As the longest-serving female Blue Peter presenter, from 1997 to 2008, Konnie Huq is no stranger to the middle-grade market. She is an ambassador for the Prince’s Trust and the British Asian Trust. Cookie is inspired by Konnie’s own London Bangladeshi background, her love of science and her unashamed nerdiness! She has also written Fearless Fairy Tales with James Kay, a hilarious and anarchic collection of classic bedtime stories for young readers.
How does it feel to be a judge on this year’s Wainwright Prize?
Getting children to understand the importance of nature and our environment and preserving it is paramount to our future. Reading is also massively important for children and helps shape the adults they become. It’s great to be involved with a prize that brings together both.
As we enter our second decade as a prize, looking back, what do you think has been the biggest challenge and change of nature writing in the last 10 years?
I think the last twenty years have seen a shift in our understanding of how important climate awareness is and so nature writing has a responsibility to address this. For young people, it can be a balancing act to keep the writing informative and engaging.
Why do you believe nature writing is so important, both for yourself and our future generations?
Empathy is key in helping create adults who are altruistic to planet Earth and others as opposed to placing higher value on individual greed. Nature writing has a huge role to play for both adults and children alike.
Do you have early memories of discovering the natural world around you?
Growing up, I remember long summer holidays where we rarely went away, instead romping around on adventures in local woodland and undergrowth to entertain ourselves outdoors with long days to fill and no school! This was how I discovered nature, climbing trees, making dens, digging holes and burying treasure.
What specific messages do you hope children’s nature writing can give to younger readers?
The natural world is beautiful and magical, we only have one planet Earth, so let’s preserve it.
Are you hopeful for future generations and their relationship with the natural world?
With consumerism so rife around us, (with big businesses and individual greed increasing in size the whole time) the journey ahead is tricky.
Following our recent general election, what’s your hope for political leaders and those with power when it comes to protecting our planet?
Stop oil production as soon as feasibly possible.