The Waterstones Children's Laureate Lauren Child will call for children's books to be taken seriously as an art form at BookTrust's Annual Lecture this evening.
The Charlie and Lola and Ruby Redfort author will take to the stage at RIBA in London to suggest that children's books should be valued and point out that they can be sophisticated, powerful and life-changing.
Child will also point out the importance of images in children's books, saying, 'Illustration doesn't just decorate the text, it takes it so much further - it conveys a darkness, or a lightness, that is not there in the words.
She is also expected to discuss the value in letting children daydream and be creative as well as the importance of diversity in children's books.
This will be the second BookTrust Annual Lecture after former Children's Laureate Michael Morpurgo delivered a speech last year about the importance of fostering a love of stories in children.
BookTrust CEO Diana Gerald said: 'We are delighted to host the second BookTrust Annual Lecture and honoured to welcome Lauren Child to the stage.
'It is vital that views and issues within the children's reading space continue to be debated and discussed and this is a very positive platform in which to do that.
Child was named as the 10th Waterstones Children's Laureate earlier this year, following in the footsteps of previous authors and illustrators such as Michael Rosen, Chris Riddell, Julia Donaldson and Malorie Blackman.
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