Celebrated crime writer Ann Cleeves - creator of the Vera Stanhope, Jimmy Perez and Matthew Venn series - has been chosen as recipient of our inaugural Public Library Champion award. The award has been established to recognise a public figure who has used their platform to promote, celebrate and raise awareness of libraries.

Cleeves, who is the author of 37 critically acclaimed crime novels, has been an outspoken advocate for public libraries throughout her career. Most significantly, Cleeves initiated and part-funded her Reading for Wellbeing project with local authorities across the North East. The project brings together libraries, public health departments and charities, employing trained community reading workers to introduce participants to the power of reading for pleasure to improve health and wellbeing.

Find out more about Reading for Wellbeing here. Queries about the project should be addressed to readingforwellbeinguk@gmail.com.

The scheme, which was established to mark the 21st anniversary of Cleeves’ North East detective character Vera Stanhope, is supported by five North East local authorities: Northumberland, North Tyneside, Gateshead, Co Durham and South Tees. GPs, social prescribers and community workers can refer individuals who may be struggling with chronic pain, anxiety, stress, depression or loneliness to the reading workers, who provide access to books, enthusiastic librarians and other readers.

Cleeves will receive the award in person at our annual Awards ceremony, alongside 12 public library workers who have had an exceptional impact on their library service, library users or their local communities.

Ann Cleeves said:

I'm honoured and delighted to be receiving this award. Without libraries, I wouldn't be a writer. There'd be no Vera or Shetland on our screens, selling all over the world and bringing money and tourists into our country. More importantly, I probably wouldn't be a reader.

Isobel Hunter, chief executive of Libraries Connected, said:

"Ann is a hugely deserving winner of our very first Public Library Champion award. Not only is Ann a lifelong advocate for libraries and professional librarians, she has personally initiated and sponsored an inspirational project that brings the power of reading to those who might never experience it. Despite Ann’s enormous critical and commercial success she has never stopped celebrating the wonder and imaginative power of public libraries.