‘Refreshingly different voices’ Shortlist for the 2025 Branford Boase Award announced
The shortlist for the 2025 Branford Boase Award, given annually to the author and editor of the year’s outstanding debut novel for children has been announced.
It features ‘refreshingly different’ stories that demonstrate the strength of publishing for children, though the judges also complain that too many books are just too long.
Founded in 2000 to commemorate prize-winning author Henrietta Branford and influential Walker Books editor Wendy Boase, the Branford Boase Award is a barometer, identifying trends and new directions in children’s literature. It is also the only award to honour the editor of the winning title and highlights the importance of editors in nurturing new talent.
From a longlist of 20 books, the judges have chosen six to shortlist, a mix of fantasy and realism, with escapism and humour alongside hard-hitting contemporary stories.
The six shortlisted books are:
Peregrine Quinn and the Cosmic Realm by Ash Bond, edited by Ruth Bennett (Piccadilly Press)
The Boy in the Suit by James Fox, edited by Lauren Fortune (Scholastic)
Wild East by Ashley Hickson-Lovence, edited by Katie Sinfield (Penguin Random House)
All the Hidden Monsters by Amie Jordan, edited by Rachel Leyshon (Chicken House)
Glasgow Boys by Margaret McDonald, edited by Alice Swan, assisted by Ama Badu (Faber)
The Boy to Beat the Gods by Ashley Thorpe, edited by Sarah Stewart (Usborne)
Julia Eccleshare, co-founder of the Branford Boase Award and chair of the judges says, ‘There is a great deal of very good new writing out there. On another strong shortlist, we are delighted to highlight these refreshingly different voices and stories. The 2025 Branford Boase Award shortlist proves that there is nothing children’s authors can’t write about, and the breadth and variety of these outstanding books are a hallmark of the healthy state of writing and publishing for children in the UK.’
She adds however, ‘But we all agree that too many of the books we read are simply too long. Publishers are over-estimating the amount of time children are prepared to spend reading. When you’ve said what you want to say, stop!’
This year’s panel of judges is led by Nathanael Lessore, who together with his editors Ruth Bennett and Ella Whiddett won the 2024 Branford Boase Award with Steady for This. Also on the panel are Phoebe Demeger, CLPE’s librarian; author, former bookseller and now BA Bookshop Mentor Nicki Thornton; and Rumena Aktar, SLA School Librarian of the Year and expert reviewer for Inclusive Books for Children. The judging panel is chaired by Julia Eccleshare, children’s director of the Hay Festival.
The winner will be announced at a ceremony at CLPE (Centre for Literacy in Primary Education) in central London on Wednesday 9 July 2025. The winning author receives a cheque for £1,000 and both author and editor receive an inscribed plaque.
The Henrietta Branford Writing Competition, the annual competition for young people which runs in conjunction with the Branford Boase Award, is open now.
The Branford Boase Award is delivered in partnership with the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS) and supported by Walker Books.
