"A stand-out school is one with: book-loving messages on classroom doors or posters; where the head teacher is talking about the value of reading for pleasure; where a variety of adults are reflecting the librarian's enthusiasm; and where kids themselves are freely discussing books and using the library, happily, voluntarily and unselfconsciously."
Nicola Morgan
The CWIG Reading for Pleasure Award was founded to allow individual authors to give thanks and appreciation to schools and librarians that have made impressive efforts to promote reading for pleasure. Your vital work helps improve reading, writing and research skills as well as vocabulary and the ability to access reference materials.
If you have received an award, read on to find out how best to promote your achievement and download the flyer to find out more.
FAQs for schools
Photo: Ashbridge Independent School and Nursery, nominated by author Rhona Whiteford (©)
Who is the scheme open to?
Awards can be given to any nursery, primary, secondary or special school throughout the world. Schools can receive more than one award from different authors.
How are submissions made?
Authors have to belong to the Society of Authors and must have visited the school over the 2022/23 school year (September to July) – either virtually or in person.
Members can present awards in whatever combination they like e.g. one primary, two secondaries on a rolling basis. You may receive an award immediately after the author's visit or find that the author has waited until the end of a term or the school year. This year's deadline is 13 August 2023.
If you are a Welsh school you will receive Welsh and English certificates.
Do I need to do anything?
Yes! We’d really like to help you celebrate the award and promote your school and your achievement, so we encourage you to do some of the following:
- Display the certificate, letter and publicity materials with staff and pupils and send us a picture! Download a logo for 2021/22 or 2020/21 here and use it on all your publicity materials – newsletters, official letters and press releases (If you need a format other than PNG, let us know)
- Email a short quote of what the award means to you and, if relevant, send us a picture of your school library or any displays related to reading for pleasure. Remember to include a credit – see below for more.
- Contact your local press. This is an opportunity to make more of your recent author visit and to promote yourselves, your school and the love of reading for pleasure to the wider community. The author who has commended you will be very happy to have their citation quoted. Download a sample press release here (and don't forget to adapt it to fit your school).
- Tweet! Please use #CWIGAward #readingforpleasure and mention @Soc_of_Authors and the author in any tweets. If the award is given around an annual event or local literary festival you may like to mention that, e.g. National Libraries Week, World Book Day etc. Other hashtags include #reading4pleasure, #reading, #lovetoread and #lovereading. Here are some sample tweets:
Calling all parents and pupils! We've won a @Soc_of_Authors #CWIGAward from @authorname for our work on #readingforpleasure
Whoop! Whoop! We've won a @Soc_of_Authors #CWIGAward from @authorname for our work inspiring #readingforpleasure
Images
We would love you to send us images to use for the project, but any images you send us must be high resolution and fully rights cleared – that means:
- You must warrant that permission has been given by the subject(s), or their parent/guardian.
- You must attach permission from the copyright owner to use the pictures on the understanding that you are granting non-exclusive rights for the SoA to use them on a non-commercial basis. This might include (but is not limited to), the right to use them in our printed and online publicity, social media, press releases and funding applications.
Please let us have the photographer’s name so that we can give an appropriate credit whenever the photo is used.
For any further questions, please email cwig@societyofauthors.org.
Photo above right © Helena Pielichaty
Resources for schools