Alice Oseman, Anissa de Gomery and Gavin Hetherington to judge the YA Book Prize

Alice Oseman, author-illustrator of graphic novel series Heartstopper, has been announced as a judge of the YA Book Prize in celebration of its 10th anniversary year.

Anissa de Gomery, co-founder and c.e.o. of book subscription company FairyLoot, joins Oseman on this year’s roster alongside book content creator Gavin Hetherington. "Knowing how important Young Adult literature was to me when I was growing up, and being able to be a part of something that will recognise the YA books of today, means the world to me," said Hetherington. 

De Gomery added: "As a judge among other brilliant industry professionals for the YA Book Prize, I am thrilled to dive into the enchanting worlds crafted by talented authors, discovering stories that ignite imagination and spark meaningful conversations."

Also judging will be children and schools programme director of the Edinburgh International Book Festival (EIBF) Rachel Fox and chair of the YA Book Prize, and The Bookseller’s staff writer, Katie Fraser. 

Oseman, who won the prize in 2021 with Loveless (HarperCollins Children’s), commented: "I’ve been a part of the UK YA community and have felt their support and encouragement for almost a decade, and I can’t wait to return some of that love by shining a spotlight on some of the incredible stories being written right now in the UK and Ireland."

Run in partnership with EIBF and The Bookseller magazine, the YA Book Prize celebrates the best Young Adult fiction titles from the UK and Ireland. This year’s winner ceremony will be held at EIBF on 22nd August. 

Last year Danielle Jawando took the prize for her powerful coming-of-age novel When Our Worlds Collided (Simon & Schuster Children’s). Previous winners include Adiba Jaigirdar, Juno Dawson and Patrice Lawrence. 

More information can be found on the YA Book Prize website.