By Business & Finance 
Pictured: KPMG Ireland Managing Partner Seamus Hand, CEO of Children’s Books Ireland Elaina Ryan, and KPMG Ireland’s Head of Corporate Citizenship and Diversity Karina Howley.
The KPMG Children’s Books Ireland Awards 2020 will take place on Tuesday 19th May from 12.00pm – 12.30pm on YouTube Live.
Considered the highlight of the year for those involved in children’s literature in Ireland, The KPMG Children’s Books Ireland Awards, now in their 30th year, recognise excellence in writing and illustration, in Irish or English, and are open to authors and illustrators who are born in Ireland, are permanently resident here, or are citizens of Ireland.
Children who read are more likely to achieve their full potential in life. There’s also huge enjoyment to be gained from reading.
The prizes for the KPMG Children’s Books Ireland this year have been doubled on previous years and include a €6,000 prize for the Children’s Book of the Year and a €2,000 prize for all other categories.
“We’re delighted to partner with Children’s Books Ireland in supporting these awards and promoting the value of literacy,” said KPMG Managing Partner Seamus Hand. “Children who read are more likely to achieve their full potential in life. There’s also huge enjoyment to be gained from reading.”
Commenting on the awards and KPMG’s support, Elaina Ryan, CEO Children’s Books Ireland said, “As we celebrate the 30th year of these awards in 2020, we’re delighted to work with KPMG to get even more children and young people excited about reading, and to offer significant support to excellent Irish authors and illustrators by increasing the prize fund and raising the profile of the awards.”
Catrgories include: The Book of the Year Award, The Honour Award for Fiction, The Honour Award for Illustration, The Eilís Dillon Award (for a first children’s book), The Judges’ Special Award and The Children’s Choice Award, the winner of which is chosen by hundreds of Junior Juries composed of young readers all over the island of Ireland. There’s also a new award this year for ‘Reading Hero,’ which aims to encourage involvement from young readers across Ireland.
As we celebrate the 30th year of these awards in 2020, we’re delighted to work with KPMG to get even more children and young people excited about reading, and to offer significant support to excellent Irish authors and illustrators by increasing the prize fund and raising the profile of the awards.
A total of 99 books were submitted by publishers for contention. These were narrowed down to a shortlist announced in March 2020 in Belfast, in partnership with Young at Art and the Belfast Children’s Festival. See the full shortlist here.
KPMG has long been committed to education, which is Sustainable Development Goal 4, on a list of 17 global goals, making up the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
