The finalists for the Yoto Carnegie Medals, the UK’s oldest book awards for children and young people, were announced on March 17.

Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing finalists of genre interest are Medusa: The Girl Behind the Myth by Jessie Burton, illustrated by Olivia Lomenech, The Eternal Return of Clara Hart by Louise Finch, and The Blue Book of Nebo by Manon Steffan Ros.

There is one finalist of genre interest of the Yoto Carnegie Medal for Illustration: The Worlds We Leave Behind illustrated by Levi Pinfold, written by A. F. Harrold.

The complete list of finalists follows.

The 2023 Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing shortlist:

• The Light in Everything by Katya Balen (Bloomsbury Children’s Books)
• When Shadows Fall by Sita Brahmachari, illustrated by Natalie Sirett (Little Tiger)
• Medusa by Jessie Burton, illustrated by Olivia Lomenech Gill (Bloomsbury Children’s Books)
• The Eternal Return of Clara Hart by Louise Finch (Little Island)
• Needle by Patrice Lawrence (Barrington Stoke)
• I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys (Hodder Children’s Books)
• The Blue Book of Nebo by Manon Steffan Ros (Firefly Press) 

The 2023 Yoto Carnegie Medal for Illustration shortlist:

• Rescuing Titanic illustrated and written by Flora Delargy (Wide Eyed Editions)
• Alte Zachen: Old Things illustrated by Benjamin Phillips, written by Ziggy Hanaor (Cicada Books)
• The Worlds We Leave Behind illustrated by Levi Pinfold, written by A. F. Harrold (Bloomsbury Children’s Books)
• The Visible Sounds illustrated by Yu Rong, written by Yin Jianling (UCLan Publishing)
• The Comet illustrated and written by Joe Todd-Stanton (Flying Eye Books)
• Saving Sorya: Chang and the Sun Bear illustrated by Jeet Zdung, written by Trang Nguyen (Kingfisher)

The winners will be announced and celebrated on June 21. The winners will each receive £500 worth of books to donate to a library of their choice, a specially commissioned and newly designed golden medal and a £5,000 Colin Mears Award cash prize. The Shadowers’ Choice Medals, voted for and awarded by children and young people shadowing the shortlist, will also be presented at the ceremony. Following the brand refresh of the awards this year, the Shadowers’ Choice winners will also receive a golden medal for the first time.

[Based on a press release.]