Latest news with #CarnegieMedal
Daily Record
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Unassuming 1937 book worth £24k - and other books that could land you a cash windfall
Experts have warned that it's easy to underestimate the value of first edition novels If you've got a collection of old books gathering dust at home, it might be time to take a second glance. Specialists are now highlighting the potential fortune to be found in first-edition novels, with one sought-after title fetching a whopping £24,000 last year. The book causing a stir is none other than J. R.R. Tolkien's 1937 masterpiece 'There and Back Again', also known as 'The Hobbit'. Set in Middle Earth, this story chronicles Bilbo Baggins, wizard Gandalf, and 13 dwarves on their quest to recover treasure guarded by the formidable dragon Smaug. The story leapt from page to big screen in 2012, becoming a cinematic sensation 75 years after its original release, with Martin Freeman portraying the Hobbit. Last May, Kinghams Auctioneers predicted that the original book would fetch 'between £7,000 and £10,000', with just 1,500 copies published in September 1937. However, on the day of the auction, the novel fetched more than twice that estimate, selling for an eye-watering £24,000. "When published it was nominated for the Carnegie Medal and awarded a prize from the New York Herald Tribune for best juvenile fiction," the auctioneers explained previously, according to the Mirror. "It is illustrated in black and white by Tolkien who also designed the dust cover. During the war, the book was unavailable due to paper rationing. On the first edition, first impression there is a manual correction on the rear inner flap for 'Dodgeson', (better known as Lewis Carroll)." While first editions of The Hobbit usually fetch between £6,000 and over £20,000 at auction, signed copies can exceed £60,000 in value. With this in mind, David Joyson, a home insurance expert at Homeprotect, recommends a thorough search of personal book collections for potential hidden gems. This isn't just applicable to old versions of The Hobbit, either. In 2024, Hanson Auctioneers revealed that one first-edition Harry Potter book, initially purchased for £10 in 1997, went under the hammer for £36,000. Other copies have reached £64,000 and £12,000 at Rare Book Auctions. "It's amazing to see how much the value of these novels has increased, and during tough financial times, it may inspire a lot of us to dig through our garages, attics, and storage units for hidden treasures that may be worth far more than expected," Mr Joyson said. "First edition books are a highly collectable and often overlooked and underestimated item of value, so before you give away or donate your old children's books, do your research to ensure you aren't throwing away a small fortune. "If you have any of these valuable items lying around your home, or if you come across an item you think may have a high value, get them professionally valued, so you know if they are worth insuring and to avoid underinsuring. "Rare or antique books may be covered by your contents insurance, but it's always worth checking the specific policy terms with your insurer and to confirm that you have an adequate amount of contents cover." Specialists at We Buy Books also last year revealed several other books that could fetch you a hefty sum. Among them are: First Edition Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl - worth approximately £1,000 First Edition Sherlock Holmes: The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle - worth approximately £5,000 First Edition Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald - worth approximately £10,370 First Edition James Bond: On Her Majesty's Secret Service by Ian Fleming - worth approximately £13,000
Yahoo
29-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'My award-winning book was ignored by 60 agents'
Margaret McDonald says being raised working-class in Glasgow meant she was often self-deprecating and doubtful of her writing abilities. At school, she said it was embarrassing to try and succeed at creative subjects - but she knew she was onto a winner with her debut novel Glasgow Boys. More than 60 agents ignored her attempts to pitch the book before she finally secured representation. And now the 27-year-old has been named the youngest ever winner of the Carnegie Medal for Writing in its almost 90-year history. "It's just been a complete whirlwind," she said. "It was beyond my wildest imagination of what we would achieve for Glasgow Boys when we published it." The Carnegies are the UK's longest-running book awards for children and young people and are judged by a panel of children's and youth librarians. The awards were established in 1936 in memory of Scottish philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. Glasgow Boys follows two teenagers navigating the care system and the invisible barriers that come with that in adulthood. McDonald wrote large parts of the novel while she recovered from an operation related to her Crohn's disease. She said: "As someone who is invisibly disabled, working class and a first-generation university student, it was important to me to showcase the difficulties of making your way through a world that is essentially not built for you. "We don't often speak of these invisible barriers but navigate them regardless. "It was something that was deeply important for me to showcase the strength, the community, the humour and the love of the people within Glasgow Boys." The author said she decided to donate her £5,000 prize money to Action for Children, a charity which helps vulnerable children in and out of care. "I'm hoping it can make a difference," McDonald said. "The care system is probably the biggest theme in Glasgow Boys and it's not something that I have lived through. "So it felt really important to me that Glasgow Boys made an actual real world impact on the lives of people in care and people coming out of care. "I couldn't think of a better use for the money than making sure Glasgow Boys was an actual force for good." The eponymous Glasgow Boys are Finlay and Banjo, two teenagers who McDonald says are "like chalk and cheese". Finlay is studying nursing at the University of Glasgow, while Banjo is trying to settle into a new foster family and finish high school. "I wanted to write about two characters who would have no reason to know one another and they would be forced into this close-proximity situation," she said. "To me, Glasgow Boys is about unconventional forms of love, platonic and romantic. "Banjo and Finlay have a real kinship, like platonic soulmates, and it felt very important that they were really different and came from different backgrounds." McDonald said she hoped the book would provide a platform for dialogue around the care system even if people disagreed with its portrayal in the novel. More stories from Glasgow & West Scotland More stories from Scotland She said she also hired a sensitivity reader who had first-hand experience of the care system to ensure the book was authentic. McDonald added: "If people are interested in writing about lived experiences that aren't your own like marginalised identities, there are ways to go about it sensitively. "You don't have to write an autobiography or keep to your own experiences, you can definitely venture out. "But if you're touching upon a community you're not a part of, I would encourage people to get in touch with that community and make sure you have their best interests in mind." McDonald started writing the novel at 19 while she took time out from her creative writing studies at Strathclyde University to recover from a bowel operation related to her Crohn's disease. She was forced to shield during the pandemic due to being immunosuppressed and high risk, and the novel began to take shape during that time. By the middle of 2022, McDonald had finished the book and it was ready to be pitched to agents. She said Glasgow Boys was just one of ten books she had written since she was a teenager, but she was convinced it was her best. "I was a dog with a bone and cold-queried agents and pitched myself," she said. "It's a really mortifying ordeal and you have to really sell yourself and why your book is brilliant and unlike any book published. "Especially with being brought up Scottish and working class, you're just taught to be very self-deprecating - but having confidence in yourself is how you'll succeed." She said she cold-called about 60 agents over eight months, before she finally got an offer of representation. "I started in January and gave myself until August to find an agent," she said. "And finally an offer came in at the end of July." The panel of judges at the Carnegies praised the book for it's "honest" and "hopeful" tale. Ros Harding, chair of the judges, said: "Glasgow Boys is an immersive and visceral read that completely draws the reader into the present and past lives of Finlay and Banjo. "It is a book that will stay in the mind of the reader long after finishing it." Call to reinstate illustrator's name on award McCaughrean wins second Carnegie medal
BBC News
29-06-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
'My award-winning book was ignored by 60 agents'
Margaret McDonald says being raised working-class in Glasgow meant she was often self-deprecating and doubtful of her writing school, she said it was embarrassing to try and succeed at creative subjects - but she knew she was onto a winner with her debut novel Glasgow than 60 agents ignored her attempts to pitch the book before she finally secured now the 27-year-old has been named the youngest ever winner of the Carnegie Medal for Writing in its almost 90-year history. "It's just been a complete whirlwind," she said. "It was beyond my wildest imagination of what we would achieve for Glasgow Boys when we published it."The Carnegies are the UK's longest-running book awards for children and young people and are judged by a panel of children's and youth awards were established in 1936 in memory of Scottish philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. 'Invisible barriers' Glasgow Boys follows two teenagers navigating the care system and the invisible barriers that come with that in wrote large parts of the novel while she recovered from an operation related to her Crohn's said: "As someone who is invisibly disabled, working class and a first-generation university student, it was important to me to showcase the difficulties of making your way through a world that is essentially not built for you."We don't often speak of these invisible barriers but navigate them regardless. "It was something that was deeply important for me to showcase the strength, the community, the humour and the love of the people within Glasgow Boys." The author said she decided to donate her £5,000 prize money to Action for Children, a charity which helps vulnerable children in and out of care."I'm hoping it can make a difference," McDonald said. "The care system is probably the biggest theme in Glasgow Boys and it's not something that I have lived through. "So it felt really important to me that Glasgow Boys made an actual real world impact on the lives of people in care and people coming out of care. "I couldn't think of a better use for the money than making sure Glasgow Boys was an actual force for good." Different backgrounds The eponymous Glasgow Boys are Finlay and Banjo, two teenagers who McDonald says are "like chalk and cheese".Finlay is studying nursing at the University of Glasgow, while Banjo is trying to settle into a new foster family and finish high school. "I wanted to write about two characters who would have no reason to know one another and they would be forced into this close-proximity situation," she said."To me, Glasgow Boys is about unconventional forms of love, platonic and romantic."Banjo and Finlay have a real kinship, like platonic soulmates, and it felt very important that they were really different and came from different backgrounds."McDonald said she hoped the book would provide a platform for dialogue around the care system even if people disagreed with its portrayal in the novel. She said she also hired a sensitivity reader who had first-hand experience of the care system to ensure the book was added: "If people are interested in writing about lived experiences that aren't your own like marginalised identities, there are ways to go about it sensitively. "You don't have to write an autobiography or keep to your own experiences, you can definitely venture out. "But if you're touching upon a community you're not a part of, I would encourage people to get in touch with that community and make sure you have their best interests in mind."McDonald started writing the novel at 19 while she took time out from her creative writing studies at Strathclyde University to recover from a bowel operation related to her Crohn's disease. She was forced to shield during the pandemic due to being immunosuppressed and high risk, and the novel began to take shape during that time. 'Honest and hopeful' By the middle of 2022, McDonald had finished the book and it was ready to be pitched to said Glasgow Boys was just one of ten books she had written since she was a teenager, but she was convinced it was her best."I was a dog with a bone and cold-queried agents and pitched myself," she said. "It's a really mortifying ordeal and you have to really sell yourself and why your book is brilliant and unlike any book published. "Especially with being brought up Scottish and working class, you're just taught to be very self-deprecating - but having confidence in yourself is how you'll succeed."She said she cold-called about 60 agents over eight months, before she finally got an offer of representation."I started in January and gave myself until August to find an agent," she said. "And finally an offer came in at the end of July."The panel of judges at the Carnegies praised the book for it's "honest" and "hopeful" Harding, chair of the judges, said: "Glasgow Boys is an immersive and visceral read that completely draws the reader into the present and past lives of Finlay and Banjo. "It is a book that will stay in the mind of the reader long after finishing it."
Yahoo
27-06-2025
- Yahoo
Seattle police officer awarded Carnegie Medal for Heroism
A Seattle police officer is being given one of our nation's highest awards for heroism. He's getting the Carnegie Medal for pulling a badly injured man off railroad tracks — a split second from a speeding train. Seattle Police Department (SPD) officers Edward K. Grimmer and Shannon Brown put their lives at great risk to save a man who'd fallen 25 feet off the ledge of a bridge onto tracks. With the train barreling toward them, they had less than three seconds to make a life-or-death decision. Officer Grimmer pulled the man away from the train by his hoodie, a blink before the train roared by just two feet away. 'The worst case scenario was that he was gonna fall, then somehow the worst case scenario became that he was gonna fall and get his by a train,' said the officers. The rescued man already had broken both arms and a leg, with facial and spinal fractures from the fall, but he is alive today because of those brave officers. Officer Grimmer will now receive the Carnegie Medal for braving extreme danger while saving the life of another person. He is among 17 people recognized by the Carnegie Hero Fund. In addition to this award, the Seattle Police Foundation and SPD awarded Officer Grimmer with the Medal of Honor, the highest award given to sworn and civilian employees. These officers told us last year, it's all in a day's work.
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Enterprise Vet says saving elderly neighbor from house fire was instinct: ‘I'm not a hero'
DOTHAN, Ala (WDHN) — After receiving a key to the city of Enterprise three years ago, more awards have come in for an Army veteran, who received a Carnegie Medal for saving his neighbor in a burning house in 2022. 'I'd never expected to receive anything remotely close to a national award. I just thought it was the right thing to do, I never expected it to reach this point,' said Marvin Pinckney Pinckney sprang into action to save his elderly neighbor, Mary Griffin, and her caretaker, Angie Byrd. After returning from a motorcycle ride, Pinckney noticed smoke coming from the Griffins' home on Bellwood Road, so he instructed his wife to call 911. While waiting, he decided to go to his neighbor's house to inform them that the house is on fire and that they need to get out. Enterprise vet honored with national award for saving neighbor from burning home 'When I entered the house, they were like What's going on? Where? In the garage, and what made them think it was on fire, the lights went out, and the alarm started blaring, and my only thoughts were to get us out of that situation,' said Pinckney That's when Pinckney was able to lift Griffin, who was strapped into a wheelchair, to push her through a window along with her caretaker with the help of Pinckney's wife and other neighbors before fire and rescue showed up to fight the blaze. While Pinckney did put his own life at risk, he says it was a no-brainer to leap into action, especially after serving in the military for 30 years. 'We are expected to put our lives on the line for our fellow man, and just being a decent person, knowing they were elderly. I wouldn't be able to live with myself knowing they perished,' said Pinckney. Pinckney says Griffin was beyond thankful for saving her life and always showed her appreciation. He often went to visit her after the fire, took her some oatmeal cookies because that's what she liked, and every time they sat with her, it was a big kiss and a thank you. He says he wants to thank the city of Enterprise and the Carnegie Foundation for this honor. 'I'm not a hero, just someone who wanted to help the fellow man,' said Pinckney. The Carnegie Medal, awarded by the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission, is given to citizens who demonstrate bravery while saving another. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
