What will be lost if the IMLS is dismantled?

March 20, 2025 6:56 pm ,

The Institute of Museum and Library Services funds hundreds of initiatives in museums and libraries across the USA. Most of these are invisible because they just work and they support projects that most people don’t notice because they have always been there or are services that are so closely intertwined with the mission of libraries that it seems impossible to imagine that they may not always be available.

These are just some of the essential services that are covered in many libraries by the IMLS.

Are you aware that Inter-Library Loans (ILL) are made possible through IMLS funding? Find out more here: https://action.everylibrary.org/imlsill

Broadband access: Libraries play a significant role in providing digital access and encouraging adoption of internet use, which impacts the health and vitality of communities. The IMLS FY 2015 Public Library Survey showed that 99.2% of public libraries provide internet access. IMLS’s largest grant program, Grants to States, helps libraries assess connectivity needs, procure affordable broadband services, complete E-rate applications, train staff, and obtain technology.

Veteran Services: Community Salute is an IMLS initiative aimed at strengthening the ability of libraries, archives, and museums (LAMs) to respond to the needs of the nation’s 22 million veterans and military families.

Maker Spaces: IMLS funds important work to advance research, promote professional development, and support promising practices for makerspaces and maker programming nationwide. 

Early Learning: IMLS supports the goals of the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading. In recent years, the agency has invested over $2 million in grants to libraries and museums to improve school readiness, reduce summer reading loss, and lower chronic school absence.

Workforce Development: IMLS supports grants to states that promote workforce development through libraries. In the latest Five-Year Plans (2023-2027) from the State Library Administrative Agencies, over half of states and territories (53%) indicated activities related to workforce development, and almost half (44%) indicated plans to coordinate with workforce agencies. Grant-funded library projects demonstrate a range of approaches.

Digital Initiatives: Expanding digital access: IMLS supports projects that increase digital inclusion, broadband access, and digital literacy, giving communities access to information on a wide spectrum of topics, such as education, workforce development, public safety, and health.

Digitizing collections: New technologies help museums improve how they collect, preserve, and enable the use of cultural collections. IMLS supports projects that expand the capacity of museums to serve as memory institutions.

Facilitating open research: Researchers and scholars rely on digital technologies like open source software, as well as open science, open scholarship, and open data. IMLS supports grants that build the technology used for research and scholarly communications.

Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Response: IMLS has invested in building the capacity of museums and libraries to prepare for and respond to disasters. As holders of cultural and natural heritage, these institutions can experience catastrophic losses as the result of natural and other disasters; however, they can also be integral to community efforts to recover and build resilience.

Accessibility: IMLS funding helps increase accessibility and maximize inclusion at museums and libraries throughout the nation. Grant projects have focused on improving the accessibility of nature center wildlife trails, training school librarians to better serve students with disabilities, and developing services for children with autism spectrum disorders.

STEM: IMLS supports STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) education through discretionary grant programs, the Grants to States program, and special initiatives.

Civic Engagement: IMLS has a proud legacy of supporting the critical work that museums and libraries do to engage the citizens in their communities and expand access to and information on voting.

Discover what the IMLS has funded on a state by state level: IMLS Interactive Map

Posted in: Advocacy, Libraries

The Institute of Museum and Library Services

March 20, 2025 3:37 pm ,

Created by an Act of Congress (the Museum and Library Services Act of 1996) The Institute of Museum Services, which was established in 1976 was merged with the Library Programs Office of the Department of Education. By doing this, Congress achieved the aim of creating an agency that could strategically support libraries and museums in the USA.

The IMLS is the main source of Federal support for Libraries and Museums in the USA. The mission of IMLS is to advance, support, and empower America’s museums, libraries, and related organizations through grantmaking, research, and policy development. [source: https://www.imls.gov/about/learn-about-imls/our-mission-vision]

On March 14, President Donald Trump targeted the IMLS and several other agencies in the Executive Order titled Continuing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy. Now as the IMLS was created by an Act of Congress, a mere EO is not enough (legally speaking) to destroy a Federal Agency, but as the actions of the current administration via the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have run roughshod over the parts of the federal government that President Trump and other members of the cabal running the US government disagree with have shown, until courts and Congress stand up against this lawlessness, they seem set on ignoring the checks and balances that have formed part of the US government since it was founded.

So libraries that are reliant on IMLS grants to keep their doors open may have service standards imposed upon them to keep their funding or face massive staff cuts and even closure. Of course it will be painted as IMLS grants paying for Drag Queen Storytimes and DEI events. Focusing on the worst human impulses to support what is being done – You don’t want YOUR tax dollars to pay for that do you? The fraud/waste/abuse playbook is already in play across the government.

The Deputy Secretary of Labor, Keith Sonderling was named Acting Director of the IMLS and is expected to enter the IMLS today, backed by a team from DOGE. [source: Marisa Kabas https://bsky.app/profile/marisakabas.bsky.social/post/3lkr67qbqe22i]

LINKS

ALA FAQ: Executive Order Targeting IMLS

Stop What You Are Doing and Talk to Your Patrons About the Proposed IMLS Cuts Today! by Becky Spratford – concrete actions people can take to protest the attack on the IMLS

Seeds of Innovation: Defending IMLS

Actions you can take to protest the proposed axing of the IMLS:

Take Action To Save Federal Funding for Libraries!

Show Up for Libraries

Find your members of Congress here: https://www.congress.gov/members/find-your-member

Call them with this app: https://5calls.org/

Or fax them: https://faxzero.com/fax_congress.php

Urgent: Act Now to Save IMLS

LIVE UPDATES OF DOGE IN IMLS:

Reddit user Ruskiytroll is posting on the fednews subreddit about the DOGE takeover of the IMLS: https://www.reddit.com/user/ruskiytroll

r/fednews is an unofficial secure platform for US Federal employees to discuss work-related topics, share perspectives, and stay informed.

News:

Keith E. Sonderling Sworn In as Acting Director of Institute of Museum and Library Services

WASHINGTON – Deputy Secretary of Labor Keith E. Sonderling was sworn in as Acting Director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) today, after being designated to the role by President Donald J. Trump. IMLS, an independent government agency, is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s museums and libraries.

“It is an honor to be appointed by President Trump to lead this important organization in its mission to advance, support, and empower America’s museums and libraries, which stand as cornerstones of learning and culture in our society. I am committed to steering this organization in lockstep with this Administration to enhance efficiency and foster innovation. We will revitalize IMLS and restore focus on patriotism, ensuring we preserve our country’s core values, promote American exceptionalism and cultivate love of country in future generations,” said Acting Director Sonderling.

Source: White House Announces Keith E. Sonderling as IMLS Acting Director

Federal agency responsible for library and museum funding gets a visit from DOGE -NPR

Latest Trump cuts put summer reading, mobile libraries and local museums in jeopardy – USA Today

Posted in: Advocacy, Libraries, News

Carnegies Shortlists

March 15, 2025 6:28 pm ,

UK based readers have surely (hopefully) seen by now that the shortlists for the Carnegie awards for outstanding writing and illustration for children have been published!

The Carnegies celebrate outstanding achievement in children’s writing and illustration and are unique in being judged by children’s and youth librarians, with the respective Shadowers’ Choice Medals voted for by children and young people.

16 books have been shortlisted in total, with eight in each category for the Carnegie Medal for Writing and Carnegie Medal for Illustration; whittled down from the 35 longlisted titles by the expert judging panel which includes 14 librarians from CILIP: the library and information association’s Youth Libraries Group. Click here to read more about the fantastic books that have been chosen.

The 2025 Carnegie Medal for Writing longlist is (alphabetical by author surname):

  • Treacle Town by Brian Conaghan (Andersen Press)
  • The Things We Leave Behind by Clare Furniss (Simon & Schuster UK)
  • The Final Year by Matt Goodfellow, illustrated by Joe Todd-Stanton (Otter-Barry Books)
  • King of Nothing by Nathanael Lessore (Bonnier Books UK)
  • Little Bang by Kelly McCaughrain (Walker Books)
  • Glasgow Boys by Margaret McDonald (Faber & Faber)
  • All That It Ever Meant by Blessing Musariri (Zephyr, Head of Zeus)
  • Play by Luke Palmer (Firefly Press)

The 2025 Carnegie Medal for Illustration longlist is (alphabetical by illustrator surname):

  • The Invisible Story by Wen Hsu Chen, written by Jaime Gamboa, translated by Daniel Hahn (Lantana)
  • Grey by Lauren Child, written by Laura Dockrill (Walker Books)
  • I Love Books by Mariajo Ilustrajo (Quarto)
  • Clever Crow by Olivia Lomenech Gill, written by Chris Butterworth (Walker Books)
  • Letters in Charcoal by Juan Palomino, written by Irene Vasco, translated by Lawrence Schimel (Lantana)
  • Homebody by Theo Parish (Macmillan Children’s Books)
  • Wolf and Bear by Kate Rolfe (Macmillan Children’s Books)
  • Flying High by Yu Rong, written by Cao Wenxuan, translated by Simone-Davina Monnelly and Jake Hope (UCLan Publishing)

Ros Harding, Chair of Judges for The Carnegies 2025, said:

“On behalf of the judging panel, I would like to offer a huge congratulations to all the shortlisted authors and illustrators. The two lists highlight the diversity and high quality within publishing for children and young people in the UK. Many of the titles on the writing shortlist deal with themes around masculinity and boys finding their place in society, and the shortlisted authors successfully tackle these big ideas through believable and relatable characters, whilst avoiding lecturing young people. The concept of stories plays an important part in the shortlisted books across both lists, whether this is about the joy that can be found through discovering books or about the stories we tell ourselves and others to make sense of the world around us. It is wonderful to see such a inclusive range of cultures, experiences, voices and illustrative styles feature in the shortlisted books and as a judging panel, we are so excited to be a part of introducing these incredible books to the shadowing groups.”  

A couple of my favourite novels are up for the writing medal, but I am extra-specially excited that Homebody is on the illustration list, I reviewed it here, but it will definitely reinvigorate the age-old request from shadowing leaders to have age categories and not just the two awards (Matt blogged about the idea years ago) as Macmillan have a suggested age on the back cover of 14+.

Posted in: Awards, Carnegie, Carnegies

Structural Librarianship will not save you: the Library of Congress Subject Headings edition

March 14, 2025 4:43 pm ,

Just heard that the Library of Congress is working on updating its subject headings to reflect the Gulf of Mexico being unilaterally renamed The Gulf of America, they appear to be doing the same to Denali to reflect the reversion to Mount McKinley.

Mount Denali LCSH change

Professional Library Organizations are always too close to those in power to actually do much for the actual people that work in libraries or those that actually use libraries. To keep libraries going sure they make recommendations and run events but to remain close to those with their hands on the levers of power, the organizations that profess to represent libraries and librarians remain silent (& complicit) in erasure.

Changing subject headings (we are oft told) takes time, it is the same with library classification systems – look at how horrible the Dewey Decimal System still is in parts even with decades of protest and library workers pleading with the OCLC to make Dewey truly representative of the world we live in. The sudden lurch of the Library of Congress to reflect the will of the current administration is shocking, more for the speed of this change, rather than the change itself which appears to be incredibly unpopular amongst a large number of library workers.

These changes have not yet been approved and there is still time to register disapproval of these proposals but it remains to be seen if it will slow down or even stop these proposed changes. You can find out how to protest here

Change does not come from above, it is the library workers on the frontlines that help the people they are serving change their lives often in spite of the directives from those running the libraries they work in.

Posted in: Uncategorized

Coyote Run by Lilith Saintcrow

February 25, 2025 11:27 pm ,

THE RUNNER

Just behind the front lines of a war they call ‘civil’, the shifter called Coyote is tough, fast, ugly-and known for taking jobs nobody else will.

THE JOB

Marge’s sister is locked in a prison camp civilians shouldn’t know about, deep in enemy territory. Rescuing her will take a plan made of weapons-grade insanity.

THE TRICK

To get in, all Coyote has to do is get caught.

THE PAYOFF

None, unless the satisfaction of killing an old enemy counts. And maybe a few small bounties from murdering fascist clones…

RUN, COYOTE. RUN.

Bloody and brutal while being utterly engrossing, I found Coyote Run to be exactly what I needed when Horned Lark sent me a review copy juuuuuust before the election last year. I finished reading it on November 4 and was quietly confident that the fascist future we feared would not happen just yet.

Well I was wrong!

I picked up Coyote Run on November 6 and reread it again, filled with bile and fury that so many people had listened to the hate spewed on the election trail and thought “Yup, that’s the guy for us!” Coyote Run did not bring me peace on the second reread, but I achieved a visceral satisfaction at the bloody violence and retribution meted out on the fascist lackeys that got in Coyote’s way during her mission.

War is, as they say, Hell, but in this future dystopia our guide through the Inferno that the Disunited States has become is not Virgil, but rather a genetically modified shapeshifter named Coyote. She will get you to where you need to go and possibly save some lives on the way!

Coyote Run is stripped down storytelling, just muscle, bone and connective tissue, everything extraneous feels like it has been surgically removed! The sights, sounds and ambience is masterfully described in a text so spare, but you can still feel the dirt under your feet, the heat of the sun and the burn of alcohol that is (barely) a step up from engine degreaser. You also feel the hurt and anger that Coyote carries, as well as the burning need for revenge. This is not just a roaring rampage story, there is also empathy and heart to balance out the fury. It is so damn good!

Lilith Saintcrow is an artist; be warned though, Coyote Run is more Guernica than Sistine Chapel but it will still hold your attention and rip your breath away!

If you are looking for something to remind you that fascists can not only be fought, they can be beaten and left hanging in a town square then coyote Run is the book for you. It is also great if all you want is a two-fisted tale of war and retribution, and maybe even a glimmer of hope for the future!

Coyote Run is written by Lilith Saintcrow and published by Horned Lark Press antifascist and in your face – check them out and see what else they have available!

Buy this book (available wherever good books are sold), or request that your local library purchase copies – they generally listen to their patrons when it comes to adding books to their collection, that way you can recommend it to everyone you know and maybe get together with them and talk about it afterwards! Honestly building, and sustaining communities is one of the ways we will get through the next few years!

Posted in: Books, Reviews

New Literary Foundation announces awards for children’s authors

February 25, 2025 6:10 pm ,
https://teenlibrarian.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/GLL-Literary-Foundation-1080-animation.mp4

The newly launched GLL Literary Foundation has selected 17 children’s authors from across the UK to receive bursary placements for 2025 worth up to £4,000 each.

The Foundation was established in November 2024 to support ‘up and coming’ children’s authors who are based in Bromley, Dudley, Greenwich, Lincolnshire and Wandsworth – all areas where GLL operates public libraries under its ‘Better’ brand.

Authors across all genres of children’s literature were encouraged to apply, including picture books, early readers, chapter books, poetry, non-fiction, novels graphic and verse novels.  Nominations were accepted from the authors’ publishing representative with the entry criteria stating that applicants be required to have published between one and three books in the past five years. 

Entries were assessed by a board of trustees drawn from GLL libraries, children’s librarians and the publishing world.  The successful authors for 2025 are:

  • Marcela Ferreira – Bromley – OUP UK
  • Alex Falase Koya – Bromley – OUP UK
  • Adeola Sokunbi – Bromley – Nosy Crow
  • Alom Shaha – Bromley – Scribble UK
  • Jesse Kaur – Dudley – Mantra Lingua
  • Janelle McCurdey – Greenwich – Faber and Faber
  • Sharada Keats – Greenwich – Scholastic
  • Robert Pearce – Greenwich – Graffeg
  • Hannah Moffatt – Greenwich – Everything With Words
  • Rachel Cooke – Lincolnshire – Mama Makes Books
  • Bethany Walker – Lincolnshire – Scholastic
  • Helen Hancocks – Lincolnshire – Walker
  • Nathanael Lessore – Wandsworth – Hot Key Books
  • Fay Evans – Wandsworth – Flying Eye Books
  • Olivia Wakeford – Wandsworth – Harper Collins Children’s Books
  • Nadine Wild Palmer – Wandsworth – Pushkin Children’s Books
  • Jack Meggitt Phillips – Wandsworth – Farshore

Each of the successful authors will receive £750 alongside additional ‘in kind’ support that includes being partnered with a local librarian mentor (Literary Foundation Champion), who will help deliver a series of author events and provide networking opportunities with local booksellers, publishers, literary festivals and schools.  Authors will also be offered three online training courses on brand identity, marketing and business planning.

Rebecca Gediking, Head of Libraries for GLL said: “We are delighted to welcome such a great and inspiring group of authors to be part of the GLL Literary Foundation. We look forward to bringing together all people locally and nationally to support our authors, encourage reading and champion public libraries.”

Renowned children’s author and GLL Literary Foundation trustee Mo O’Hara added: “I’m so excited that our first cohort of GLL Literary Foundation authors is being announced. This is such an amazing opportunity for them to learn new skills and gain confidence in so many aspects of our industry.  I hope that they’ll build up a great network with their librarian champions and also with each other.  It’s so great to have a ready-made support group in an industry with so many challenges.  Well done to our fantastic GLL team for 2025!”

Alom Shaha, GLL Literary Foundation supported author from Bromley said: “I’m delighted and honoured to have been awarded a GLL Literary Foundation fellowship. Growing up as an immigrant on a council housing estate, my local library, and the librarians who worked there, were a hugely positive influence on me. They didn’t just help develop my love of books, they also provided a safe place to play with toys and activities which I didn’t have access to at home.

“I have gained so much from my use of public libraries throughout my life and I am so excited about this fellowship. I know I will gain a lot from the experience, but I hope there will also be lots of opportunities for me to give something back.”

For further information visit: https://www.better.org.uk/library/gll-literary-foundation

Posted in: News

DeGoogleing your Life

February 13, 2025 9:55 pm ,

I was an early fan of Google, from managing to get an early invitation to Gmail, playing with Picasa and following it when it was purchased by Google and eventually became Google Photos, using and enjoying Google Docs and the other offerings in its Office Suite. My first smartphone ran Android (it was the HTC Desire), I ran library lessons on using Google products when I was a School Librarian and I enjoyed the ease of use and interconnectedness Google products offered.

Sadly over the years I have watched Google move from the days of “Don’t Be Evil” and fear that they are approaching their “I’m With Evil” phase, in fact they may already be there.

I have slowly been in the process of Degoogleing my life, and the other day I decided to share (via Bluesky) some replacements for Google products:

Instead of Google search try DuckDuckGo Instead of Chrome try FirefoxInstead of Gmail try ProtonMailInstead of Google Docs etc try LibreOfficeInstead of Google Photos try EnteFor every Google product there are multiple replacements you can try. The above suggestions are just examples to try

— Matt (@mattlibrarian.bsky.social) 2025-02-12T23:27:55.064Z

That skeet has proven to be extremely popular. So popular in fact, that I decided to create this post with more in-depth suggestions with regard to replacing Google products and services. I will caution at the outset that sometimes there are not like for like products that work in exactly the same way, but for each I will suggest at least one potential replacement you can try out.

Remember when looking to swap out apps and programs from companies that have taken a stance you disagree with, you should take the time to test out and research potential replacements- it is good to take heed of suggestions but find something that fits your particular needs and ethics.

I have limited this list to free to use products. Depending on your needs (& budget) there are a number of subscription services that may meet your needs that you can find with a quick search on your search engine of choice (see below for some examples).

Replacing Google Search:

https://duckduckgo.com

search.brave.com

www.dogpile.com

www.metacrawler.com

www.mojeek.com

Replacing the Chrome Browser:

https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox

https://brave.com

https://www.opera.com

https://vivaldi.com

DuckDuckGo Browser

Replacing Gmail:

https://tuta.com/secure-email

https://www.fastmail.com paid service

https://mailfence.com basic plan is free

Replacing Google Docs:

https://www.libreoffice.org

https://www.nuclino.com basic option is free

Replacing Google Photos:

https://ente.io 5GB free

Replacing Google Calendar:

https://www.any.do/calendar

Replacing Google Maps:

https://www.mapquest.com

https://maps.me

https://organicmaps.app

magicearth

https://osmand.net

Replacing YouTube:

https://www.dailymotion.com

https://odysee.com

Replacing your Android Phone:

https://lineageos.org

https://ubports.com/en

Replacing ChromeOS:

https://ubuntu.com/desktop

https://linuxmint.com

Instead of WhatsApp:

https://signal.org/

A note about Proton

In my initial skeet I mentioned ProtonMail, I received several comments informing me that Proton CEO Andy Yen had made several disturbing statements

archive.ph/LlbSj

archive.ph/quYyb

https://www. reddit.com/r/ProtonMail/comments/1i2nz9v/on_politics_and_proton_a_message_from_andy/

The frustrating thing about this is that Proton offers email, a calendar, cloud storage, a password manager and a VPN all of which are free to use at the basic level. I have included links to these services if your need to deGoogle your life trumps (no pun intended) your dislike of the current US administration.

Posted in: Advice, i-Brarian

The Pod(y) in the Library: Bad Librarians

February 13, 2025 6:48 pm ,

I have started a new series on my long-dormant podcast. I have called the series Bad Librarians, in it I am casting a critical eye at librarians who have harmed both the profession as well as the communities they were supposed to serve.

I was going to start with the so-called “father of modern librarianship” Melvil Dewey but due to what is currently happening in the US and elsewhere I decided to jump right in with Nazi Librarians. You can take a listen below.

Posted in: Podcasts

Carnegies Long-lists Announced

February 12, 2025 4:40 pm ,

The 2025 Carnegie Medal for Writing longlist is (alphabetical by author surname):

 

  • On Silver Tides by Sylvia Bishop (Andersen Press)
  • You Could Be So Pretty by Holly Bourne (Usborne)
  • I Am Wolf by Alastair Chisholm (Nosy Crow)
  • Treacle Town by Brian Conaghan (Andersen Press)
  • Sisters of the Moon by Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick (Faber & Faber)
  • The Things We Leave Behind by Clare Furniss (Simon & Schuster)
  • The Final Year by Matt Goodfellow, illustrated by Joe Todd-Stanton (Otter-Barry Books)
  • Island of Whispers by Frances Hardinge, illustrated by Emily Gravett (Macmillan Children’s)
  • If My Words Had Wings by Danielle Jawando (Simon & Schuster)
  • King of Nothing by Nathanael Lessore (Bonnier Books UK)
  • Little Bang by Kelly McCaughrain (Walker)
  • Glasgow Boys by Margaret McDonald (Faber & Faber)
  • Trigger by C.G. Moore (Little Island Books)
  • All That It Ever Meant by Blessing Musariri (Head of Zeus)
  • Play by Luke Palmer (Firefly Press)
  • Fallout by Lesley Parr (Bloomsbury Publishing)
  • The Wrong Shoes by Tom Percival (Simon & Schuster)
  • Louder Than Hunger by John Schu (Walker)
  • Us in the Before and After by Jenny Valentine (Simon & Schuster)

The 2025 Carnegie Medal for Illustration longlist is (alphabetical by illustrator surname):

 

  • The Last Zookeeper by Aaron Becker (Walker)
  • The Invisible Story by Wen Hsu Chen, written by Jaime Gamboa, translated by Daniel Hahn (Lantana)
  • Grey by Lauren Child, written by Laura Dockrill (Walker)
  • Flower Block by Hoang Giang, written by Lanisha Butterfield (Puffin)
  • I Love Books by Mariajo Ilustrajo (Quarto)
  • The Dictionary Story by Oliver Jeffers and Sam Winston (Walker)
  • Clever Crow by Olivia Lomenech Gill, written by Chris Butterworth (Walker)
  • Dive, Dive into the Night Sea by Thea Lu (Walker)
  • Letters in Charcoal by Juan Palomino, written by Irene Vasco, translated by Lawrence Schimel (Lantana)
  • Homebody by Theo Parish (Macmillan Children’s Books)
  • The Bridges by Tom Percival (Simon & Schuster)
  • Wolf and Bear by Kate Rolfe (Macmillan Children’s Books)
  • Flying High by Yu Rong, written by Cao Wenxuan, translated by Simone Monnelly (UCLan Publishing)
  • Do You Remember? by Sydney Smith (Walker)
  • Grandad’s Star by Rhian Stone, written by Frances Tosdevin (Harper Collins Publishers)
  • The Wild by Yuval Zommer (Oxford University Press)

 

The Carnegies celebrate outstanding achievement in children’s writing and illustration and are unique in being judged by children’s librarians, with the Shadowers’ Choice Medals voted for by children and young people. The awards aim to spark a lifelong passion for reading by connecting more children with books that will change lives. The longlists were chosen from 119 nominations by the judging panel which includes 14 children’s and youth librarians from CILIP’s Youth Libraries Group.

Posted in: Carnegie, Carnegies, Kate Greenaway

A Fix of Light

February 5, 2025 1:12 pm ,

Hanan is supposed to be dead.

The forest outside Skenashogue sent him home alive – but changed. A strange new magic makes every emotion a physical force he can’t control.

Bright and gentle, fox-like Pax is everything Hanan is not. And when he touches Hana he mutes his secret power, quiets the curse.

To survive their own darkness they’ll need to open up to each other. But Hanan isn’t sure Pax will like what he finds out …Can their love help them find their way back to the light?

Little Island

Be Careful. The dark is listening.

The cover blurb on the proof states “The latest YA debut from Little Island is a trans love story with a dark magical twist from an astonishing new voice in Irish writing”…and it doesn’t lie about it being dark! It is definitely not one for a precocious younger reader. The content note is stark:

A Fix of Light contains references to suicide and self-harm, depression, anxiety and episodes of psychosis, as well as other symptoms associated with borderline personality disorder. It also contains graphic depictions of homophobic and transphobic hate speech and physical violence, and references to past sexual assault, Reader discretion is advised.

The prologue sets the tone, as a boy walks into the forest intending to die. To be honest, I found those first few pages extremely difficult to read and wasn’t sure I wanted to continue, but I did, and was quickly drawn into the story of Hanan and Pax. I keep typing sentences and deleting them because they feel a bit too spoilery, but the magical fantasy aspects are woven neatly into a contemporary story of two traumatised teenagers. Dual POV, their worlds very quickly revolve around one another, for better and for worse, with a classic ‘things get worse before they get better’ storyline. The reader is drawn in by their hopeful, tentative connections and the heartbreaking events that test them, it is hard going at times but also a very satisfying read.

Kel wrote a thoughtful piece for TeenLibrarian about writing through the conflicting memories of childhood wonder and teenage angst:

When I was a child, I spent one week every summer with my mom’s side of the family – grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and all – in Dingle. It was my favourite week of the year.

We wrote messages to mermaids in the sand, sipped hot chocolate from flasks, shared halved apples, and searched for faeries among the fuschia. I remember staring out across the sea at the Sleeping Giant, hoping to see his chest rise and fall, or standing on top of cliffs and staring down at the shifting water, seeking flashes of mermaid’s tails. I was an explorer, an adventurer, just like the protagonists of my favourite books, and the air was thick with potential and magic.

When I started writing A Fix of Light, I was about 16 years old, and I was becoming increasingly unhappy that with each passing year I grew further from childhood and closer to adulthood. Adults, in my opinion, were disenchanted and miserable creatures. I raged against my descent into such banality. What better way to fight disenchantment than to write?

I knew I wanted A Fix of Light to have magic. I knew I wanted it to be set in Ireland, somewhere by the sea. Looking back, I think I was trying to preserve some of that childhood wonder. Every time I sat down to write a little more, I could steep in those memories, try to conjure up the feelings again and translate them onto a page. The act of writing the book, as well as the finished product, could keep those memories pressed like flowers.

The story, though, and the characters, were born of my teenage self. If you are or have ever been a teenager, you know that self-actualisation is a pretty uncomfortable process. Lots of growing pains. I was figuring out How To Write A Novel and Who I Am at the same time, against the backdrop of idyllic childhood memories. How do I make these contrasting flavours complement each other? How do I make this novel coherent, when it feels like I am trying to cram a thousand of my selves into it?

Phillip Pullman, the author of His Dark Materials and other fantastic works, wrote that “…if we are going to do any good in the world, we have to leave childhood behind” (Introduction to Oxford UP’s World’s Classics ed. of Paradise Lost, 2005). I will never be a child again, and that used to make me sad. It felt like someone had locked the door to my favourite room, and hidden the key on Mars. I wanted to go back, and I never could. That is sad, I suppose. But spending the rest of my life staring at a locked door would be much worse.

Trading your childhood for adulthood is exactly that: a trade. You are not left empty-handed, but exchange your innocence for experience and wisdom. Here’s another great Pullman quote: “Innocence is not wise; wisdom cannot be innocent.” (“The Writing of Stories”, May 2002). I have gained wisdom – and will hopefully continue to collect it forever – which has opened a thousand new doors.

As I got older, I realised that adults are not necessarily miserable and disenchanted creatures. In fact, one of the brilliant things about being an adult is that you become responsible for creating the magic. I can make it with my mind, with my hands, with speech, with writing. I did not have to surrender my wonder or enchantment; I just had to start making my own. That’s how I made my childhood wonder and teenage angst become friends.

That’s how I made A Fix of Light.

Kel Menton (they/them) is a non-binary, neurodivergent writer from Cork in Ireland. Kel works in youth theatre as a facilitator and playwright mentor. They were selected as a Young Writer Delegate for the 2021 Dublin Book Festival. They hold a master’s in medieval English literature from University College Cork.

Thankyou to Little Island for sending me a proof copy to review and to Antonia Wilkinson for organising the guest post.

A FIX OF LIGHT publishes on the 6th February 2025.

Posted in: Reviews, YA