Eva Ibbotson, whose novel The Star of Kazan is on the shortlist for the Carnegie Medal, has just celebrated her 80th birthday, while Carousel, the children’s books magazine, is 10. They also have in common Lupus disease, a complex and debilitating immune system condition.

Ibbotson, who has had Lupus for many years, is endorsing Carousel’s new 2006 calendar to raise funds for the charity Lupus UK. The charity’s symbol of the butterfly unites the work of 12 children’s illustrators, sharing space with Ted Dewan’s Bing Bunny, Christopher Wormell’s Little Stone Rabbit and Jane Simmons’s Daisy. For the super-organised among us, the calendars go on sale next month (June), believe it or not. Buy loads for Christmas; just don’t forget where you put them. Send cheques payable to “Carousel Calendar” for pound;7.95 plus pound;1.50 pp.

Just in time for next weekend’s TES Welsh Education in Focus show, the Welsh Books Council has announced the shortlists for the Tir na n-Og Awards 2005, which recognise the best books for children and teenagers created or published in Wales.

The contenders for the best English language book are: In Chatter Wood by Jac Jones (Pont Books); Nat by Margaret Jones (Pont Books); The Seal Children by Jackie Morris (pictured above, Frances Lincoln); and Turning Points in Welsh History 1485-1914 by Stuart Broomfield and Euryn Madoc-Jones (University of Wales Press). The shortlist for best Welsh-language fiction is: Eco by Emily Huws (Cymdeithas Lyfrau Ceredigion); Graffiti by Angharad Devonald (Dref Wen); Gwas y Stabl by Mair Wynn Hughes (Gomer); and I’r Tir Tywyll, Elgan by Philip Davies (Cymdeithas Lyfrau Ceredigion).

The shortlist for best Welsh-language non-fiction is Byd Llawn Hud (Gwasg Gomer); Chwyldro! Chwyldro? by Robin Evans (Canolfan Astudiaethau Addysg); Dwli o Ddifri by Ceri Wyn Jones (Gwasg Gomer); and Hen Wragedd a Ffyn ac Eira Gwyn by Myrddin ap Dafydd (Gwasg Carreg Gwalch).