Bailey, Huxley-Jones, Agbabi and Leeds shortlisted for Adrien Prize 

Lily Bailey’s When I See Blue (Orion Children’s) and Lizzie Huxley-Jones’ Vivi Conway and the Sword of Legend (Knights Of) have both been shortlisted for the Adrien Prize.  

This year marks the second year of the prize, which celebrates commercial children’s fiction exploring the disability experience, created by author Elle McNicoll.  

When I See Blue was described by McNicoll as a “brilliant portrayal of OCD” in the school setting, while Vivi Conway and the Sword of Legend follows a group of friends, including disabled protagonist Vivi, as they take on Arthurian myths in the modern day.  

Patience Agbabi’s The Circle Breakers (Canongate) was also shortlisted alongside Thomas Leeds’ Jayben and the Golden Torch (Hodder). Agbabi’s novel asks, what would happen if neurodivergent children could jump through time? While the latter offers a fantasy shown through the lens of epilepsy in a story that McNicoll calls “fresh and fab”. 

In a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, McNicoll said: “It was really hard to put this shortlist together, as there were so many great entries this year... as ever, our winner will be chosen by a team of young readers. Children vote for the winner, because children’s opinions are the ones that matter. I only have a job because kids love my books.”  

Commenting on current disability tropes in children’s fiction, McNicoll added: “Disabled leads can be fun and happy and nuanced and in control of the narrative and, most importantly, not dead or cured by the end.”