Little Door Books founder wins Scottish picture book prize

Alan Windram, the founder of independent publishing company Little Door Books, has won this year’s £3,000 Bookbug Picture Book Prize for a title he created with illustrator Chloe Holwill-Hunter.

One Button Benny, written by Windram and illustrated by Holwill-Hunter, is about a robot who one day decides to press the emergency button on his tummy. It was chosen by children aged 3-7 as the winner via a public vote.

“I don't really know quite what to say, I am so thrilled, excited and humbled that so many children have voted for my book with Chloe to win this fabulous prize,” said Windram. “I am absolutely over the moon. Thank you so much to everyone who took Benny to their hearts and voted for One Button Benny to win. We are all different, we are all special and we all have something to give.”

The runners-up were Eric Makes a Splash by Emily MacKenzie (Bloomsbury) and I am Bat by Morag Hood (Two Hoots Books), and the shortlisted authors and illustrators will share prizes of £500 per book.

The prize is for picture books by authors and illustrators in Scotland and is organised by Scottish Book Trust, which will give a copies of the books on the shortlist to every Primary 1 child during Book Week Scotland (19th to 25th November).

Windram founded Little Door Books in 2016 and also publishes children’s titles by Vivian French, Emily Dodd and Barry Hutchison. Earlier this year, he was highly commended at the Saltire Literary Awards in the emerging publisher of the year category.