The Little Rebels Children's Book Award
Radical fiction award given by the Alliance of Radical Booksellers
Previous Shortlists & Winners
Submitting a Book (2021 Guidelines)
THE MUSLIMS is the 2018 Little Rebels Award Winner!
June 3, 2018 November 6, 2018
Zanib Mian collects her prize at the London Radical Bookfair
The Alliance of Radical Booksellers is delighted to announce that the winner of this year's Little Rebels Children's Book Award for Radical Fiction is Zanib Mian for her book, The Muslims (Sweet Apple Books 2017).
The winning title is a comic-style-illustrated chapter book which explores the life of Londoner, Omar, as he navigates a new school which comes complete with its resident bully. Keen to apply Islamic teachings to the challenges he faces and armed with a fiercely hyperactive imagination, Omar's journey is a hilarious take on life as a 9-year-old child with a proud Muslim identity in contemporary Britain.
Praising the winning title, judge Patrice Lawrence said, "This is a very funny and very effective challenge to the widespread misrepresentation of Muslims in the news. More children need to get to read this book". Judge Emily Drabble added, "If more children read The Muslims, the world could be a better place" and Darren Chetty said, "A fantastic book full of humour and eccentricity – The Muslims finds a way to explore racism and Islamophobia without allowing the characters to be defined by these things".
The winner of the Little Rebels Children's Book Award 2018 was announced on Saturday June 2nd by judge and author, Catherine Johnson, at the sixth London Radical Bookfair, held at Goldsmiths University.
More news and pictures from the day to come. Congratulations, Zanib!
Posted in: Little Rebels News
Little Rebels Award Winner to be announced at the London Radical Bookfair on 2nd June
Little Rebels Award Ceremony at the London Radical Bookfair
2 thoughts on "THE MUSLIMS is the 2018 Little Rebels Award Winner!"
Leila from Megaphone says:
Reblogged this on megaphone and commented:
I'm reblogging this and linking to a piece I wrote a couple of years back, to underline why I really loved The Muslims by Zainab Mian. It really is a desperately needed and important book: http://theasianwriter.co.uk/2015/10/a-new-scheme-hopes-to-promote-bme-voices-in-childrens-literature/ I would love to see bookshops stocking it widely – I had to order it into Birmingham Waterstones when it should be front and centre in the shop: there is such a big audience for this book in this city!
letterboxlibrary says:
Thanks so much Leila- and we'll share this blog on Twitter. It really is a very fine book. And witty and clever and just full on entertaining. Not to blow our (letterbox Library's) own trumpet but we are selling it widely and loudly for a fiver 😉
The Little Rebels Award recognises children's fiction (for readers aged 0-12) which promotes social justice or social equality, challenges stereotypes or is informed by anti-discriminatory concerns.