| Branford Boase Award | |
|---|---|
| Awarded for | Writers award |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| First awarded | 2000; 24 years ago (2000) |
| Website | branfordboaseaward |
The Branford Boase Award is a British literary award presented annually to an outstanding children's or young-adult novel by a first-time writer; "the most promising book for seven year-olds and upwards by a first time novelist." The award is shared by both the author and their editor, which The Oxford Companion to Children's Literature noted is unusual for literary awards.
History
Wendy Boase, Editorial Director of Walker Books, and Henrietta Branford worked together to produce a great number of books. Both Boase and Branford died in 1999 of cancer. The Branford Boase Award was created to celebrate and commemorate their names and memories and to encourage new talent in writing, which they worked for. The awards were a joint idea by Julia Eccleshare and Anne Marley who both had jobs to do with books. The Branford Boase Award runs alongside the Henrietta Branford Writing Competition for young writers (under 19).
Winners receive a hand-crafted box with the Branford Boase Award logo and a cheque for £1,000. The prize and the official website are currently sponsored by the best-selling children's writer Jacqueline Wilson. The award is given to both the author and their editor, "in recognition of the editor’s role in bringing a debut author to market."
Reception
The Oxford Companion to Children's Literature has written that the award's "success in talent-spotting has been impressive, consistently recognising debut works by writers who subsequently go on to achieve great things—among them Marcus Sedgwick, Mal Peet, Meg Rosoff, B. R. Collins, Frances Hardinge, Sally Prue, Kevin Brooks and Siobhan Dowd."
In 2018 judges for the competition criticized the amount of family dramas nominated for the award, stating that it was formulaic and showed a lack of diversity. Judge Philip Womack stated that at least third of the books fell into this category and that they all had a “very similar narrative: there’s an ill child at home, who notices something odd, and is probably imagining it, but not telling the reader. They’re all in the first person, all in the present tense, all of a type". The Bookseller commented on the shortlist submissions for 2022, noting that there was a wider variety of authors and that they were more ambitious, which they felt resulted in "freshly told stories which reflect the writers’ understanding of the needs of today’s readers and the certainty of authors and publishers that those readers want to read outside their own experiences." Publishing Perspectives praised the 2022 shortlist for including a strong selection of books that appeal to both boys and girls.
Winners
Shortlists
2000s
2010s
| Year | Title | Editor(s) | Publisher | Result | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Lucy Christopher | Stolen | Imogen Cooper | The Chicken House | Winner | |
| Sarwat Chadda | Devil's Kiss | Puffin Books | Finalist | |||
| Damian Kelleher | Life, Interrupted | Piccadilly Press | Finalist | |||
| Anna Perera | Guantanamo Boy | Puffin Books | Finalist | |||
| Dan Tunstall | Big and Clever | Five Leaves | Finalist | |||
| Rachel Ward | Numbers | The Chicken House | Finalist | |||
| Victor Watson | Paradise Barn | Catnip | Finalist | |||
| 2011 | Jason Wallace | Out of Shadows | Charlie Sheppard | Andersen Press | Winner | |
| J P Buxton | I am the Blade | Beverley Birch | Hachette | Finalist | ||
| Keren David | When I Was Joe | Maurice Lyon | Frances Lincoln | Finalist | ||
| Candy Gourlay | Tall Story | Bella Pearson | David Fickling Books | Finalist | ||
| Gregory Hughes | Unhooking the Moon | Roisin Heycock | Quercus | Finalist | ||
| Pat Walsh | The Crowfield Curse | Imogen Cooper | The Chicken House | Finalist | ||
| 2012 | Annabel Pitcher | My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece | Fiona Kennedy | Orion Books | Winner | |
| Lindsey Barraclough | Long Lankin | Annie Eaton and Natalie Doherty | Bodley Head | Finalist | ||
| Phil Earle | Being Billy | Shannon Park | Puffin Books | Finalist | ||
| Lissa Evans | Small Change for Stuart | Annie Eaton and Ruth Knowles | Bodley Head | Finalist | ||
| Ali Lewis | Everybody Jam | Charlie Sheppard | Andersen Press | Finalist | ||
| Gill Lewis | Sky Hawk | Liz Cross | Oxford University Press | Finalist | ||
| Irfan Master | A Beautiful Lie | Emma Matthewson | Bloomsbury Publishing | Finalist | ||
| 2013 | Dave Shelton | A Boy and a Bear in a Boat | David Fickling | David Fickling Books | Winner | |
| S. D. Crockett | After the Snow | Emma Young | Macmillan | Finalist | ||
| Natasha Farrant | The Things We Did for Love | Julia Heydon-Wells | Faber | Finalist | ||
| Edward Hogan | Daylight Saving | Mara Bergman | Walker Books | Finalist | ||
| Wendy Meddour | A Hen in the Wardrobe | Janetta Otter-Barry | Frances Lincoln | Finalist | ||
| Andrew Prentice and Jonathan Weil | Black Arts | Simon Mason | David Fickling Books | Finalist | ||
| Lydia Syson | A World Between Us | Sarah Odedina | Hot Key Books | Finalist | ||
| 2014 | C. J. Flood | Infinite Sky | Venetia Gosling | Simon & Schuster | Winner | |
| Natasha Carthew | Winter Damage | Rebecca McNally | Bloomsbury Publishing | Finalist | ||
| Rob Lloyd Jones | Wild Boy | Mara Bergman and Lucy Early | Walker Books | Finalist | ||
| Julie Mayhew | Red Ink | Emily Thomas | Hot Key Books | Finalist | ||
| Ross Montgomery | Alex the Dog and the Unopenable Door | Rebecca Lee and Susila Baybars | Faber | Finalist | ||
| Fletcher Moss | The Poison Boy | Imogen Cooper and Barry Cunningham | The Chicken House | Finalist | ||
| Holly Smale | Geek Girl | Lizzy Clifford | HarperCollins | Finalist | ||
| 2015 | Rosie Rowell | Leopold Blue | Katie Thomas | Hot Key Books | Winner | |
| Sara Crowe | Bone Jack | Charlie Sheppard and Eloise Wilson | Andersen Press | Finalist | ||
| Clare Furniss | The Year of the Rat | Jane Griffiths | Simon & Schuster | Finalist | ||
| Giancario Gemin | Cowgirl | Kirstie Stansfield | Nosy Crow | Finalist | ||
| Sally Green | Half Bad | Ben Horslen | Puffin Books | Finalist | ||
| Non Pratt | Trouble | Annalie Grainger and Denise Johnstone-Burt | Walker Books | Finalist | ||
| Rupert Wallis | The Dark Inside | Jane Griffiths | Simon & Schuster | Finalist | ||
| 2016 | Horatio Clare, illus. by Jane Matthews | Aubrey and the Terrible Yoot | Penny Thomas | Firefly Press | Winner | |
| David Hofmeyr | Stone Rider | Ben Horslen and Tig Wallace | Penguin Random House | Finalist | ||
| Will Mabbitt, illus. by Ross Collins | The Unlikely Adventures of Mabel Jones | Ben Horslen | Penguin Random House | Finalist | ||
| David Solomon | My Brother is a Superhero | Kirsty Stansfield | Nosy Crow | Finalist | ||
| Ross Welford | Time Travelling with a Hamster | Nick Lake | HarperCollins Children’s Books | Finalist | ||
| Lisa Williamson | The Art of Being Normal | Bella Pearson | David Fickling Books | Finalist | ||
| 2017 | M. G. Leonard | Beetle Boy | Barry Cunningham and Rachel Leyshon | The Chicken House | Winner | |
| Peter Bunzi | Cogheart | Rebecca Hill | Usborne | Finalist | ||
| Amber Lee Dodd | We Are Giants | Niamh Mulvey | Quercus | Finalist | ||
| Sue Durrant | Little Bits of Sky | Kirsty Stansfield | Nosy Crow | Finalist | ||
| Stewart Foster | The Bubble Boy | Rachel Mann | Simon & Schuster | Finalist | ||
| Kiran Millwood Hargrave | The Girl of Ink and Stars | Rachel Leyshon | The Chicken House | Finalist | ||
| Martin Stewart | Riverkeep | Shannon Cullen and Sharyn November | Penguin Random House | Finalist | ||
| 2018 | Mitch Johnson | Kick | Rebecca Hill and Becky Walker | Usborne Publishing | Winner | |
| Yaba Badoe | A Jigsaw of Fire and Stars | Fiona Kennedy | Head of Zeus: Zephyr | Finalist | ||
| Sharon Cohen | The Starman and Me | Sarah Lambert | Quercus Children’s Books | Finalist | ||
| Chloe Daykin | Fish Boy | Leah Thaxton | Faber | Finalist | ||
| Elys Dolan | Knighthood for Beginners | Clare Whitston and Elv Moody | Oxford University Press | Finalist | ||
| Tony Mitton | Potter's Boy | Anthony Hinton | David Fickling Books | Finalist | ||
| Jacob Sager Weinstein | The City of Secret Rivers | Gill Evans | Walker Books | Finalist | ||
| 2019 | Muhammad Khan | I Am Thunder | Lucy Pearse | Macmillan Children's Books | Winner | |
| Sophie Anderson | The House with Chicken Legs | Rebecca Hill and Becky Walker | Usborne | Finalist | ||
| P. G. Bell | The Train to Impossible Places | Rebecca Hill and Becky Walker | Usborne | Finalist | ||
| Mel Darbon | Rosie Loves Jack | Sarah Stewart | Usborne | Finalist | ||
| Rowena House | The Goose Road | Mara Bergman | Walker Books | Finalist | ||
| Matt Killeen | Orphan Monster Spy | Sarah Stewart and Kendra Levin | Usborne | Finalist | ||
| Onjali Q Raúf | The Boy at the Back of the Class | Lena McCauley | Orion Books | Finalist |
2020s
| Year | Title | Editor(s) | Publisher | Result | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Liz Hyder | Bearmouth | Sarah Odedina | Pushkin Children's Books | Winner | |
| Humza Arshad and Henry White | Little Badman and the Invasion of the Killer Aunties | Sharan Matharu and Holly Harris | Puffin Books | Finalist | ||
| Katya Balen | The Space We're In | Lucy Mackay-Sim | Bloomsbury Publishing | Finalist | ||
| Aisha Bushby | A Pocketful of Stars | Liz Bankes and Sarah Levison | Egmont | Finalist | ||
| Holly Jackson | A Good Girl's Guide to Murder | Lindsey Heaven | Electric Monkey | Finalist | ||
| Jamie Littler | Frostheart | Naomi Colthurst | Puffin Books | Finalist | ||
| Emma Smith-Barton | The Million Pieces of Neena Gill | Naomi Colthurst | Penguin Books | Finalist | ||
| 2021 | Struan Murray | Orphans of the Tide | Ben Horslen | Puffin Books | Winner | |
| Kereen Getten | When Life Gives You Mangoes | Sara Odedina | Pushkin Press | Finalist | ||
| Finbar Hawkins | Witch | Fiona Kennedy | Zephyr | Finalist | ||
| Danielle Jawando | And the Stars Were Burning Brightly | Jane Griffiths | Simon & Schuster | Finalist | ||
| Manjeet Mann | Run, Rebel | Carmen McCullough | Penguin Books | Finalist | ||
| Elle McNicoll | A Kind of Spark | Eishar Brar | Knights Of | Finalist | ||
| Jenny Pearson | The Super Miraculous Journey of Freddie Yates | Rebecca Hill and Becky Walker | Usborne | Finalist | ||
| 2022 | Maisie Chan | Danny Chung Does Not Do Maths | Georgia Murray | Piccadilly Press | Winner | |
| Natasha Bowen | Skin of the Sea | Carmen McCullough and Tricia Lin | Penguin Books | Finalist | ||
| Femi Fadugba | The Upper World | Emma Jones, Stephanie Stein, and Asmaa Isse | Penguin Books | Finalist | ||
| Luke Palmer | Grow | Penny Thomas | Firefly Press | Finalist | ||
| Lesley Parr | The Valley of Lost Secrets | Zoë Griffiths | Bloomsbury Publishing | Finalist | ||
| Ros Roberts | Digger and Me | Ella Whiddett and Ruth Bennett | Little Tiger | Finalist | ||
| Helen Rutter | The Boy Who Made Everyone Laugh | Lauren Fortune | Scholastic | Finalist | ||
| Nadia Shireen | Grimwood | Ali Dougal | Simon & Schuster | Finalist | ||
| 2023 | Christine Pillainayagam | Ellie Pillai is Brown | Leah Thaxton | Faber | Winner | |
| Kel Duckhouse | The Bones of Me | Harriet Birkinshaw | Flying Eye Books | Finalist | ||
| Louise Finch | The Eternal Return of Clara Hart | Siobhán Parkinson | Little Island Books | Finalist | ||
| Caryl Lewis, illus. by George Ermos | Seed | Sarah Hughes | Macmillan Children’s Books | Finalist | ||
| Ann Sei Lin | Rebel Skies | Gráinne Clear | Walker Books | Finalist | ||
| Nadia Mikail | The Cats We Meet Along the Way | Bella Pearson | Guppy Books | Finalist | ||
| J P Rose | The Haunting of Tyrese Walker | Chloe Sackur | Andersen Press | Finalist | ||
| Yarrow Townsend | The Map of Leaves | Rachel Leyshon | The Chicken House | Finalist |
Notes
- Flood Child was originally published as Reavers' Ransom.
References
- ^ Eccleshare, Julia (2022-04-29). "What the Branford Boase Award shortlist tells us about children's publishing now". The Bookseller. Archived from the original on 2022-04-29. Retrieved 2022-06-27.
- ^ Hahn, Daniel; Morpurgo, Michael; Carpenter, Humphrey; Prichard, Mari (2015). The Oxford Companion to Children's Literature. Oxford University Press. p. 90. ISBN 978-0-19-969514-0.
- ^ "About The Branford Boase Award". The Branford Boase Award and The Henrietta Branford Writing Competition. Archived from the original on 2023-06-02. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
- "Financial". The Branford Boase Award and The Henrietta Branford Writing Competition. Archived from the original on 2022-09-22. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
- Chakrabarti, Paromita (2019-01-28). "The writers who're winning the hearts of the digitally-distracted". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 2022-06-27. Retrieved 2022-06-27.
- Flood, Alison (2018-05-03). "Domestic dramas are crowding out adventures, warn children's book prize judges". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 2022-06-26. Retrieved 2022-06-27.
- Anderson, Porter (6 May 2022). "Eight Titles, a Winner To Be Named in July". Publishing Perspectives. Archived from the original on 3 July 2022. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
- "Previous Winners". The Branford Boase Award and The Henrietta Branford Writing Competition. Archived from the original on 2022-12-01. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
- ^ Eccleshare, Julia (2000-10-30). "Letter from London". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
- ^ "Obituary Note: Marcus Sedgwick". Shelf Awareness. 2022-11-18. Archived from the original on 2022-12-02. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
- ^ Roback, Diane (2014-01-27). "DiCamillo, Floca, Sedgwick Win Newbery, Caldecott, Printz". Publishers Weekly. Archived from the original on 2023-01-27. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
- ^ Eccleshare, Julia (2014-06-23). "Kevin Brooks, Jon Klassen Win Carnegie, Greenaway Medals". Publishers Weekly. Archived from the original on 2023-03-26. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
- ^ "Obituary Notes: Mal Peet; Rev. Malcolm Boyd". Shelf Awareness. 2015-03-04. Archived from the original on 2023-02-23. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
- ^ Eccleshare, Julia (2009-06-25). "Dowd, Rayner Win Carnegie and Greenaway Medals". Publishers Weekly. Archived from the original on 2023-05-15. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
- ^ "Awards: Branford Boase Award". Shelf Awareness. 2009-07-14. Archived from the original on 2017-10-01. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
- Flood, Alison (5 July 2012). "Brandford Boase award goes to My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 28 March 2019. Retrieved 5 July 2012.
- ^ "Award: Brandford Boase for Children's Debut Novel". Shelf Awareness. 2012-07-12. Archived from the original on 2017-10-02. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
- ^ "A Boy and a Bear in a Boat wins Branford Boase Award". BBC. Archived from the original on 27 June 2022. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
- ^ Eccleshare, Julia (2013-07-11). "Shelton and Fickling Win Branford Boase Award". Publishers Weekly. Archived from the original on 2022-05-24. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
- ^ "Awards: Branford Boase". Shelf Awareness. 2015-07-10. Archived from the original on 2023-02-24. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
- ^ "Awards: Frank O'Connor; ITW Thriller, Branford Boase". Shelf Awareness. 2014-07-14. Archived from the original on 2023-04-06. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
- ^ Eccleshare, Julia (2014-07-10). "Letter from London: July 2014". [[. Archived from the original on 2014-08-14. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
- ^ Eccleshare, Julia (2015-07-09). "Rosie Rowell Wins 2015 Branford Boase Award". Publishers Weekly. Archived from the original on 2015-12-19. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
- Drabble, Emily. "Horatio Clare and Penny Thomas win the Branford Boase award". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 27 June 2022. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
- ^ "Awards: Branford Boase Winner". Shelf Awareness. 2016-07-11. Archived from the original on 2023-06-02. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
- "Branford Boase Award". Horn Book Magazine. 93 (6): 135. November 1, 2017.
- ^ "Awards: Branford Boase Winner". Shelf Awareness. 2017-07-07. Archived from the original on 2023-03-27. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
- ^ "Awards: SIBA's Southern Book; Branford Boase". Shelf Awareness . 2018-07-06. Archived from the original on 2023-02-07. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
- ^ "Awards: Locus Winners; Branford Boase Winner". Shelf Awareness. 2019-07-02. Archived from the original on 2021-04-19. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
- ^ "Awards: Branford Boase Winner; Baillie Gifford Longlist". Shelf Awareness. 2020-09-15. Archived from the original on 2023-05-06. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
- "2021 Branford Boase Award". School Library Association. Archived from the original on 28 September 2021. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
- "Awards: Branford Boase Winner". Shelf Awareness. 2021-07-20. Archived from the original on 2023-02-04. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
- ^ "2022 Winners". The Branford Boase Award and The Henrietta Branford Writing Competition. Archived from the original on 2023-04-08. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
- Brown, Lauren (10 July 2023). "Pillainayagam wins the 2023 Branford Boase Award for Ellie Pillai Is Brown". The Bookseller. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
- Spanoudi, Melinda (10 July 2024). "Nathanael Lessore's story of a 'lovable teen rapper' wins the 2024 Branford Boase Award". The Bookseller. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
- ^ Eccleshare, Julia (2002-07-01). "Branford Boase Award". Publishers Weekly. 249 (26): 29. Archived from the original on 2022-06-27. Retrieved 2022-06-27.
- ^ "2011 shortlist" (PDF). The Federation of Children’s Book Groups. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-10-05. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
- ^ "Top writing tips for new children's authors from top editors". The Guardian. 2015-07-09. Archived from the original on 2022-06-27. Retrieved 2022-06-27.
- ^ "Awards: Locus; Branford Boase; Caine African Writing". Shelf Awareness. 2015-05-07. Archived from the original on 2016-08-11. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
- ^ "Awards: Branford Boase Shortlist". Shelf Awareness. 2016-05-05. Archived from the original on 2023-06-10. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
- ^ Chilton, Martin (2016-05-04). "Branford Boase Award 2016 shortlist announced". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Archived from the original on 2017-04-21. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
- ^ "Awards: Ruth Lilly Poetry; Maxwell E. Perkins Fiction; Branford Boase". Shelf Awareness. 2017-05-10. Archived from the original on 2023-04-04. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
- ^ "Awards: Firecracker; Australian Book Industry; Branford Boase". Shelf Awareness. 2018-05-07. Archived from the original on 2023-03-12. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
- ^ "Awards: Chautauqua, Branford Boase Shortlists". Shelf Awareness. 2019-05-06. Archived from the original on 2022-10-07. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
- ^ "Awards: Branford Boase Shortlist". Shelf Awareness. 2020-05-06. Archived from the original on 2023-05-10. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
- ^ "Awards: MWA Edgar Winners; Branford Boase Shortlist". Shelf Awareness. 2021-04-30. Archived from the original on 2022-12-03. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
- ^ "2022 Branford Boase Award Shortlist". Locus Online. 2022-04-28. Archived from the original on 2022-06-27. Retrieved 2022-06-27.
- ^ "Awards: Branford Boase Shortlist". Shelf Awareness. 2022-05-04. Archived from the original on 2023-02-07. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
- ^ "Shortlist 2023". The Branford Boase Award and The Henrietta Branford Writing Competition. Archived from the original on 2023-05-02. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
- ^ Anderson, Porter (2023-04-27). "The Branford Boase Award Names Its 2023 Shortlist". Publishing Perspectives. Archived from the original on 2023-05-04. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
