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The title Children's Laureate was conferred on the British author-illustrator Quentin Blake by HRH Princess Anne at a ceremony at the Royal National Theatre in London, on May 10, 1999. The Children's Laureate will be awarded once every two years to an eminent writer or illustrator of children's books to celebrate outstanding achievement. The nomination is accompanied by a check for 10,000 (approx. US$15,000). The appointment of a Children's Laureate acknowledges the importance of exceptional children's authors in creating the readers of tomorrow.
The Children's Laureate was originally the idea of novelist Michael Morpurgo (IBBY Honour List 1998). The late Poet Laureate Ted Hughes was the founding patron and close supporter of the award until his death in October 1998. He felt...