'Geek Girl' joins seven-strong Branford Boase shortlist

The organisers of the Branford Boase award today (1st May) announced this year’s shortlist, with Holly Smale’s Geek Girl (HarperCollins), winner of the recent Waterstones teen book prize, among the contenders.
 
The award is given annually to the author and editor of the most outstanding debut novel for children and this year seven books were shortlisted from 60 submissions.

Geek Girl by Holly Smale, edited by Lizzie Clifford (HarperCollins), is joined on the shortlist by Winter Damage by Natasha Carthew, edited by Rebecca McNally (Bloomsbury), Infinite Sky by C J Flood, edited by Venetia Gosling (Simon and Schuster), Wild Boy by Rob Lloyd Jones edited by Mara Bergman (Walker), Red Ink by Julie Mayhew, edited by Emily Thomas (Hot Key), Alex the Dog and the Unopenable Door by Ross Montgomery, edited by Rebecca Lee & Susila Baybars (Faber) and The Poison Boy by Fletcher Moss, edited by Imogen Cooper and Barry Cunningham (Chicken House).
 
“This year’s shortlist is exceptionally diverse, here are seven very different books,” said chair of the judging panel Julia Eccleshare. “But not only are they all very well written, they all feel exceptionally fresh and original: these are stories we haven’t read before, and that is very exciting.”
 
The judging panel, which includes Tamara Macfarlane, author and owner of the Tales on Moon Lane bookshop, and Dave Shelton, last year’s winner of the Branford Boase award for A Boy and a Bear in a Boat (David Fickling Books), will now choose the winning book.
 
The winner of the 2014 Branford Boase award will be announced at a ceremony in London 10th July. The winning author and editor will receive a prize of £1,000.