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‘Magnificent’ Seven: Shortlist for the 2026 Branford Boase Award announced

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The shortlist has been announced for the prestigious Branford Boase Award, given annually to the author and editor of the year’s outstanding debut novel for children.

Founded in 2000 to commemorate prize-winning author Henrietta Branford and her editor Wendy Boase, co-founder of Walker Books, the Branford Boase Award consistently highlights the most talented new writers for children at the very start of their careers. In the last five years alone, winners and shortlisted authors include Maisie Chan, Struan Murray, Hiba Noor Khan, JP Rose, Matt Goodfellow, Elle McNicoll and Nathanael Lessore. Margaret McDonald won in 2025 with Glasgow Boys.

The Branford Boase Award also honours the editor of the winning book and highlights the importance of editors in nurturing new talent. It is the only award to do this.

This year, seven books are on the shortlist – a rom com, a horror story, thought-provoking contemporary stories for YA readers, a sci-fi thriller, and two rich, meaningful stories for pre-teen and early teen readers.

The shortlist is:

Tart by Becki Jayne Crossley, edited by Cathy Liney (Bloomsbury)

How to Roller Skate with One Leg by Ella Dove, illustrated by Jennifer Jamieson, edited by Anne Marie Ryan (Orchard Books)

Evie and Maryam’s Family Tree by Janeen Hayat, edited by Bella Pearson (Guppy Books)

Love on Sight by Asli Jensen, edited by Shalini Vallepur (Chicken House)

Gloam by Jack Mackay, edited by Katie Jennings (Rock the Boat)

The Romantic Tragedies of a Drama King by Harry Trevaldwyn, edited by Emma Jones and Charlie Castelletti (First Ink)

Augmented by Kenechi Udogu, edited by Natasha Brown and Jenny Glencross (Faber)

This year’s judges are Margaret McDonald, who together with her editors Alice Swan and Ama Badu won the 2025 Branford Boase Award with Glasgow Boys; Katherine Woodfine, author and reviewer for The Week Junior; Stephen Dilley, Head of English at Kendrick School, Reading and part of the UKLA Book Awards team; and Anjali Patel Lead Advisory Teacher, CLPE. The judging panel is chaired by Julia Eccleshare, children’s book consultant, the Hay Festival.

Julia Eccleshare says, ‘The Branford Boase Award is special in so many ways. You can only win it once; it is the only award to recognise the vital role of the editor in nurturing talented new writers; and it identifies the direction of contemporary writing and publishing for children and young people. This year’s shortlist features seven magnificent debuts. With varied themes and settings, and for readers aged from 8 to teenage, they are very different, yet each author achieves their intention. The variety and richness of theme and topic demonstrate the vibrancy and relevance of contemporary publishing for children and in the National Year of Reading, it feels more urgent than ever to highlight the new voices who will catch the attention and interest of today’s young readers. Congratulations to these seven authors and their editors.’

The winner will be announced at a ceremony at CLPE (Centre for Literacy in Primary Education) in central London on Wednesday 8 July 2026. 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 supported by Walker Books and ALCS.

Margaret McDonald inspires 2026 Henrietta Branford Writing Competition

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

The competition aims to find and encourage writers of the future, something author Henrietta Branford was always keen to do. Anyone under the age of 19 can enter the competition and each year it attracts hundreds of entries.

Write about a place or person you know very well – and feel free to use your own way of speaking

This year’s competition is inspired by 2025 Branford Boase Award winner Margaret McDonald and her book, Glasgow Boys. The judges are asking for writing (a story, poem, song lyrics) set in a place young writers know well or love; or writing about or inspired by someone they know very well. They will be looking for writing that brings the place or person alive, and which holds the judges’ attention too.

Use your own voice

Margaret McDonald uses the Scots dialect in Glasgow Boys and this year’s entrants are encouraged to write in their own local dialect, to use their own voice.

Margaret McDonald has this advice for young entrants: ‘Writing about the places you’ve seen and the people you know gives authenticity and authority to your words, and it can bring to life your own experiences. Your life and your world are important, unique, and worthy of being written about. Write what feels true to you, what instantly comes to mind, in the style of your own voice – whether that has its own dialect, its own vocabulary, its own style. It’s yours, and that is special.’

Six winners will receive signed copies of each of the books shortlisted for the 2026 Branford Boase Award. Their stories, poems, songs will be published on the Branford Boase Award website.

The closing date is Friday 29 May 2026.

Chairing the Award is Ruth Knowles, publisher at Walker Books, who have supported the Branford Boase Award since its inception in 2000.

Ruth Knowles says, ‘We are so excited to read this year’s entries, especially because writing about a person or place you already know well allows you to play with detail that will truly bring them to life on the page.’

Full entry instructions, terms and conditions are available here.

Longlist announced for the 2026 Branford Boase Award

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The longlist for the 2026 Branford Boase Award has been announced. Set up in 2000, in memory of author Henrietta Branford and her editor Wendy Boase, one of the founders of Walker Books, the Branford Boase Award recognises the author of the year’s outstanding debut novel for children and young people, together with the editor of the book.

This year no less than 67 books were submitted. 24 of those have made it onto what co-founder and chair of the judges, Julia Eccleshare describes as ‘the most varied longlist in the 25 years + of the Branford Boase Award.’

The longlist features original new fantasy adventure stories such as Inkbound by Philippa Leathley, edited by Natalie Doherty (HarperCollins Children’s Books); romantasy in Ova Ceren’s The Book of Heartbreak, edited by 2023’s winning editors Ruth Bennett and Ella Whiddett (Hot Key Books); and thoughtful contemporary stories including The Doughnut Club by Kristina Rahim, edited by Zoë Griffiths (Nosy Crow). There are illustrated stories, such as Marty Moose by Claire Powell, edited by Gráinne Clear (Walker Books), alongside stories examining cultural identity, such as Odd Girl Out by Tasneem Abdur-Rashid, edited by Rosie Fickling (David Fickling Books).

The full list follows:

Odd Girl Out by Tasneem Abdur-Rashid, edited by Rosie Fickling (David Fickling Books)

Letty and the Mystery of the Golden Thread by Penny Boxall, edited by Katie Sinfield (Puffin)

Shadow Thieves by Peter Burns, edited by Lucy Courtenay (Farshore)

The Book of Heartbreak by Ova Ceren, edited by Ruth Bennett and Ella Whiddett (Hot Key Books)

Tart by Becki Jayne Crossley, edited by Cathy Liney (Bloomsbury)

How to Roller Skate with One Leg by Ella Dove, illus by Jennifer Jamieson, edited by Anne Marie Ryan (Orchard Books)

The Wicked Lies of Habren Faire by Anna Fiteni, edited by Asmaa Isse (Electric Monkey)

Grumpfort by Jamie Hammond, illus by the author, edited by Sarah Stewart (Usborne)

The Girl Who Raced the World by Nat Harrison, edited by Ruth Bennett (Bonnier)

Evie and Maryam’s Family Tree by Janeen Hayat, edited by Bella Pearson (Guppy Books)

The Misadventures of Mina Mahmood by Farhana Islam, illus by Simran Diamond Singh, edited by Asmaa Isse (Farshore)

Love on Sight by Asli Jensen, edited by Shalini Vallepur (Chicken House)

Inkbound by Philippa Leathley, edited by Natalie Doherty (HarperCollins Children’s Books)

Gloam by Jack Mackay, edited by Katie Jennings (Rock the Boat)

A Beautiful Terrible Thing by Miranda Moore, edited by Meggie Degurney and Liz Cross (David Fickling Books)

Wildlands by Brogen Murphy, edited by Linas Alsenas (Puffin)

Rock Band Music and Misfits by Leah Osakwe, edited by Mattie Whitehead and Karelle Tobias (Little Tiger)

Marty Moose: First Class by Claire Powell, illus by the author, edited by Gráinne Clear (Walker Books)

The Doughnut Club by Kristina Rahim, edited by Zoë Griffiths (Nosy Crow)

The Girl with Gills by Becca Rogers, edited by Fiona Kennedy (Zephyr)

Run Away With Me by J.L. Simmonds, edited by Amina Parchment-Youssef (Penguin)

The Romantic Tragedies of a Drama King by Harry Trevaldwyn, edited by Emma Jones and Charlie Castelletti (First Ink)

Augmented by Kenechi Udogu, edited by Natasha Brown and Jenny Glencross (Faber)

My Dog by Olivia Wakeford, illus by David Litchfield, edited by Megan Reid (HarperCollins Children’s Books)

Chair of the judges and co-founder of the Branford Boase Award, Julia Eccleshare says, “From a record number of submissions, we are delighted to present our judges with this longlist, which is the most varied in the 25 plus years of the Branford Boase Award. In this National Year of Reading, we are delighted to be highlighting so many exciting new voices, and stories to appeal to readers of all tastes and abilities. We thank our sponsors Walker Books and ALCS for enabling the Branford Boase Award to continue to promote the best new writers for young people and the talented editors who nurture them.”

This year’s panel of judges will be led by Margaret McDonald, who together with her editors Alice Swan and Ama Badu won the 2025 Branford Boase Award with Glasgow Boys. Joining her on the panel are children’s book experts, Katherine Woodfine, author and reviewer for The Week Junior; Stephen Dilley, Head of English at Kendrick School, Reading and part of the UKLA Book Awards team; and Anjali Patel Lead Advisory Teacher, CLPE. The judging panel will be chaired by Julia Eccleshare, children’s book consultant, the Hay Festival.

The Branford Boase Award is delivered in partnership with the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS) and supported by Walker Books.

The shortlist for the Award will be announced on Thursday 23 April 2026.  The winner will be announced on Wednesday, 8 July 2026 at an award ceremony at CLPE in London.

 

The Henrietta Branford Writing Competition, the annual competition for young people which runs in conjunction with the Branford Boase Award, will open on Monday 2 February 2026.

Margaret McDonald and her editors Alice Swan and Ama Badu win the 2025 Branford Boase Award

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Margaret McDonald and her editors Alice Swan and Ama Badu are winners of the 2025 Branford Boase Award for outstanding debut novel for young people with Glasgow Boys, a moving, beautifully written coming-of-age novel exploring the power of identity, community and masculinity. This brings to three the number of awards Glasgow Boys has received (it also won the Carnegie Medal for Writing and the UKLA Award) but the Branford Boase Award is unique in honouring editor as well as author.

The Branford Boase Award was set up in 2000 to commemorates prize-winning author Henrietta Branford and her editor Wendy Boase of Walker Books. As Branford Boase Award winners, Margaret McDonald, Alice Swan and Ama Badu join a list that has shaped children’s literature over the last quarter century. Winning and shortlisted authors include Frances Hardinge, Kevin Brooks, Meg Rosoff, Patrick Ness and Maisie Chan, and winning editors include David Fickling, Fiona Kennedy, Barry Cunningham and Bella Pearson.

Nathanael Lessore, winner of this year’s Waterstones Children’s Book Award and the 2025 Carnegie Shadowers’ Choice Medal, was awarded the 2024 Branford Boase Award for Steady For This. Lessore was a judge this year and says, ‘The Branford Boase Award is special. Celebrating the relationship with editors and writers, and focusing on debuts, it’s such an accomplishment to be shortlisted. It celebrates the collaborative aspects of literature, while directing a spotlight onto stories from authors we haven’t heard from before. I was one of those authors, and I’m eternally grateful for the shortlisting and the win. It was the first time I felt I could be proud to be a writer. And I got to share that with my editors.

The books on this year’s Branford Boase Award shortlist reflect the current battles that young people face societally and within themselves, but they also show the positive sides of humanity and community, leading to wonderful journeys of self-belief.

Glasgow Boys had me tearing up with how raw and powerful it was. I finished it feeling like I’d just watched an Oscar winning film. Banjo and Finlay were real, their emotions palpable, and their relationship beautiful. Not many books move me the way this one did. It had to win.’

Margaret McDonald describes her editorial relationship with Alice Swan and Ama Badu as unlike any other creative experience because, ‘they treated Banjo and Finlay as I do myself, which is as real people.’ She adds, ‘I worked on every single aspect of Glasgow Boys with Alice and Ama, and it wouldn’t exist as it does today without them, truly.’

‘Glasgow Boys is a piece of my soul and to have it recognised in this way is unbelievably special, but also to have my incredible editors Alice and Ama recognised for the magnificent work they did, taking such care of Banjo and Finlay, is more than half of the joy.’

Alice Swan says: ‘I am so delighted that a story about two teenage boys emerging from the care system in Glasgow, with some of the dialogue in Scots, has received such extraordinary recognition. I fell in love with Glasgow Boys on my very first read, and the whole publishing journey has been one of mutual appreciation, trust and respect for two very important characters. This book has so many powerful things to say, and I am utterly thrilled by the incredible reader response. For Ama and I to have our contribution celebrated by this unique award is a lovely bonus.’

Ama Badu says, ‘It’s such a thrill to see the well-deserved praise and accolades Glasgow Boys has received. We knew just how special this story was from the start, and it brings me such joy to know that so many can see the same beauty. It’s a book that every reader can draw solace from. I’m honoured to have played a part in its journey.’

Julia Eccleshare, Chair of the judges and co-founder of the Branford Boase Award adds, ‘Congratulations to Margaret McDonald, Alice Swan and Ama Badu. Tender and insightful, Glasgow Boys is a deeply moving story shaped by the struggles against class and poverty that so many young people in today’s society must overcome to change their lives and opportunities. Despite all, Margaret McDonald’s characters are full of hope and the story is refreshingly strong and bold, too. The relationship between author and editor is generally invisible to readers but is absolutely vital to the success of individual books, authors, and the publishing industry. We are immensely proud to highlight this with the Branford Boase Award.’

The 2025 winners of the Branford Boase Award were announced by Nathanael Lessore on Wednesday 9 July at a ceremony at CLPE, Webber Street, London SE1 8QW.  Margaret McDonald receives a cheque for £1,000 and she and Alice Swan and Ama Badu receive engraved trophies.

The Branford Boase Award is delivered in partnership with the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS) and supported by Walker Books.

Nathanael Lessore and his editors Ruth Bennett and Ella Whiddett win 2024 Branford Boase Award

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Nathanael Lessore is the winner of the 2024 Branford Boase Award for outstanding debut novel for young people with Steady For This, his story of 13-year-old would be rapper Shaun, aka MC Growls, as he navigates life, love and dreams of stardom. The Branford Boase Award is unique in honouring editor as well as author and Nathanael shares the win with his editors, Ella Whiddett and Ruth Bennett, of Hot Key Books.

The Branford Boase Award is celebrating its 25th anniversary and past winners Jenny Downham, Dave Shelton, Mitch Johnson, M G Leonard, Liz Hyder and Annabel Pitcher attended the award ceremony at CLPE.

Christine Pillainayagam, who won the 2023 Branford Boase Award for Ellie Pillai is Brown and was judge this year, says, “Every book on this year’s shortlist represents the very best of children’s literature, and shows how the publishing industry is adapting to the needs of children and young people today. It was an exciting year to be part of the judging panel, and I feel grateful to have had the opportunity to read and discuss these brilliant books that made me feel every emotion imaginable. Despite strong competition, Steady For This was a unanimous winner. A bright, funny, moving story that felt joyful and fresh, we couldn’t wait to read more of Nathanael’s work.”

Set in the Peckham estate where Nathanael grew up and written in lively, rap-infused language, Steady For This is original, laugh-out-loud funny but tender and moving too. Nathanael says that while stories set ‘on the block’ tended to be gritty and dark, “My childhood on the North Peckham Estate was actually fun, and mostly positive, so all I had to do was write honestly about life in an estate.”

He claims that Shaun is loosely based on himself and that lots of the silly things he says and does are based on real life events that actually happened. He used his cousin and brother, both “young, streetwise and difficult to please” as his “authenticity” readers.

On winning the Branford Boase Award, Nathanael says, “Writing Steady For This was fun, in the same way that crying with laughter or having unlimited funds at a funfair is fun. I can’t say that I’m proud of myself for writing Steady For This, in the same way I’m not proud of myself for playing pool in the pub, because I enjoyed myself so much when doing it. And while work plays a big part in the publishing of books, so does luck. My publisher Hot Key Books and my editors Ella and Ruth have played the role of genie in a lamp granting wishes. The best thing about this award is that I get to share it with my genies. Together, we’ve produced a book that brings a smile to people’s faces, and I will forever be grateful to the Branford Boase Award for choosing Steady For This as this year’s winner.”

Ella Whiddett says: “We knew Nate was a very special writer from the first page of this extraordinary story about an ordinary boy living and laughing through the growing pains of teenagehood. Years after that first read, Steady For This continues to bring such joy to my life, so to be shortlisted for the Branford Boase Award with this book in particular was truly special. But to win it with Nate and Ruth is an absolute career highlight.’

Ruth Bennett says, “We are over the moon that Steady For This has been chosen as the winner of the Branford Boase Award! It’s such an incredible honour for the editorial partnership between Nate, Ella and me to be recognised by the judges – working on bringing Nate’s unforgettable characters and unique storytelling skill to readers has been a satisfying and hugely enjoyable experience from start to finish. Steady For This shows that books can be funny and powerful, they can teach you things and make you laugh, and we look forward to many more readers falling in love with Growls and his friends, just as we have done.”

Julia Eccleshare, Chair of the judges and co-founder of the Branford Boase Award adds, “25 years after their deaths, we are delighted to be remembering Wendy Boase and Henrietta Branford and celebrating such dynamic editor/author relationships through the award that bears their names. Children’s books have changed a great deal in those 25 years but the creative partnership between author and editor, so evident in Wendy and Henrietta’s working relationship, is still the heart of successful publishing. Congratulations to Nate, Ella and Ruth and to all the authors and editors on this year’s shortlist. We look forward to watching the shortlisted authors’ careers develop and to many more outstanding books for children and young people.”

The 2024 winners of the Branford Boase Award were announced by Christine Pillainayagam on Wednesday 10 July at a ceremony at CLPE, Webber Street, London SE1 8QW.  Nathanael Lessore receives a cheque for £1,000 and he and Ella Whiddett and Ruth Bennett receive engraved trophies.

The Branford Boase Award is delivered in partnership with the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS) and supported by Walker Books.

 

Shortlist announced for the 25th Branford Boase Award

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The shortlist for the 2024 Branford Boase Award, given annually to the author and editor of the year’s outstanding debut novel for children has been announced.

Founded in 2000 to commemorate prize-winning author Henrietta Branford and influential Walker Books editor Wendy Boase, the Branford Boase Award is celebrating its 25th anniversary. Over the last quarter-century, the Branford Boase Award has constantly picked out future stars at the start of their careers. Previous winners and shortlisted authors include Meg Rosoff, Katya Balen, Philip Reeve, Frances Hardinge, Patrick Ness, M.G. Leonard, Maisie Chan and Marcus Sedgwick. Christine Pillainayagam won in 2023 with Ellie Pillai is Brown.

The Branford Boase Award is the only award to honour the editor of the winning title and highlights the importance of editors in nurturing new talent.

From a strong longlist of 25 books, the judges have chosen six to shortlist. These include a much-praised verse novel; a will-they-wont-they romance, starring a character living with a disability; two very different stories both with courageous young Muslim women at their heart; and the comic travails of a wannabe rapper in southeast London. Beth Lincoln’s Nero Book Prize-winning murder mystery The Swifts also makes the list.

The six shortlisted books are:

The Final Year Matt Goodfellow, illustrated by Joe Todd-Stanton, edited by Charlotte Hacking (Otter-Barry Books)

The First Move by Jenny Ireland, edited by Ruth Knowles with Sara Jafari (Penguin)

Safiyyah’s War by Hiba Noor Khan, edited by Eloise Wilson (Andersen Press)

Steady for This by Nathanael Lessore, edited by Ella Whiddett and Ruth Bennett (Hot Key Books)

The Swifts by Beth Lincoln, illustrated by Claire Powell, edited by Ben Horslen and Julie Strauss-Gabel (Puffin)

You Think You Know Me by Ayaan Mohamud, edited by Sarah Stewart (Usborne)

Julia Eccleshare, co-founder of the Branford Boase Award and chair of the judges says, “As we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Branford Boase Award, we are particularly excited to announce this shortlist. We have seen huge changes in the number of books submitted for the award, but more importantly in the range of stories being written. The development of own voice narratives is particularly exciting. The shortlisted authors are extremely talented, and there’s an authenticity and freshness to their books that we found exhilarating.”

This year’s judges are Christine Pillainayagam, author and winner of the 2023 Branford Boase Award; Emily Drabble, Head of Children’s Books Promotion and Prizes at BookTrust; Lucas Maxwell, former School Librarian of the Year and winner of the UK Literacy Association’s Reading for Pleasure Teacher Champion Award 2022; and Amy McKay, also a past UK School Librarian of the Year and for ten years Yoto Carnegies National Coordinator. The judging panel is chaired by Julia Eccleshare, Director, Hay Children’s Festival.

The winner will be announced at a ceremony at CLPE (Centre for Literacy in Primary Education) in central London on Wednesday 10 July 2024. 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.

 

25 debut writers -and their editors – on Branford Boase Award’s 25th longlist

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The longlist for the 2024 Branford Boase Award has been announced. Set up in memory of award-winning author Henrietta Branford and her editor Wendy Boase, one of the founders of Walker Books, the Branford Boase Award is given annually to the author of the year’s outstanding debut novel for children. The Branford Boase Award is the only award to honour the editor of the winning book, highlighting the importance of the editor in nurturing new talent.

Founded in 2000, 2024 marks 25 years of this unique award.

Past winners and shortlisted authors include Meg Rosoff, Frank Cottrell Boyce, Jenny Downham and Patrick Ness as well as Frances Hardinge, Philip Reeve, M.G. Leonard and most recently Maisie Chan (2022) and Christine Pillainayagam (2023).

Winning editors include Philip Pullman’s editor David Fickling, and Barry Cunningham, who famously published J K Rowling, plus Fiona Kennedy, Sarah Odedina and Bella Pearson.

For the fourth consecutive year, over 60 books were submitted, more than three times the number in 2000, and from 30 different publishing houses.

Chair of the judges and co-founder of the Branford Boase Award, Julia Eccleshare says, ‘We are delighted to be celebrating 25 years of the Branford Boase Award as it continues to highlight the most talented new writers for children and the editors who support them. We’re excited that this year’s longlist features a particularly wide variety of voices and stories, all freshly told. It demonstrates the vibrancy of current children’s literature and is an inspiring memorial to the work of Henrietta Branford and Wendy Boase, in whose names the award was established 20 years ago.’

The 25 books on the  2024 Branford Boase Award longlist are:

Montgomery Bonbon: Murder at the Museum by Alasdair Beckett-King, illus Claire Powell, edited by Gráinne Clear (Walker Books)

Glow Up, Lara Bloom by Dee Benson, edited by Ruth Bennett (Hot Key Books)

Gwen and Art are NOT in Love by Lex Croucher, edited by Hannah Sandford (Bloomsbury)

Finding Phoebe by Gavin Extence, edited by Chloe Sackur (Andersen Press)

Digging for Victory by Cathy Faulkner, edited by Leonie Lock (Firefly Press)

Crossing the Line by Tia Fisher, edited by Emma Matthewson supported by Tia Albert (Hot Key Books)

The Final Year by Matt Goodfellow, illus Joe Todd-Stanton, edited by Charlotte Hacking (Otter-Barry Books)

How Far We’ve Come by Joyce Efia Harmer, edited by Lucy Pearse (Simon and Schuster)

Vivi Conway and the Sword of Legend by Lizzie Huxley-Jones, edited by Eishar Brar (Knights Of)

The First Move by Jenny Ireland, edited by Ruth Knowles with Sara Jafari (Penguin Books)

The Detention Detectives by Lis Jardine, edited by Katie Sinfield and Millie Lean (Puffin)

Safiyyah’s War by Hiba Noor Khan, edited by Eloise Wilson (Andersen Press)

Steady for This by Nathanael Lessore, edited by Ella Whiddett and Ruth Bennett (Hot Key Books)

The Swifts by Beth Lincoln, illus Claire Powell, edited by Ben Horslen and Julie Strauss-Gabel (Puffin)

You Think You Know Me by Ayaan Mohamud, edited by Sarah Stewart (Usborne)

The Kingdom Over the Sea by Zohra Nabi, edited by Ali Dougal (Simon and Schuster)

Last Girl In by Cheryl Diane Parkinson, edited by Sonya McGilchrist (Dinosaur Books)

City of Stolen Magic by Nazneen Ahmed Pathak, edited by Natalie Doherty and India Chambers (Puffin)

The Destiny of Minou Moonshine by Gita Ralleigh, edited by Lauren Atherton (Zephyr)

The Witchstone Ghosts by Emily Randall-Jones, edited by Rachel Leyshon (Chicken House)

Influential by Amara Sage, edited by Alice Swan (Faber)

Yomi and the Fury of Ninki Nanka by Davina Tijani, illus Adam Douglas-Bagley, edited by Mattie Whitehead and Karelle Tobias (Little Tiger)

Greenwild by Pari Thomson, illus Elisa Paganelli, edited by Emma Jones (Macmillan)

The Sleeping Stones by Beatrice Wallbank, edited by Janet Thomas and Rebecca F. John (Firefly Press)

Never Trust a Gemini by Freja Nicole Woolf, edited by Non Pratt (Walker Books)

This year’s judges are Christine Pillainayagam, author and winner of the 2023 Branford Boase Award; Emily Drabble, Head of Children’s Books Promotion and Prizes at BookTrust; Lucas Maxwell, former School Librarian of the Year and winner of the UK Literacy Association’s Reading for Pleasure Teacher Champion Award 2022; and Amy McKay, also a past UK School Librarian of the Year and for ten years Yoto Carnegies National Coordinator. The judging panel will be chaired by Julia Eccleshare, children’s director of the Hay Festival.

The Branford Boase Award is delivered in partnership with the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS) and supported by Walker Books.

The shortlist for the Award will be announced on Thursday 25 April 2024.  The winner will be announced on Thursday, 11 July 2024 at an award ceremony at CLPE in London.

Christine Pillainayagam wins the 2023 Branford Boase Award for Ellie Pillai Is Brown

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Christine Pillainayagam is the winner of the 2023 Branford Boase Award for the year’s outstanding debut novel for young people for her funny, song-filled, second-generation coming of age story Ellie Pillai is Brown. The Branford Boase Award is unique in honouring editor as well as author and Christine shares the win with her editor, Leah Thaxton, of Faber & Faber.

The book tells the story of teenager Ellie, who is trying to work out who she is. She loves music and, unbeknown to her parents, who wouldn’t approve, is doing drama GCSE. Add first love into the mix, and things get very complicated indeed. Ellie writes songs to describe what she’s going through, the addition of QR codes throughout the book allow readers to listen to them.

Christine Pillainayagam describes her book as ‘a classic coming of age story with the added layer of colour’ and says the idea came from some of her own experiences growing up as a second-generation immigrant in a majority white community: “Ellie’s a British teenager growing up with all the classic teenage woes, but she’s also caught between two cultures, dealing with family grief and a sense that she doesn’t really belong anywhere.”

Conversations with her son about race and identity also prompted Christine to write. ‘Going to bookshops to try and find material to help me support the conversations I was having with him, I didn’t see Black and Brown stories on the shelves, particularly ones that focused on joy. It made me want to sit down and write a story for me at 15. Something that would have made me feel seen and understood, that talked about what I was facing with humour but didn’t shy away from the more challenging issues.’

On winning the Branford Boase Award, she says, ‘A few years ago, an editor I admired was nominated for the Branford Boase Award. At the time, I had a rough manuscript, no agent and nothing close to a book deal. To win this award (my very first!) is so surreal, and so hugely important to me, because it validates that stories like mine belong, bringing a mirror to readers who may feel they’ve never seen themselves before. I’m so delighted to share this with my brilliant editor Leah, who not only took a chance on me as a first-time writer but gave me the courage to tell the story I needed, without compromise. I think I can officially call myself a writer now!’

Leah Thaxton says: ‘When I first read Christine’s novel I pinched myself – it couldn’t possibly be a debut; or this thought-provoking and funny.  Christine is the voice of a generation. My journey with Ellie Pillai is Brown has been an honour and a blast – because Christine is the real deal and gorgeous with it too.  She writes for readers who absurdly haven’t yet seen themselves in novels – what marks her out as exceptional is that she does so with such style, intelligence and charm, citing universal truths that have stayed with me and all who read her novels long after reading. She has the ability to nail character in a sentence, and to write dialogue that sings. I’m just so happy to have been along for the ride. Thank you for the honour of this award but the credit is all Christine’s, it honestly is. (But I’ll take the praise, anything to hang on to her coattails!).’

Maisie Chan, who won the 2022 Branford Boase Award for Danny Chung Does Not Do Maths and was a judge this year, says, ‘Ellie Pillai is Brown is a wonderfully lyrical book about the messy teenage years told with humour and pathos. Ellie is a character you want to root for and hug. It is an expertly crafted book that looks at first love, identity and grief.’

Her fellow judge, Sajeda Amir, English teacher and KS3 coordinator at Levenshulme High School for girls in Manchester says, ‘When I read Ellie Pillai is Brown, I felt like I was seeing my 16-year-old self in the pages of the book.  Whilst I was growing up, I never read a book that featured someone that looked like me and Christine has created an inclusive book in which the main character allows us to be seen and understood.  The writing is humorous, poignant and lyrical and whilst the coming of age story is at the forefront of the novel, Christine deals with culture and the trials and tribulations that come with being a second-generation immigrant with care and sensitivity.  The soundtrack is a lovely, additional bonus too, the cherry on top of the cake!’

Julia Eccleshare, Chair of the judges and co-founder of the Branford Boase Award adds, ‘Children’s books, like everything else, are changing very fast and the latest threat from technology is much in everyone’s minds. But some things remain constant: the desire to create the best stories for children is one of them. The BBA has a past that grew out of sadness. Its foundations are a tribute to the great work of an author and an editor who together made wonderful books. Its legacy is tonight at this celebration of the winners of the 2023 Branford Boase Award, two gifted and creative individuals, a writer and her editor, are a brilliant embodiment of the commitment all of us in this room have to continue to create the best stories for children and young adults.’

The 2023 winners of the Branford Boase Award were announced by Maisie Chan on Thursday 13 July at a ceremony at CLPE, Webber Street, London SE1 8QW.  Christine Pillainayagam receives a cheque for £1,000 and she and Leah Thaxton both receive engraved trophies.

The Branford Boase Award is delivered in partnership with the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS) and supported by Walker Books.

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