MATSON LIBRARY
On Sunday 10 October, during The Times and The Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival, Bernardine Evaristo, Booker Prize-winning author and academic, presented the winning libraries with their prizes at the Queens Hotel. A cheque for £5,000 went to the winners, Matson Library, while each of the runners-up (Bishops Cleeve, Gloucester and Gloucestershire Libraries HQ Digital Team) received £1,000.
Photograph courtesy Jennie Scott (2018)
In the words of Chair of Judges, Debby Thacker, ‘This thoughtful and tenacious project, by creating pop-up library spaces in the local community, is having a real impact. It has increased the visibility and accessibility of the library, but has also given the librarians new awareness of the needs of their community, By taking the library out of the building and into the community the Matson team were able to reach a much wider population, many of whom barely knew of the existence of the library, or else hadn’t realised what the library could do for them. This kind of project can run and run and could be expanded (and is already in place elsewhere).’
Charlotte Brunsden (second right) presents the Willans Bowl to the Matson team: left to right, Sally Williams, Margaret Fox, Kim Edwards and Cath Gardner. Picture copyright Still Moving Media.
Ali Mawle, from Cheltenham Festivals, introduced the prizegiving event before Sir Michael McWilliam spoke on behalf of The Vaisey Trust. Pictures courtesy Still Moving Media.
The winners in celebratory mood! Picture copyright Kate Bodoano.
