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Chan and Piccadilly Press editor Murray win Branford Boase award for ‘triumphant’ debut
Author Maisie Chan and her editor at Piccadilly Press, Georgie Murray, have been awarded the 2022 Branford Boase Award for Danny Chung Does Not Do Maths.
Founded in 2000, the award for an outstanding debut novel for children was set up in memory of award-winning author Henrietta Branford and her editor Wendy Boase of Walker Books, who both died in 1999. It is unique in honouring an editor as well as an author.
The judging panel, made up of Orphans of the Tide (Puffin) author and 2021 winner Struan Murray, critic Imogen Russell Williams, research and development director of CLPE Farrah Serroukh, head teacher at St Matthew’s Church of England Primary School in Birmingham Sonia Thompson, and chairperson Julia Eccleshare, children’s director of the Hay Festival and one of the co-founders of the Branford Boase Award, voted for Chan’s novel unanimously.
They praised the way the book, which follows the story of an 11-year-old whose life is turned upside down by his growing friendship with his grandmother, newly arrived from China, for the way it “it challenges racist stereotypes head-on and conveys the unexpected joy of intergenerational love while remaining full of humour and the kind of silliness children love”.
Murray said: “Our shortlist was extremely strong and each of the books featured is exceptional in some way, but Danny Chung Does Not Do Maths stands out. It is warm-hearted, funny and brims with real emotion, painting a vivid picture of the trials and joys of growing up. The character of Nai Nai in particular is a triumph; though we rarely hear her speak, Maisie Chan succeeds in giving us an unforgettable character we can’t help but love.”
Chan said of her win: “Winning the Branford Boase Award is amazing. I’m super happy for myself, but more so for my wonderful editor Georgia Murray from Piccadilly Press because she deserves recognition for helping to make Danny Chung Does Not Do Maths into the book that it became. I owe her a great deal. Thank you so much to the judges, I’m thrilled.”
Murray said: “I loved Maisie’s writing straight away – it’s fresh and funny and felt so grounded in real worlds, people and experiences. The dialogue sparkled. But I also loved Maisie’s astute and honest portrayal of her protagonist and his dilemmas straight off. And a protagonist who we just don’t see enough in children’s books – a young British-Chinese boy. It was a privilege to work with her and it’s a privilege to share the Branford Boase Award with her.”
Chan won out against a shortlist featuring Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen, edited by Carmen McCullough and Tricia Lin (Penguin), The Upper World by Femi Fadugba, edited by Emma Jones, Stephanie Stein and Asmaa Isse (Penguin), Grow by Luke Palmer, edited by Penny Thomas (Firefly Press), The Valley of Lost Secrets by Lesley Parr, edited by Zöe Griffiths (Bloomsbury), Digger and Me by Ros Roberts, edited by Ella Whiddett and Ruth Bennett (Little Tiger), The Boy who Made Everyone Laugh by Helen Rutter, edited by Lauren Fortune (Scholastic), and Grimwood by Nadia Shireen, edited by Ali Dougal (Simon and Schuster).
Previous winners of the award include Meg Rosoff, Liz Hyder, Marcus Sedgwick, M G Leonard and Frances Hardinge. Past winning editors include J K Rowling’s editor Barry Cunningham, Philip Pullman’s editor David Fickling and Fiona Kennedy, publisher of Michelle Paver, Marcus Sedgwick and Sally Gardner.
