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Petition to reinstate Kate Greenaway's name on award gathers pace
A petition to reinstate Kate Greenaway's name in the literary award which bore her name for decades is gathering pace. Created by BGU Librarian and History Lecturer Rose Roberto and illustrator and bookseller Tamsin Rosewell, it has received backing from a range of illustrators and writers including Patrick Ness, Candy Gourlay, Philip Pullman, and Frank Cottrell-Boyce. According to the organisers: "The Kate Greenaway Medal is the oldest British literary award focused on illustration. It remains one of very few that highlights the contribution of illustrators and actively promotes the importance of their work. Kate Greenaway’s own work is a hugely important part of the heritage of the British Book Industry; she remains an influence on illustrators today and should also be recognised as one of Britain’s great female artists. In an age when illustrators' names are still very often left off promotion and reviews for books, we feel it is vital to retain her name in association with this award." In 2023, the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) which runs the awards renamed The Greenaway Medal as The Yoto Carnegie Medal for Illustration. The organisers describe this as "branding expediency" and argue that "The name of an accomplished woman, whose work is directly relevant to the award, has been removed and replaced with that of a male industrialist and a sponsoring corporation. This feels hugely insensitive, and ironically inappropriate when it awards a profession that still battles to be recognised." The petition calls on CILIP to reinstate Kate Greenaway’s name on the award before the 2024 nominations are made. The petition has now garnered more than 2700 signatures. Click here to add your signature to this cause. Below, Rose Roberto shares more about the petition... 'The Kate Greenaway Medal rebrand is misguided, and thousands are calling for her name to be restored. After signing our petition, award-winning author Patrick Ness, tweeted: "I know the librarians who run the medals do their absolute damnedest to make them the best awards in the world (which they are), but I too would love to see the Kate Greenaway name return. It’s such a specific honour on its own and honours a foundational female illustrator." A Monster Calls, written by Ness, was illustrated by Jim Kay. Jim Kay won the 2011 Kate Greenaway medal for illustrating A Monster Calls. Named awards have meaning. Individuals who have awards named after them should embody the values of the organisation they represent and/or the spirit for which an award was given. Many illustrators not only relate to Kate Greenaway's work and feel inspired by it — she, as a person, represents real struggles with whom illustrators today can relate. As a woman living a century ago, she lacked many opportunities, especially educational ones, that men were given more readily. This petition reflects the fact that writers and illustrators of all genders want this award to be named after a woman. It also shows that they want it to be named after a fellow illustrator. The Kate Greenaway Medal has always been a privilege for librarians to give to illustrators, recognising their talent and their specific work in a particular year. CILIP’s argument that librarians now somehow need to make literature awards about libraries is self-aggrandising and utterly bizarre. Greenaway’s name has been a constant and consistent example for many aspiring illustrators and writers in the English speaking world. Canadian Duncan Weller writes: "I have heard of the Kate Greenaway Medal, probably as early as my teenage years when I first thought of becoming a writer and illustrator of children’s picture[s]. It is a great mistake to change this name. Female illustrators need more recognition and especially those as qualified as Kate Greenaway." Oxford-based Helen Cooper posts: "I write and illustrate. They are entirely different. And for some reason one is often seen as more important than the other. I wonder if giving both the awards the same name was a misguided attempt to adjust that? I think it will have the opposite effect so am signing the petition. The Kate Greenaway award is so important for illustrators as a standalone award. We don’t want it to be the lesser of the Carnegie’s — which it almost certainly will become." London-based Phil Bradley wrote: "This is an absolute disgrace and very disappointing the CILIP has made this decision. It is wholly inappropriate and completely out of step with how members and wider society feel." It is troubling is that the CILIP’s rebranding campaign was launched in September 2022, with little fanfare, and little consultation. There were many surprised librarians who contacted both Rosewell and I personally complaining of a lack of transparency in this decision. Had any sort of proper research been conducted before the name change (ironically, the kind of research that librarians excel at), launching a campaign to remove the Greenaway name would not have occurred. This year, I ran a CILIP Shadowing Awards scheme at the Bishop Grosseteste University Library (BGU). BGU houses one of the largest children’s literature collections in a UK university and has been collecting two copies of Greenaway and Carnegie Medal winning books since the 1950s. During the shadowing scheme process, I first became aware that Kate Greenaway’s name had been removed from the medal. When I sent CILIP an email querying this decision, requesting that the decision be reversed back to the 2022 award name which was "Yoto Kate Greenaway", I heard nothing back from CILIP for weeks. While waiting for a response, Rosewell and I decided to launch our petition. We were honoured that the first signatory was Jackie Morris, who won the Kate Greenaway Medal in 2019. James Mayhew eloquently explains why we undertook this campaign and why so many have signed the petition. "Kate Greenaway was a pioneering woman," he said. "It is right and proper that she is remembered, celebrated, and has her name attached to this important prize. Losing this link with an actual illustrator greatly lessens the significance of such an award." If you sign, you’ll be joining others such as Philip Pullman, Frank Cottrell Boyce, Jackie Morris, Dapo Adeola, Rob Biddulph, Lydia Monks, Thomas Taylor, Candy Gorlay and Patrick Ness.' This story was first published by The Bookseller. Hear Rose and Tamsin speak on The Illustration Department podcast here. -
Announcing: BGU Tennyson Poetry Award 2024
The winner of the Tennyson Poetry Award 2023 at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) on National Poetry Day. Andrew Pearce whose poem ‘The Statue’ impressed the judges, received high praises for its dialogue with the original Tennyson’s poem. With a high calibre of entries this year, the panel found it difficult to choose a winning poem. Read Andrew's poem here. At the same event, The Tennyson Poetry Award 2024 was officially launched. Staff and students are invited to part and send their entries. Inspired by Lincolnshire-born Victorian Poet Laureate, Alfred Lord Tennyson (1809-1892), the Tennyson Poetry Award asks you to submit an original poem in response to a poem by Tennyson. This year, the poem should be in answer to ‘The Kraken’ (read below). The poems doesn’t need to imitate Tennyson’s ‘The Kraken’ but may respond to it in varied ways, without limits in terms of form, style, and lyrical language. The winner/s will be announced on National Poetry 2024 (Thursday 3rd October 2024), when we will celebrate ten years of BGU’s Tennyson Poetry Award. To submit your poem, send it as an attachment via email, including your name and contact detail, to Dr Claudia Capancioni, Programme Leader for English, by 3 June 2024: claudia.capancioni@bishopg.ac.uk The Kraken Below the thunders of the upper deep, Far, far beneath in the abysmal sea, His ancient, dreamless, uninvaded sleep The Kraken sleepeth: faintest sunlights flee About his shadowy sides; above him swell; And far away into the sickly light, From many a wondrous grot and secret cell Unnumbered and enormous polypi Winnow with giant arms the slumbering green. There hath he lain for ages, and will lie Battening upon huge sea worms in his sleep, Until the latter fire shall heat the deep; Then once by man and angels to be seen, In roaring he shall rise and on the surface die. -
Sandford Awards recognise 43 educational heritage sites
43 heritage sites have been recognised for their outstanding educational provision at this year's Sandford Awards. The presentation ceremony took place on Monday 6th November at Hampton Court Palace, one of this year’s recipients. Among the winners were the Museum of Lincolnshire Life, Ulster Folk Museum, Newcastle University Library, International Bomber Command Centre, and National Civil War Centre in Newark. A full list of awardees can be found here. The awards were presented by Dr Tracy Borman, Chancellor of Bishop Grosseteste University and Chief Executive of the Heritage Education Trust. Dr Tracy Borman said: "It is a huge pleasure and privilege to be presenting this year's Sandford Awards. Yet again, the winners represent a diverse range of historic sites across the British Isles and some really innovative learning programmes. "It is an extra treat to be staging our first in-person ceremony since the pandemic and in such magnificent surroundings as Hampton Court Palace." The Sandford Awards focus on formal, curriculum-aligned, heritage learning programmes that take place in the historic setting or natural environment and use the history and collections or natural resources to engage, inform and inspire visitors. Recognition is also given to informal learning such as family programmes and self-guided provision. Over 500 heritage sites and services across the British Isles have received the Sandford Award since the first awards were made in 1978. Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) manages the Sandford Award in partnership with Heritage Education Trust. BGU Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Scott Fleming said: "We at BGU are delighted to continue our support for the Sandford Award and heritage education across Britain. Once again, the recipients of the awards are outstanding sector-leaders and we offer huge congratulations to them all.” Entries for the 2024 Sandford Awards open on Monday 4 December. To register your interest in applying, please contact at sandford@bishopg.ac.uk -
LORIC secures Business Support Project funding
Both projects focus on supporting small to medium sized enterprises to engage in research and development that will help them to grow, develop and innovate. A key aspect of the assistance provided via these projects is research to help to provide the information needed by businesses to move forward with the introduction of new products, services and processes. This may involve market research, competitor analysis or designing customer feedback mechanisms. Another important aspect of both projects is supporting businesses to use data more effectively. This can involve using data that a business already holds and analysing it in a way which provides new insights; or accessing new data sets that help to meet the information needs of the business. Through these projects, eligible businesses are able to access digitisation facilities to enable their businesses to become more digitally based and to unlock value from brand heritage by providing digital access to stored documents, such as ledgers, diaries or old photographs. LORIC Project Manager, Kay Purle explains that the support on offer can help to unlock insights that can help businesses to develop new ideas, create new products or services, or even create new business ventures. Support on offer is tailored to the business in order to help them to get the most of their involvement with the projects, and includes bespoke, one-to-one support as well as a range of both online and face to face events. Funding is currently in place to support SMEs in North East Lincolnshire, East Lindsey, Boston and South Holland. For more information visit LORIC | Lincolnshire Open Research & Innovation Centre (bgu.ac.uk) or contact the LORIC team at loric@bishopg.ac.uk. Both projects are made possible by funding from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. -
BGU wins OFS bid to expand apprenticeship provision
BGU is delighted to announce that the University has been successful in securing additional funding as part of a competitive bidding process launched by the Office for Students (OFS), to increase the number of Level 6 degree apprenticeship courses and places available. The OFS have confirmed they will invest £12million in the first wave of three, to support university providers to both increase the number of students and the equality of opportunity within Level 6 apprenticeship programmes. The full article can be viewed here. Apprenticeships and Partnerships Manager Jane Fletcher said: “We are incredibly excited with this outcome and the opportunity this has presented us with. This will enable us now to build upon our already strong foundations and develop two new Degree-Apprenticeship standards – namely Project Manager and Youth Worker, to support our local and regional employer partnerships.” Dr Nick Gee, Dean of Faculty commented: “We are delighted to have been awarded OFS funding to develop these new apprenticeship standards. This represents a fantastic opportunity to grow our apprenticeship provision at BGU, by developing our current expertise.” An implementation project is now underway to develop these programmes and have them available for 2024/25. Employers wishing to express an interest in collaborating with us on this exciting portfolio development should contact apprenticeships@bishopg.ac.uk -
BGU calendar raises money for local cat charity
It's been no secret that Johnty, Bishop Grosseteste University’s famous mascot in previous years, had proven to be a popular resident of the University. Which is why he was brought back for another calendar to raise money for the much loved charity Lincoln Cat Care! Established in 2004 by a group of cat lovers, this local charity relies on donations to rehome strays, cover vet bills, and provide emergency care to felines in need. Trustee for Lincoln Cat Care Liz Truss was presented with the cheque for the £501 by Ian Ferguson from IT (who organised the sales) and Vice Chancellor Karen Stanton. Reprographics Manager, Alan Stacey also kindly last year put the calendar together using photos taken by Ian. Newer feline resident Gizmo, was more than happy to help out with the process of getting the calendar designed and printed. In fact, Gizmo makes a special appearance in one of the calendar's months. There are still calendars available for purchase. Please contact johntyuniversitycat@gmail.com to order yours for £3.50. -
Writing the Air War and Lincolnshire Conference
11th & 12th May 2024 -
'Let's Play' event held at BGU
The Special Educational Needs, Disability and Inclusion (SENDI) team at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) is delighted to have welcomed Neil Stuart from Autism New Zealand, who joined us for the day to share the Let’s Play approach. This adult-change programme enables parents and early years practitioners to offer joyous and quality experiences of play from the child’s own patterns, making it possible for young children with autism to enjoy playing with their parents and carers without uncertainty or fear.'Fantastic and engaging presentation. Thoroughly enjoyed listening & hopefully putting some strategies into practice.' Bev Clark (Parent/ PAACT) Over a hundred attendees from across Lincolnshire and surrounding counties gathered on Thursday 20th June at BGU, to join in this one-off opportunity to learn more about New Zealand’s national early steps programme. The mixed audience of parents, practitioners, students, academics, and other professionals had opportunities to gain new understanding and reflect on their own approaches, learning to relate and connect through playfulness in ways meaningful for the child. The day’s free training was highly entertaining and drew on ingenious metaphors to raise empathy and to demonstrate the importance of change in the adult rather than the child. Complete with evidence base, video coaching and the simplicity of ‘pattern, memory, variation’, this approach got everybody thinking.'This is the second time I have visited Bishop Grosseteste University to see Neil and he has not disappointed on either occasion. His character, passion and knowledge about the subject of play, in particular engaging autistic children in play, is captivating. I would thoroughly recommend. Each time I left feeling a renewed energy to pass on the little gems of wisdom we learned to the team back in our setting.' Anna Thorpe (Abbey Academies)'Inspirational – affirms the way we work when supporting autistic children and their families to build connections and meaningful relationships; the principles, ethos and beliefs.' Adele Sherrif (WTT) From the feedback, it was widely agreed this innovative approach had been insightful and inspiring, providing everything needed to implement the new thinking and to change practice. A huge thank you to Neil who enabled us to share this humanist approach as a free event.'Brilliant training leaving a lot to think about and move forward with.' Ellie Newton (WTT) This SENDI team event contributes to a series of international collaborations of knowledge exchange, enhancing understanding through international perspectives. If you are interested in receiving information about future SENDI events or to discuss courses at BGU, please contact admissions@bishopg.ac.uk or julia.lindley-baker@bishopg.ac.uk (Programme Leader, SENDI). -
BGU historian rediscovers long-lost Lincolnshire author
Bishop Grosseteste University's (BGU) Professor Andrew Jackson (Executive Dean: Research & Knowledge Exchange) has just published a book on Bernard Samuel Gilbert, who was an outstanding author whose name is all but forgotten today. The book arises from a rediscovery of Gilbert’s work and the volume is an important new study that seeks to re-establish the writer’s reputation. Gilbert was born in Billinghay in Lincolnshire in 1882 and was returned there for burial following his death in 1927. He wrote prolifically from around the age of thirty up to his death at forty-five. Gilbert’s literature spans poetry, novels, plays, tracts on agriculture, political pamphlets, and newspaper columns. He wrote of contemporary Lincolnshire and rural England, life and work on the land, and country customs and beliefs. Gilbert's First World War Home Front poetry in dialect and his fenland fiction and verse are extraordinary. Furthermore, his emerging multi-volume scheme – his ‘Old England’, a ‘Gilbert Country’ even – is quite remarkable. The book has been published by the Society for Lincolnshire History and Archaeology, History of Lincolnshire Committee, and is available through the SLHA Bookshop, Jews Court, 2/3 Steep Hill, Lincoln. For further information, please contact booksales@slha.org.uk, or go to www.slha.org.uk. -
Celebrating 10 years of Archaeology at Bishop Grosseteste University
We are excited to share that in the next academic year 2025/26, we will be celebrating 10 years of teaching Archaeology at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU).
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