Student helps judge children’s book award

Pictured in the Resources Library at the Welsh Books Council headquarters in Aberystwyth are (l-r) Joanna Jeffrey, lecturer in Education at Aberystwyth University; Sarah Gwenlan, education librarian at Aberystwyth University; student Samantha Attfield, and Helen Jones, Head of Children’s Book and Reading Promotion at the Welsh Books Council.

Pictured in the Resources Library at the Welsh Books Council headquarters in Aberystwyth are (l-r) Joanna Jeffrey, lecturer in Education at Aberystwyth University; Sarah Gwenlan, education librarian at Aberystwyth University; student Samantha Attfield, and Helen Jones, Head of Children’s Book and Reading Promotion at the Welsh Books Council.

30 November 2017

For the fourth year running, an Aberystwyth University student has been selected to join the judging panel for a prestigious book award.

Childhood Studies undergraudate Samantha Attfield will join the panel of adjudicators for the 2018 English Tir na n-Og Award, organised annually by the Welsh Books Council.

Samantha Attfield, who hails from Leicestershire, said: "It is a real honour to be selected to be a part of the judging panel for the Tir na n-Og Awards. I am delighted to be involved in such a fascinating process, and cannot wait to start reading all the amazing books that are being considered."

The Welsh Books Council has been running a competition since 2014 giving second-year undergraduates studying the Literacy in Young Children module at Aberystwyth University’s Department of Education an opportunity to join the panel.

As part of the competition, students were asked to write a book review along with a statement outlining why they would make a suitable judge.

The competition was organised by the Head of Children’s Books and Reading Promotion at the Welsh Books Council Helen Jones, with the University’s Education Librarian Sarah Gwenlan acting as an independent adjudicator.

Speaking after Samantha Attfield was chosen as the University’s representative on the judging panel for the English Tir na n-Og Award, Helen Jones said: “It’s great that we can offer valuable opportunities like this to University students. I hope we can work together on other projects in the near future in order to promote reading for pleasure among children and young people.”

Joanna Jeffery, a lecturer in the Department of Education at Aberystwyth University, said: “This is a great opportunity for our students to work with a national organisation on such a prestigious award. I am also very envious – the selection of books is amazing.”

The judging panel meets at the beginning of 2018 and winners will be announced at a special presentation ceremony in Aberystwyth in June.