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6th October 2008

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Reeve: ‘a proper writer at last’

26.06.08 Caroline Horn

Carnegie winner Philip Reeve has lent his support  to introducing age guidance to children’s books, describing the current author revolt over the move as “a storm in a teacup”.

“The market research evidence that the Publishers Association has gathered seems compelling. It seems a perfectly reasonable thing to do,” he said. “A lot of people are not that knowledgeable about books or children but if you want to buy a book for a child, some kind of guidance would be useful as a starting point.”

Reeve was speaking following the news that he had won the CILIP Car­negie Medal 2008 for Here Lies Arthur (Scholastic). He said winning the award was “fantastic, unexpected” news. “I would have been very happy to lose against several of the shortlisted writers—there were such strong titles on the shortlist.”

Taking sides in the age guidance debate—which has seen 2,204 signatures added to a petition at www.notoagebanding.org—Reeve said: “There are a lot of authors who, if they are not in favour, are not against age guidance, and that is probably the majority. It is a shame that the argument has been taken over by those opposed to it, but it’s a storm in a teacup. No one has heard of this outside the book world.”

He argued that a suggested age on Here Lies Arthur could help ensure it was correctly shelved in bookshops. “I never know where I will find Here Lies Arthur—in the children’s or teenage sections. At least this would give me some say over where it is stocked.”

His other award-winning title, Mortal Engines, is often placed in the teen section of bookshops, he said. “This means that children aged 11 or 12 who are a natural ­audience for the book won’t find it,” he added.

Reeve does not believe that older readers would be put off reading his books because of a younger age suggestion. “A ‘Lord of the Rings’ DVD will have a big ‘12’ in a blue box on the front of the packaging, but that doesn’t put off 16-year-olds from watching the film or reading the book.”

As a former bookseller, Reeve also believes there is room for a new children’s book award to replace the former Nestlé Children’s Book Prize, which ended in January. Reeve began his career in books working part time for Heffers, and also worked at an independent bookshop in Brighton.

“There are so many books published now that anything that will draw attention to the better ones must be good,” he said. “All the book awards offer different things; the Carnegie is considered a more literary prize, compared with the ‘Blue Peter’ or Red House book awards.”

He added: “It is very gratifying to win the Carnegie Medal because the Carnegie judges read the books carefully and critically. Being chosen by them means I feel like a proper writer at last.”

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