BfK News: March 2013

The Henrietta Branford Writing Competition

The Henrietta Branford Writing Competition is an annual competition for young people which runs in conjunction with the Branford Boase Award.

The Branford Boase Award recognises a debut children’s author and their editor and was set up in memory of the outstanding children’s writer Henrietta Branford and the gifted editor, Wendy Boase, Editorial Director of Walker Books. They both died of cancer in 1999. The Henrietta Branford Writing Competition aims to find and encourage writers of the future, something Henrietta Branford was always keen to do.

The 2013 competition is open now and anyone under the age of 19 can enter. Entrants are invited to complete a story begun by last year’s winner, author of My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece, Annabel Pitcher.

Six winners will be invited to attend the Branford Boase Award celebration party in London on 5 July. There they will meet Dame Jacqueline Wilson and the authors shortlisted for the 2103 award as well as editors, publishers, agents, and other professionals in this field. They will receive a copy of each of the books shortlisted for the Branford Boase Award and be able to have their books signed.

The closing date is Friday 26 April 2013. Full details are available at www.branfordboaseaward.org.uk.

Inky Sprat: Babette Cole’s new digital publishing company

Children’s author Babette Cole, best known for her books Princess Smartypants, Dr Dog, and Mummy Laid an Egg, has set up a digital publishing company, Inky Sprat, to release e-books of her own works and those of other authors.

Babette Cole says, ‘Inky Sprat books present a traditional picture book version, beautifully laid out specifically for the iPad screen which a young child can leaf through, or read along with an adult just as they would a print book.Alternate versions add an audio or video button which activates the author reading that page aloud, allowing the child to be read to by the author. But they are still in control of the book and must navigate through page by page.Using video also allows us to include a filmed introduction where I can explain what inspired the book – a question I find I’m always asked by young readers.’

The new company has released three of Babette Cole’s titles, Lady Lupin’s Book of Etiquette, Cupid and The Trouble with Mum in the iBooksAuthor format for iPad, including audio and video of the author introducing the book and reading it aloud. More Babette Cole titles will follow in March and the company is inviting other published authors with e-book rights to their work to join them.