European Social Fund, and the Scottish Funding Council.

 ‘The best children’s literature invites readers of all backgrounds to engage with imaginary lives and worlds, developing aesthetic awareness and a deeper understanding of their own and other’s humanity in the process. This engagement can lead them to question and reflect on some of the inequities of the real world and to consider more hopeful alternatives and ways of making a difference. The Amnesty CILIP Honour recognises and celebrates the authors and illustrators that extend this invitation to young readers.’

Manya is the daughter of Peter Benenson, who founded Amnesty International in 1961.

‘Books hold limitless possibilities and allow a unique exploration of what it means to be human. The power of the word to shine a light and bring hope is at the heart of Amnesty’s founding principal. That power can never be underestimated.’

She is extremely interested in young people’s reading and has drawn many of her ideas together in a recent book, Researching and Teaching Reading: Developing Pedagogy through Critical Enquiry (Routledge, 2016). She is currently co-editing, with Evelyn Arizpe, a new book called Young People Reading: Empirical Research across International Contexts, to be published by Routledge in 2018.

‘I think the Amnesty CILIP Honour is a very important award because it draws attention to human rights and social justice through the powerful medium of high quality literature. For many young people, reading fiction is an excellent way to engage deeply with ideas about how people live and perceive the world, affording multiple perspectives from which young people can reflect on life -  past, present and future. ‘

‘It's never too early to introduce children to the importance of human rights and the freedoms which have been fought for over the centuries. They have an innate sense of justice, so it's wonderful that Amnesty wants to include a special award for a children's book that raises awareness of the need to honour and value these rights, and to recognise that the fight never ends.’

Louise has a wealth of experience in education leadership and primary schools working as the Head teacher of two schools, a Senior Director at the Primary National Strategies, the National College of School Leadership and as the director of an Education Action Zone. In 2014 Louise was recognised by The Education Foundation as an Education Reformer of the Year. 

‘I am so proud to be involved in this award.  The Amnesty Honour Medal plays a crucial role in highlighting the power of reading to help us understand our most fundamental human rights. Recognising the role that children’s literature plays in forming opinions, developing empathy and shaping minds is more important now than ever before.’

He has spoken in hundreds of schools, colleges and youth organisations to thousands of children and young people in the UK and further afield tackling difficult issues like enforced disappearance, torture, the death penalty and refugees. Dan helped write much of Amnesty’s human rights education material and has co-created many other Amnesty publications and exhibitions. He makes banners for festivals, conferences and demonstrations in the UK and abroad. He has also written and illustrated many children’s stories and poetry books. 

One of his colleagues describes him as: ‘rebellious, cheeky and always ready to challenge the status quo. At 75, Dan still has fire in his belly.‘

‘Through literature I discovered that there was more to this world than the cycle of violence I was living in … Honesty is essential. Children are far more in tune with the times than most people allow room to acknowledge. Treat them with the intellectual respect that they deserve.

‘Writers have an incredible opportunity to capture the minds of young children. We are in a position to mould the next generation; to highlight injustice; and to model the values we want to see in society today. Every child should see someone like them in a book; every child should be able to find their home, their place of refuge in the pages of a story. The Amnesty CILIP Honour recognises those books which have helped to expose issues of justice, truth and freedom and to shape a more understanding, more compassionate world.’

‘Stories are central to Amnesty’s work and we have a long and proud history of promoting children’s literature to help shape a better world. Good books have a unique ability to inspire empathy, raise awareness, broaden horizons and empower young readers to stand up for themselves and others. We hope this Honour will make it easier to find books that help children find out about core values such as truth, freedom and justice’

Oranges in Times of Moon was published in 2006 and he was Amnesty International's inaugural poet-in-residence from 2011-2012 during its 50th anniversary year. Dialogues with the Clock is due to be published this spring. He is Associate Research Fellow at the Department of Politics, Birkbeck.

'I believe that photography and poetry have the power to raise awareness and to denounce human rights injustices. When I was in Puchuncaví concentration camp in 1974 a sack of letters written by Amnesty International members arrived at Christmas telling us we were not forgotten.'

‘Great children's books promote empathy which is what Amnesty is all about. This is a great prize and I'm honoured to be a judge.’

‘Stories and pictures have such a powerful role in enabling us to find out about ourselves, the world around us and what matters to us. They can offer a safe place and a means of escape. They can provide comfort and a sense of shared experience. And perhaps most importantly, they can connect and empower us. There is no greater gift than sharing a love of stories!’

‘When I was a child I struggled with the ability to express myself, literature and creative writing became my only outlet. And so I am honoured to be apart of an event that celebrates and encourages young people in this form of expression. Thank you Amnesty for this opportunity.’

Having been publicly open with his own struggles surrounding mental health, Jordan has also been very active in creating awareness around the stigma attached to it and helping young people to open up about how they feel. His mental health campaign #IAMWHOLE reached over 120 million people online and made enough of an impact to be mentioned in the Houses of Parliament. More recently, Jordan wrote an article in The Guardian about the negative effects that Toxic Masculinity has on men’s wellbeing. 

‘Children’s books are the start of everything.’