City author in race for top prize
GLASGOW printmaker Meg McLaren said she is “thrilled” to be i n the running for a prestigious children’s book prize.
Meg’s book Life is Magic is shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2017, one of the top accolades for the genre.
Her debut, the picturebook is up for the Illustrated Books category in a shortlist announced today.
Meg said: “I’m absolutely thrilled to be shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize.
“I was a picture book fan long before I was a picture book maker so I’ve always been excited to see the choices that make the illustrated shortlist. I can’t really believe that this year I’m one of them.”
Born and raised in Glasgow, Meg studied at the Cambridge School of Art where she graduated from the MA in Children’s Book Illustration in 2013.
She has since returned to Scotland where she now works as a printmaker and illustrator in Inverness.
In the nominated Life is Magic she tells the enchanting tale of magician’s assistant Houdini the rabbit.
Angie Crawford, Waterstones Buying Manager for Scotland, said: “The skill in writing – and illustrating – a picture book lies in the ability to convey big ideas simply and effectively so that the book can be read and reread on different levels. Life is Magic does this wonderfully.
“It is a story of true friendship that lingers long after reading and the illustrations delight and bring talking points of their own.
“In Scotland, we are intensely proud to see this gorgeous book shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize.”
The Waterstones Children’s book prize exists to reward and champion new and emerging talent in children’s books.
Winners will be announced at an evening reception at Waterstones Piccadilly in London, Europe’s largest bookshop, on March 30.