A CHILDREN's author from a town near York said it was a "huge honour" to receive a special award from Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak.
Christina Gabbitas, based in Selby, has put on eight free to attend children’s literature festivals and received the Prime Minister’s daily Points of Light award in recognition of her hard work.
Growing up in a deprived area, Christina said enjoyed spending time with her family in their local library and would have welcomed the chance to attend a literature festival, but it would have been costly for her whole family to attend.
To help families in a similar situation, Christina said she wanted to make literature festivals and books accessible for children from less privileged backgrounds and was inspired to set up the ‘Children’s Literature Festivals’ charity.
The author said: “On behalf of all the children and families who have benefitted from the festivals, it’s a huge honour to receive this award.
"My best wish is for more areas to benefit from free to attend, inclusive literature festivals and books.”
Christina's festivals have taken place in Selby, Blackburn with Darwen, Keighley and Oldham, with the author organising one virtual festival during the Covid-19 pandemic. This year’s festival at Blackburn with Darwen will be the first to include sign language, giving the opportunity for children and families to participate in a British Sign Language (BSL) session.
In June, the charity held its first ‘Children's Literature Festivals Book Awards’, where children were invited to vote, comment on their favourite books and to shine a light on librarians for all their hard work.
Through the charity, Christina has engaged with thousands of families, gifting over 24,000 books to children and young people.
Christina’s award coincides with National Libraries Week, an annual showcase and celebration of the best that libraries have to offer.
Congratulating Christina on her award, Keir Mather, the MP for Selby and Ainsty, said: "Christina’s work delivering literature festivals for children from less privileged communities demonstrates the power of authors and the written word to transform young people’s opportunities in life.
"We are remarkably lucky to have people like Christina in our community and we can’t wait to support her in whatever she decides to achieve next."
Christina is the 2155th recipient of the Points of Light award, which was first launched in April 2014 to recognise outstanding individuals making a positive change within their community and inspiring others.
Each weekday, someone, somewhere in the country is selected to receive the award to celebrate their remarkable achievements.
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