** UNDER EMBARGO UNTIL 00.01 GMT MONDAY 8TH MAY 2017 **
BRANFORD BOASE AWARD: SHORTLIST 2017
Seven debut authors shortlisted for award known as ‘the one
to watch’
Stars of the future named on the shortlist for the award that singles out the
most talented debut authors for children
Two from Chicken House on the shortlist including Waterstones Children’s
Book Award winner Girl of Ink and Stars by Kiran Millwood Hargrave
Middle grade dominates on “particularly strong, varied and interesting list”
The shortlist for the 2017 Branford Boase Award is announced today (Monday 8th
May 2017). The Branford Boase Award is given annually to the author of an
outstanding debut novel for children. Uniquely, it also honours the editor of the
winning title and highlights the importance of the editor in nurturing new talent.
Now in its seventeenth year the Branford Boase Award is recognised as one of the
most important awards in children’s books with an impressive record in identifying
authors with special talent at the start of their careers. Previous winners and
shortlisted authors include Siobhan Dowd, Meg Rosoff, Mal Peet, Philip Reeve,
Frank Cottrell Boyce and Patrick Ness; last year’s Costa Book Award winner
Frances Hardinge won with her debut novel Fly By Night in 2006. The shortlist for
the 2017 award is as follows:
Cogheart by Peter Bunzl, edited by Rebecca Hill (Usborne)
We Are Giants by Amber Lee Dodd, edited by Niamh Mulvey (Quercus)
Little Bits of Sky by S.E. Durrant, edited by Kirsty Stansfield (Nosy Crow)
The Bubble Boy by Stewart Foster, edited by Rachel Mann (Simon and Schuster)
The Girl of Ink and Stars by Kiran Millwood Hargrave, edited by Rachel Leyson
(Chicken House)
Beetle Boy by M G Leonard, edited by Barry Cunningham and Rachel Leyson
(Chicken House)
Riverkeep by Martin Stewart edited by Shannon Cullen and Sharyn November
(Penguin Random House)
The rules for the Branford Boase Award state that the award is for the most
promising book for children aged seven and up by a first novelist. The author may
The Branford Boase Award gratefully acknowledges support from Walker Books and
Dame Jacqueline Wilson O.B.E.
have published books in another genre but eligibility requires that this be their first
novel for children. Two books longlisted for the 2017 award, Eden Summer by Liz
Flanagan and Orangeboy by Patrice Lawrence, were discovered to be ineligible and
were withdrawn as the authors have previously written short novels for children.
This year the judges are Brenda Gardner, former children’s editor and founder of
Piccadilly Press; Joanna Halpin, manager at Waterstones Trafalgar Square;
Elizabeth McDonald, winner of the 2016 Public Librarian of the Year Award; and
Horatio Clare, author of Aubrey and the Terrible Yoot, winner of the 2016
Branford Boase Award. The panel is chaired by Julia Eccleshare, children’s
director of the Hay Festival.
Julia Eccleshare says: “Children’s publishing in the UK is an extremely healthy
state and this is a particularly strong, varied and interesting list. There are moving
contemporary stories that vividly depict modern family relationships; inventive and
brilliantly imagined fantasy stories; stories that will move and inspire readers; and
some to make them laugh. Any one of these seven authors would be a worthy winner
and we are already excited about what they will write next.”
The winner of the 2017 Branford Boase Award will be announced on Wednesday 5th
July at a ceremony in London. Frances Hardinge will present the winner with a
cheque for £1,000 and both author and editor will receive a unique, hand-crafted
silver-inlaid box.
For further information please contact Andrea Reece on 07807893369 or
[email protected]
Notes to Editors:
The annual Branford Boase Award celebrates the most promising book for seven
year-olds and upwards written by a first-time novelist and also highlights the
importance of the editor in the development of new authors. The shortlisted authors
may have published other books in another genre – for example, poetry or a picture
book – but eligibility for the prize requires that this is their first children’s novel.
As well as encouraging publishers to find and promote new writers, the Award sets
out to alert readers of all ages to the work of interesting newcomers.
The Branford Boase Award was set up in memory of the outstanding and prizewinning author Henrietta Branford and Wendy Boase, editorial director and one of
the founders of Walker Books. They worked together on a number of Henrietta’s
novels, a partnership they greatly enjoyed. Both Henrietta and Wendy died of cancer
in 1999.
Running alongside the Branford Boase Award, the Henrietta Branford Writing
Competition encourages writing talent in under 18s.
The Award is the joint idea of Julia Eccleshare and Anne Marley. Julia is chair of
PLR and director of the Hay Festival children’s programme as well as a regular
contributor to Radio 4’s Front Row and Open Book programmes. Anne is now codirector of Authors Aloud UK and was Head of Children’s, Youth & Schools Services
The Branford Boase Award gratefully acknowledges support from Walker Books and
Dame Jacqueline Wilson O.B.E.
for Hampshire Library & Information Service for many years. She has served on
many children’s book award panels, including the CILIP Carnegie & Kate Greenaway
Awards.
Last year’s winners were Horatio Clare and his editor Penny Thomas with Aubrey
and the Terrible Yoot (Firefly Press).
More than 70 books were submitted for the 2017 award, by 25 different publishers, a
record number.
For more information about the award, including a full list of past winners, and
the Henrietta Branford Writing Competition visit
www.branfordboaseaward.org.uk .
Or contact Andrea Reece on 07807893369 or [email protected]
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The Branford Boase Award gratefully acknowledges support from Walker Books and
Dame Jacqueline Wilson O.B.E.