It was just last month that Sean Taylor, one of the winners of the 2007 Nestlé Children’s Book Prize, refused to accept the cash award because of the “questions surrounding Nestlé’s marketing of breast-milk substitutes.”
Now word comes that after 23 years Booktrust and Nestlé have parted ways.
Katherine Solomon, Booktrust’s PR person, claims the parting was “mutual and there was no hostility” and that it was a “natural time to conclude.”
Nestlé says it is “moving its community support towards the company strategy of nutrition, health and wellness,” and would like to focus on healthy eating plans for primary schools. I hope this “support” is closely monitored, for one can only imagine what nutritional goodies are contained in their version of a healthy eating plan.
Though this is the end of the line for the sponsorship and the Nestlé Book Prize let’s hope that Booktrust doesn’t abandon the format and looks for another more appropriate sponsor. Politics aside, the award was one of the most respected in the publishing world and is deserving of a new life.
Article in the Guardian, Nestlé book prize put to bed for the last time
Previous Book Patrol post, Author wins Nestlé Children’s Book Prize. Refuses to accept the check
Booktrust press release on the end of the Nestle Book prize.