Beatrice hails our book prize winner for tale of friendship
PRINCESS BEATRICE said the Coronation weekend had reminded her of the importance of community as she announced the winner of this year’s Oscar’s Book Prize.
She also noted the importance of literacy to Queen Camilla as she handed a £10,000 cheque to the winner, writer and artist Jarvis, for his book The Boy with Flowers in his Hair.
The winning book topped a shortlist of six stories to win the prize, which celebrated its 10th anniversary this year and is supported by Amazon and the Evening Standard.
The princess said: “The judges have chosen a truly unique book that the judges all felt is an instant modern classic. Its values of friendship and acceptance exemplify the very best tropes in picture-book storytelling, all told with a gentle immersive world for its readers. It is also, in the Oscar’s Book Prize tradition, beautifully illustrated.”
She added: “We need to remember, in a world of screens and AI, it is moments of community, including between parents and children we need to keep alive.”
The award was set up by James Ashton and Viveka Alvestrand to celebrate magical stories and encourage parents to take time to share books with their young children. It is named in memory of their son Oscar, who was three-and-a-half when he died from an undiagnosed
heart condition in December 2012. Beatrice, a long-standing supporter of the award, said it “holds a very special place in my heart”. Jarvis said: “I could not be more delighted to have won this year’s Oscar’s Book Prize. I’ve always believed that picture books are a piece of art that everyone can own.
“This award celebrates the art and joy
in children’s books and I am so pleased my book, which focuses on poignant issues surrounding vulnerability and friendship, has been received so well.”
The award ceremony at The Ivy in central London was attended by some of this year’s judges including author and two-time winner of Oscar’s Book Prize Benji Davies, acclaimed children’s author Cressida Cowell, and Amazon’s UK Books Country Manager Lisa De Meyer. She said: “It is exciting to continue to support Oscar’s Book Prize as it reaches its tenth year. It’s important to be able to engage children with vibrant illustrations and moving stories and Jarvis has done this perfectly with this year’s winning book.”
• For more information about the prize and this year’s winning book, please visit www.oscarsbookprize. co.uk and to view the full 2023 shortlisted books on Amazon, please visit amazon.co.uk/oscarsbookprize.
CONGRATULATIONS to Jarvis, winner of the 2023 Oscar’s book prize, for his wonderful book, The Boy With Flowers in His Hair.
The prize, supported by the Evening Standard, encourages parents to share books with their children. It was set up by James Ashton and Viveka Alvestrand in memory of their son, Oscar, who died at the age of three in 2012.
For more information on the prize and the winning book, go to www.oscarsbookprize.co.uk.