Overview
- Lawrence was formally installed as Waterstones Children’s Laureate on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, and was presented with the bespoke laureate medal by outgoing holder Frank Cottrell Boyce at the Barbican Centre in London.
- She is an award‑winning writer best known for Orangeboy and has been recognised with an MBE and election as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, credentials organisers say give weight to her new public role.
- Lawrence says she will prioritise promoting reading, storytelling and sociable shared reading experiences to help children feel seen and valued and to strengthen community ties through books.
- Her programme will be supported by BookTrust and Waterstones as part of the National Year of Reading, a campaign that arrives at a moment when National Literacy Trust data show only about one in three children enjoy reading in their free time.
- Lawrence’s lived experience of private foster care and family hardship informs her focus on representation and reaching marginalised children, a stance that could expand school outreach, local reading groups and support for grassroots reading champions.