Four books from Welsh publisher nominated for prestigious illustration medal

Amelia Jones

Four children’s books published by a Welsh independent publisher have been nominated for the 2027 Carnegie Medal for Illustration.

Cardiff-based publisher Graffeg have announced that four titles from the publisher’s children’s list: Dylan’s Park, The Angry Book, Stay! and I Am an Illustrator have been nominated.

The Carnegie Medals are among the UK’s longest-running and best-known children’s book awards. Judged by children’s librarians, they celebrate outstanding reading experiences created through writing and illustration in books for children and young people.

Among the nominated titles is Dylan’s Park, written by Helen Docherty and illustrated by Thomas Docherty. The book tells the story of a childhood adventure through a local park, using words written by Welsh poet Dylan Thomas.

The text is drawn largely from Thomas’s radio broadcast Reminiscences of Childhood, alongside extracts from Return Journey and his poem Should Lanterns Shine. The authors have brought together his words to create a playful story inspired by his memories of Cwmdonkin Park in Swansea.

Also nominated is The Angry Book, by Howard Pearlstein and James Munro. The interactive picture book features an angry book as its main character, exploring ways of managing difficult emotions, including deep breathing, counting and movement.

Stay!, the debut book by Fran Harlow and Ellie McKenna, follows Deefer, a dog who is told to stay by his owner. As the hours pass and his owner fails to return, a mother and son discover him and decide to take him into their home.

The fourth title, I Am an Illustrator, is written and illustrated by Kertu Sillaste. Drawing on her own experiences, Sillaste introduces children to the creative challenges and rewards of working as an illustrator.

Graffeg publishing director Matthew Howard said:”Graffeg are delighted to have four books nominated for next year’s Carnegie Medal for Illustration.

“Given the depth of talent available in book publishing right now, for an independent publisher like Graffeg to receive multiple nominations is something we’re rather blown away by, to be honest!”

You can find out more about the awards here.