Previous awards

Abiola Bello is an award-winning, children's and YA author from London. She wrote her first novel at the age of eight and began writing the Emily Knight saga at the age of 12. Abiola's books have been Carnegie nominated. She was also a finalist for The People’s Book Prize in 2019 (children’s category), winner of London’s BIG READ 2019 and has been featured in Cosmopolitan, The i Paper and The Bookseller. Abiola was the first Black person to win The London Book Fair’s Trailblazer Awards in 2018. She is the co-founder of Hashtag Press — imprint Hashtag BLAK, The Author School (shortlisted for The Great British Entrepreneur Awards 2016) and The Diverse Book Awards. Abiola also runs The little BIG Book Competition for young writers.

Rachael Davis is a mixed-raced children’s author and book reviewer. Her debut picture book, I am NOT a Prince (Hachette), is illustrated by Beatrix Hatcher. She is currently working on an illustrated non-fiction title with Flying Eye Books. Rachael also writes reading-scheme books; recent titles include How to Fight Fear and Feel Strong with Yoga (HarperCollins) and The Undercover Mathematician (HarperCollins). Rachael began reviewing via her blog, Picture Book Perfect, in 2018. She particularly likes to showcase books with diverse main characters and regularly participates in blog tours for major publishers. She lives in Hampshire with her husband and two daughters.

Ebony Lyon is the founder of Formy Books, an independent publishing company established in 2020. Prior to this, she worked in the commercial side of trade publishing for over 15 years. Ebony is focused on increasing positive Black representation in children’s literature and amplifying Black creative talent. She is passionate about improving inclusivity within the publishing industry so that it better reflects the UK population; she believes publishing roles and opportunities should be accessible to all, specifically those who are socially underrepresented.

Sara Jafari works as an editor at Penguin Random House Children’s. She works across young fiction all the way to young adult non-fiction, and with authors such as Priscilla Mante, Charlie Brinkhurst-Cuff, Savannah Brown and Megan Rix. In her spare time, Sara also writes and runs her own literary and arts print magazine, TOKEN, which features artwork and stories from under-represented writers and artists.

Joe Marriott is Editorial Director for picture books at Puffin, Penguin Random House Children’s. He works with a team of designers and editors making picture books, board books and novelties for babies and children aged 2–6, both stories and illustrated non-fiction. He is always on the lookout for texts and ideas (and illustrations) that are funny, clever, surprising and heart-warming.

Alice Sutherland-Hawes has been an agent for six years, most recently at the Madeleine Milburn Agency and before that with Hilary Delamere at The Agency (London) Ltd. She works with bestselling and award-winning creators including Radiya Hafiza, Kereen Getten and Poonam Mistry, to name a few, and is excited to be involved in the Jericho Prize!