Huw Aaron Wins Waterstones Children’s Book of the Year
Welsh author and cartoonist Huw Aaron has been awarded the Waterstones Children’s Book of the Year.
His book Sleep Tight Disgusting Blob was named Children’s Book of the Year after winning the Illustrated Books category.
Huw Aaron is the first person ever to be nominated in two different Waterstones children’s book categories, with his graphic novel Unfairies also nominated in the Younger Children category.
Both books are available in Welsh as well, titled Nos Da, Blob and Y Tylwyth Annheg respectively.
Bea Carvalho, head of books at Waterstones, described Huw Aaron as a “storyteller and illustrator of dazzling talent” and said Sleep Tight, Disgusting Blob “is a bedtime story destined to become an instant classic.”
Huw Aaron originally hails from Swansea and currently resides in Cardiff.
After a brief career as an accountant, he decided to pursue writing and illustrating, which he found more inspiring than numbers and figures.
He went on to work as a cartoonist for publications including Private Eye, Prospect, and The Spectator, and presented the weekly art programme Cer i Greu on S4C.
He will receive a £5,000 cash prize, and Sleep Tight, Disgusting Blob will be Waterstones’ Children’s Book of the Month for April.
Bea Carvalho added that the book is a “lovely story of coziness that puts a sweet twist on scary things with charm, a playful supportive cast, and cuteness.”
Huw currently works with Penguin publishing, with his Welsh-language books published by Y Lolfa.
Speaking after his nomination last month, Huw said he had “always enjoyed drawing and making cartoons and funny pictures, but maybe never considered it as a career.”
He works closely with Penguin, while his Welsh books are published by Y Lolfa.
He expressed gratitude to Y Lolfa for their support and “closeness,” comparing working in Welsh and English:
“Basically, I think it’s the same thing – I sit at my desk trying to think of ideas and then draw them – so in one way it’s very similar,” he said.
“And then it’s different too. The closeness you get in the Welsh publishing world is lovely – to phone someone up and send ideas and get feedback straight away.
“Basically, people who love books are similar wherever you are.
“The people in the industry, whether in Wales or beyond, are people who just love reading and love books.”
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Huw Aaron is the first Welsh author ever to be nominated for two Waterstones awards.
