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Books by Nadia Shireen, Femi Fadugba and Natasha Bowen have been shortlisted for the Branford Boase Award, in year that saw a record number of submissions, producing an eight-strong shortlist, the longest since the award was founded.
Created in 2000 to commemorate author Henrietta Branford and influential Walker Books editor Wendy Boase, the award is presented annually to the author of the year’s outstanding debut novel for children. It also honours the editor of the winning title and highlights the importance of the editor in nurturing new talent.
Described as "laugh out loud" by the judges, Shireen’s Grimwood (Simon & Schuster), edited by Ali Dougal, is listed alongside The Upper World by Fadugba, an "ambitious" sci-fi thriller edited by Emma Jones, Stephanie Stein and Asmaa Isse (Penguin). Also shortlisted is Skin of the Sea by Bowen, a reimagining of the the Little Mermaid tale rooted in West African mythology and history, edited by Carmen McCullough and Tricia Lin (Penguin).
Also on the shortlist are: Danny Chung Does Not Do Maths by Maisie Chan, edited by Georgia Murray (Piccadilly Press); Grow by Luke Palmer, edited by Penny Thomas (Firefly); 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); and The Boy who Made Everyone Laugh by Helen Rutter, edited by Lauren Fortune (Scholastic).
This year’s judges are Struan Murray, author and winner of the 2021 Branford Boase Award; critic Imogen Russell Williams; Farrah Serroukh, research and development director at the Centre For Literacy in Primary Education; and Sonia Thompson, head teacher at St Matthew’s Church of England Primary School, Birmingham. The judging panel is chaired by Julia Eccleshare, children’s director of the Hay Festival.
Eccleshare, who is also a co-founder of the award, said: “Each year we are impressed by the quality of new voices and the skilful work done by editors to nurture them. Now in its 23rd year, the Branford Boase Award has become a touchstone for the world of children’s books, identifying not just the most talented and promising new authors but the direction of writing for children. No wonder the 2022 shortlist is longer than any previous year: it reflects a moment of noticeable change in the types of stories being told. The authorial ambition demonstrated in these eight books is inspiring as it reflects the writers’ understanding of the needs of today’s readers; their confidence in those readers’ willingness to read outside their own experiences is exhilarating.”
The winner will be announced at a ceremony in central London on Thursday 14th July. The winning author receives a cheque for £1,000, and both author and editor receive an inscribed plaque.