A group of Year 7 and 8 students travelled to Leeds Central Library and Leeds City Museum for the awards ceremony for this year’s Leeds Book Awards. Throughout the year, students from across the city have read the shortlists for Middle Grade Fiction, Middle Grade Graphic Novel, Teen Fiction and Teen Graphic Novel and each student voted for their favourite shortlisted titles in each category.
On the day, students had the chance to speak to the shortlisted authors and illustrators during the teen panel event in Leeds Central Library, before walking over to the Leeds City Museum for the award ceremony. The ceremony was led by students from different participating schools and hosted by acclaimed poet, performer, and theatre-maker Ruth Awolola, who shared a selection of her poetry with the audience.
After the ceremony, students were able to spend time talking to the authors and illustrators during an informal book signing event. Finally, we had some free time to explore the museum exhibits. The students represented Cardinal Heenan incredibly well, asking insightful questions and learning more about the life of an author or illustrator. It was fantastic to spend the day celebrating reading and books with students from across Leeds, especially during the National Year of Reading. Thank you to everyone at the School Library Service and Leeds Libraries for planning such a fantastic event.
