Malorie Blackman and Elizabeth Laird confirmed as judges

Two leading British authors were today confirmed as judges for Amnesty International’s prestigious Young Human Rights Reporter of the Year award.

Malorie Blackman and Elizabeth Laird will join newspaper columnist Johann Hari, Peter Henshaw, the editor of SecEd, and Amnesty representatives on the judging panel for the Upper Secondary and Sixth Form categories.

The competition, run in association with the education weekly magazine SecEd, closes on Monday. To find out how to enter go to www.amnesty.org.uk/youngreporter.

Kate Allen, Amnesty International UK director, said: “We are delighted that two well-renowned authors have decided to be judges. It is the latest development in our long-term work connecting literature and human rights.

“Literature and journalism have always played a fundamental role in raising the awareness of human rights abuses across the globe – and we hope that these awards will help inspire the next generation to take up the mantle.

“And it is of course still not too late to enter.”

Malorie Blackman, a Clapham-born writer, has won numerous awards for her books and is perhaps most famous for Noughts and Crosses and Thief!

Elizabeth Laird has been shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal three times for her books The Garbage King, Jake’s Tower and Red Sky in the Morning.

Shortlisted entrants to the competition will be notified in mid-March and the top three will be invited to the awards ceremony on Thursday 19 May at Amnesty International UK’s London headquarters.

The Upper Secondary category is open to Year 10-11 in England and Wales, Year 11-12 in Northern Ireland and S3-S4 in Scotland

The Sixth Form category is open to Year 12-13 in England and Wales, Year 13-14 in Northern Ireland, and S5-S6 in Scotland.

Entries can be up to 500 words in length.

Amnesty is also running a separate award for Upper Primary and Lower Secondary pupils in association with Learn News Desk, the education arm of the Guardian Media Group.