Wolf Siren wins the Carnegie Medal for Writing AND the Shadowers' Choice Award!

Video description/transcript: Stella Hines (Carnegie Chair of Judges) standing on stage behind a podium. She reads from a card: 'And the winner is... Beth O'Brien for Wolf Siren. The crowd gives the most beautifully loud cheer before Stella has even finished saying 'Wolf Siren'! Beth stands up,  walks on stage and excitedly hugs Stella and ceremony host, Catherine Rayner. 

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Graphic showing the cover of Wolf Siren by Beth O'Brien as text reads: Shadowers' Choice and Medal for Writing Winner 2026.

I AM STILL IN SHOCK!!! My face aches from smiling NON STOP because Wolf Siren has won the Carnegie Medal for Writing 2026 AND the Shadowers’ Choice Award!!!

Tuesday was more than a dream come true. I loved every second! Thank you to everyone who makes the Carnegies possible, the judges, plus the teachers and librarians who worked with the shadowing groups and managed to get yourselves to the ceremony in the boiling heat! It was a pure delight getting to speak to the students and sign their books. Their enthusiasm and excitement was infectious and it was their ENORMOUS cheer when Wolf Siren was announced that brought me to happy tears.

I am so incredibly grateful to my agent Becky Bagnell, and the whole team at HarperCollins Children's Books, including past team members, Michelle Misra, Natalie Doherty and Lucy Rogers!

Huge congratulations to all the shortlisted authors and illustrators, and especially the illustration winners Kate Rolfe and Aimee de Jongh!

I’m sure there are more coherent and elegant things I could say right now but all I have is sheer delight and gratitude to everyone who has read, supported and loved Wolf Siren - I don’t think I’ll ever come down from this high!!!

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