The winner of the most prestigious prize in children’s literature has urged readers to “stand up” for libraries.
Sarah Crossan, who won the Carnegie Medal for One, her novel about a pair of conjoined twins, said library closures “infuriated” her. She said she had been impressed to be granted a library card after moving back to the UK from the US three years ago despite having no evidence she was legally here.
Crossan, pictured, said: “What does this say about our society? It says even those who are invisible in the system are welcome to learning, information and the arts — that they are entitled to social mobility and they matter.
"When we close libraries we are saying that those people that use them and need them don’t matter. And it’s up to us to stand up and say, ‘no’.”
Her win was announced today at the British Library with that of Children’s Laureate Chris Riddell, who picked up the Kate Greenaway award for illustrating Neil Gaiman’s The Sleeper And The Spindle.
The winners each received £500 worth of books to donate to their local library and a £5,000 cash prize.
