Media industry's leading lights attend awards ceremony for British Library competition winners
The British Library held a high profile awards ceremony in support of the London Design Festival on Monday 25 September to celebrate the winners of its Make the Front Page competition.
Entrants were challenged to design the newspaper front page of the future; write a compelling article on a current burning social, business or political issue; or take the photograph that captures the essence of the story behind the headlines. The competition aimed to inspire original, thought-provoking entries that demand attention and carry on the tradition of newspapers to stimulate debate and nurture innovation.
It was run in conjunction with the Library's summer exhibition, Front Page, which brings to life the growth, development, rivalry and union of the newspaper industry in Britain over the last 100 years.
Publisher and broadcaster Andrew Neil hosted the event and the judging panel which brought together David Viggers, Head of Reuters UK Picture Desk, Mark Porter, Creative Editor of the Guardian and Faisal Islam, Business Correspondent at Channel Four News and Young Journalist of the Year 2006.
The winners include:
Journalism Category
- Rachel Hill, aged 15, from Scotland
Journalism judge Faisal Isalm commented on Rachel Hill's entry: "Accomplished and amusing piece of gonzo journalism by 15 year old Rachel Hill that related the unquantifiable terror threat to America posed by her banana. Classy first person observational writing that had the judge laughing out loud."
Winner Rachel Hill stated: "To have such recognition has been a terrific boost for my confidence, and I would just like to thank the British Library and The London Design Festival for creating this marvellous opportunity for aspiring writers like me."
- Donna-Louise Bishop, aged 20, from Norfolk
Faisal Islam, commenting on Donna-Louise's entry stated "A superb feature on women builders. Entertained and informed in equal measure. The writer didn't just develop a nicely paced narrative around her mother's site experiences, but used that story to illuminate wider issues."
Donna-Louise Bishop reaction to winning: " I am very excited about winning the competition; it has come as a complete surprise to me. I am pleased that I have been able to bring recognition to the female construction workforce through my article."
- Ginisha Sadasivan, aged 16 and Annabel Mcleod, aged 19, both from London
Photography Category
- Joseph Davies, aged 15, from Warwickshire
Joseph Davies response to the news that he is the under 16 winner: "I am delighted to have won this fantastic competition; it is a great step for me towards my ambitions in life. I would like to thank everyone who is involved in the competition; it has been an honour to win."
- Asita Rodrigo, aged 34, from London
Design Category
- Charlie Ford, aged 10, from Warminster
The Guardian's Creative Editor Mark Porter chose Charlie Ford because he deemed his entry to be the best for the following reasons:
"Although it was not the slickest presentation in the competition, Charlie Ford's entry shows a remarkable grasp of what the newspaper of the future might be like. It combines strong news values with navigability and functionality, and makes the most of its digital format. A thoughtful and persuasive vision of the future of news design!"
Charlie Ford stated: "I was amazed to hear I had won a prize as I never thought I would win. I am really excited and can't wait to go to London for the presentation. I am very much looking forward to meeting all the people in the newspapers and on the telly. Thank you very much!!"
Winners who are over 16 are to receive a week long work placement on a national newspaper, organised by the Newspaper Publishers Association, while those under 16 have won state of the art digital equipment to help them on their way to a career in the media.
For further information, contact Lawrence Christensen at the British Library Press Office: +44 (0)20 7412 7114 or Lawrence.Christensen@bl.uk.
Notes for Editors
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom and one of the world's greatest research libraries. It provides world class information services to the academic, business, research and scientific communities and offers unparalleled access to the world's largest and most comprehensive research collection. The Library's collection has developed over 250 years and exceeds 150 million separate items representing every age of written civilisation. It includes: books, journals, manuscripts, maps, stamps, music, patents, newspapers and sound recordings in all written and spoken languages. Further information is available on the British Library's website at www.bl.uk.
The London Design Festival takes place 15-30 September 2006. The Festival programme includes content from across the design spectrum, staged by organisations through out the capital. Visit www.londondesignfestival.com for more information.
The Newspaper Publishers Association (NPA)
Founded in 1906 as the Newspaper Proprietor's Association, the NPA is the trade association for Britain 's national press, whose members have formed a unique and powerful coalition. Their products sell more than 15 million copies every day and inform and create opinion. A particular priority of the NPA is the promotion of a free, pluralist written press as a key agent of democracy in the UK and Europe. Its membership includes:
Associated Newspapers Ltd (Daily Mail, Mail on Sunday, Evening Standard)
Express Newspapers Ltd (Daily Express, Sunday Express, Daily Star, Daily Star Sunday)
Financial Times Ltd (Financial Times)
Guardian Newspapers Ltd (The Guardian, The Observer)
Mirror Group Newspapers (Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror, Sunday People, Racing Post)
News International Ltd (The Sun, The Times, News of the World, The Sunday Times)
Independent News and Media ( UK ) Ltd (The Independent, the Independent on Sunday)
Telegraph Group Ltd (Daily Telegraph, The Sunday Telegraph)
The Educational Charity of The Stationers' and Newspaper Makers' Company was formed in 1985 following the closure of The Stationers' Company's School in the London Borough of Haringey. The Court of the Company appoints the Trustees. Their responsibility is to administer the Trust in accordance with the Trust Deed.
The income of the Charity is applied in promoting the education of persons under the age of 25 years who are resident in the United Kingdom and who are in need of financial assistance, with special regard to sons and daughters of Liverymen and Freemen of the Company and persons engaged in or intending to enter the stationers' or printers' trade, or any other of the trades accepted by the Company.
Awards are made in the form of bursaries, maintenance allowances or grants tenable at any school or college of education approved by the Trustees, and in providing financial support to assist young persons to pursue their education.
The Charity has also financed the provision of printing and publishing departments in a number of schools.
All enquiries, in confidence, should be sent, by post only, to: Mr J P Thornton, FCA
The Old Dairy, Adstockfields, Adstock, Buckingham , MK18 2JE.
The Make the Front Page Competition
- The Make the Front Page competition comprises three categories of entry: journalism, photography and layout design. It was opened to three age groups, under 16s, 16 - 19 and 20 and over between 25 May and 21 August.
- The judges' decision is final
- Prizes cannot be exchanged
- No purchase is necessary
- This competition was open to anyone resident in the UK except for those who are professional journalists, photographers or graphic designers, British Library staff and their families and supporting partners' staff and families.
Front Page: Celebrating 100 years of the British Newspaper (1906 - 2006)
The enormous changes in news-gathering, reporting and newspaper production over the past century are imaginatively unfolded in the exhibition through a selection of front pages from 1906-2006. These have been arranged into themes ranging from royalty, society, scandal, sport and celebrations through to war, disasters and assassinations.
Each theme has been "curated" by a newspaper group in order to highlight the individual editorial values and styles which grace the various British front pages. Visitors will be able to look behind the headlines to see what the papers say about themselves and their ever-evolving industry. Commentaries from editors and journalists written exclusively for the exhibition provide fascinating insight into the decision-making process behind the headlines.
The display will also remind visitors of some of the headlines that have become legendary in their own right. These include the 1912 Daily Mirror headline "Titanic sunk - no lives lost"; The Sun's 1982 headline "Gotcha" about the sinking of the Belgrano in the Falklands War; and the Independent on Sunday's 2003 headline on Saddam Hussain's weapons of mass destruction, "So where are they Mr Blair?"
The centrepiece of the exhibition is an innovative interactive "newsroom" where visitors can use computers to become Editor of their own newspaper. They will take on the job of making up a front page on screen, using individual newspaper house styles and choosing from a "jigsaw" databank of prepared stories and photographs, while working to a tight deadline.
All the front pages on display in this exhibition can be found in the British Library's collection of over 52,000 titles which are available for research. In recent years, the Library has been active in undertaking projects to open up access to its newspaper collections and enable readers to view newspapers remotely via the Internet.