Meet the judges for 500 Words panel

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Whether it's through children's books, tv shows, films or songs - one thing our judging panel all has in common is the ability to tell brilliant stories. Our incredible judges Malorie Blackman, Frank Cottrell-Boyce, Charlie Higson, Francesca Simon and Sir Lenny Henry are all back for this year's competition - alongside our brand new judge, the ��ý Introducing Artist of the Year for 2023, singer-songwriter Olivia Dean.

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Olivia Dean
The incredibly talented singer-songwriter Olivia Dean joins the 500 Words judging panel for the 2024 competition. Olivia has been nominated for a Mercury award and three Brit awards, and has played Glastonbury in both 2023 and 2024. Olivia is no stranger to the competition, the singer revealed the gold winner in the 5-7 age category at the 2023/24 grand final. Speaking at the event, Olivia said: "When I write my songs, there are no rules. As long as I'm writing a song that I really, really, love - that is what matters the most. So I hope when you write your stories, you write them because you believe in them."
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Frank Cottrell-Boyce
Frank Cottrell-Boyce first joined the 500 Words judging panel in 2013 off the back of an incredible year, where he wrote the London 2012 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony. Frank has written many children’s books, including the continuation of the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang series, the 2004 Carnegie Medal-winning Millions and the 2012 Guardian Prize-winning The Unforgotten Coat. Frank was appointed the new Children’s Laureate in 2024, pledging to spend his two-year tenure promoting the role books and reading can play in transforming children’s lives.
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Malorie Blackman
Like Frank, Malorie Blackman has been a part of the 500 Words team since 2013, the year she also became Children’s Laureate – establishing the first UK Young Adult Literature Convention during her tenure. Malorie has written more than 70 books for children and young adults, including the ground-breaking and best-selling Noughts and Crosses series – which was turned into a critically acclaimed ��ý drama in 2020. Name-checked by Stormzy in his song Superheroes, Malorie was the subject of a British Library exhibition in late 2023 that celebrated and contextualised her impact and stories.
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Sir Lenny Henry
Sir Lenny Henry joined the 500 Words team in 2023, bringing his incredible experience from a five-decade career as a television present, writer, actor and comedian. Known for shows such as Tiswas and Chef!, as well as the ground-breaking The Lenny Henry Show, Sir Lenny also co-founded Comic Relief. Sir Lenny has written five children’s books, including the popular The Boy with Wings series. Sir Lenny has credited his daughter as the inspiration behind his writing and believes passionately that it is so important the children see themselves positively represented.
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Francesca Simon
Francesca Simon has been a 500 Words judge since 2014. A best-selling author, her Horrid Henry series is known across the world, selling more than 21 million copies and having been translated into 29 different languages. She has written more than 60 different books, including The Lost Gods and The Monstrous Child – the latter of which she adapted into an opera with composer Gavin Higgins. She was awarded an MBE in the 2023 New Year’s Honours List for services to literature and was awarded a Gold Blue Peter Badge in 2009 – something she considers to be one of her proudest achievements in her illustrious career.
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Charlie Higson
A 500 Words judge for over a decade, Charlie Higson is on the panel again in 2024. Charlie is a British actor, comedian, author and writer for both radio and television. Best known as one of the creators of The Fast Show, his children’s books include The Enemy series and the first five Young Bond books, which have sold over a million copies in the UK alone, as well as being translated into over 24 different languages. Charlie released his latest children’s book, Worst. Superhero. Ever. in August 2024, the follow-up to his 2021 novel Worst. Holiday. Ever.

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