Lewisham Book Awards is Borough-wide award scheme designed to get Lewisham Year 7-8 secondary school pupils (11 and 12 year olds) buried into the latest and the best in young people’s fiction and is now in its 11th year. Starting December, students read books from the shortlist, over two terms, and select their favourites.
At the Book Quiz event, students from different schools come together in groups to pit their wits against each other in several rounds of book related trivia.
Students from across Lewisham’s Secondary Schools also meet in April/May and work in cross-school teams to pitch one of the shortlisted books to a panel of experts. They also get the opportunity to vote for the book that they enjoyed the most.
At the Book Quiz event, students from different schools come together in groups to pit their wits against each other in several rounds of book related trivia.
Students from across Lewisham’s Secondary Schools also meet in April/May and work in cross-school teams to pitch one of the shortlisted books to a panel of experts. They also get the opportunity to vote for the book that they enjoyed the most.
Lewisham Book Awards was set up in 2007 by Lewisham School Librarians and Lewisham Libraries to champion and promote great reads for young people in the secondary Schools of Lewisham. The school librarians had felt that the titles on the shortlist for the various National Book Prizes were unsuitable for their young people, in both content and reading level.
See a short film about the Lewisham Book Awards here.
See a short film about the Lewisham Book Awards here.
They decided to set up their own Book Prize, selecting titles that had been published in the last 12 months. The scheme has now been extended to a second shortlist, The Lewisham Reading Challenge, aimed at Year 9 pupils. The introduction of the Booktrust Teenage Prize, the Lewisham Book Prize and the Lewisham Reading Challenge has meant that young people are being introduced to new authors and titles.
Each December, the school librarians create a longlist in which is narrowed down to a short list by students. The books are bought and displayed in libraries as well as in school libraries.
At the Book Prize event, the students will then pitch these books to a panel who will pick one and award the winner. The panel normally consists of a local author, Lewisham Public librarians and prominent local people.
Each December, the school librarians create a longlist in which is narrowed down to a short list by students. The books are bought and displayed in libraries as well as in school libraries.
At the Book Prize event, the students will then pitch these books to a panel who will pick one and award the winner. The panel normally consists of a local author, Lewisham Public librarians and prominent local people.
On the day students work together in mixed school teams, with other students they have never met before, to produce a PowerPoint presentation and stand up and talk to an audience of 100 students and adults. They only learn which book they are responsible for at the beginning of the "Dragons Den" style event.
Their big challenge is to persuade the panel that the book they were presenting was the one the panel should buy and read.
The winning team receives £10 book prizes, medals and certificates. There are books and certificates for all participants.
Hear from one of the judges who participated in 2019.
Their big challenge is to persuade the panel that the book they were presenting was the one the panel should buy and read.
The winning team receives £10 book prizes, medals and certificates. There are books and certificates for all participants.
Hear from one of the judges who participated in 2019.
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