Frances Hardinge
Winning author of Fly by Night

It is very easy for a first time novelist to feel like an impostor, to spend their time fretting that everybody who has shown faith in them will some day realise that they've made a horrible mistake. Winning the Branford Boase came as a glorious shock. I hope that for many years to come it will provide other new authors with a similar jolt, and help them feel like 'real writers'.

Ruth Alltimes
Winning editor of Fly by Night

"Like many books, FLY BY NIGHT has been nurtured by several people: Rebecca McNally, now Puffin Publisher, first spotted Frances's talent and the potential of the book; Marion Lloyd, now at Scholastic, carried out much of its editing; and I have been lucky enough to continue the editorial process and guide FLY BY NIGHT through the many stages of its development to publication and beyond, and to begin work on Frances's next fabulous book."

"Frances is the kind of author that reminds an editor why they wanted to work in children's books in the first place - I know her extraordinary imagination and her vivid, original use of language will thrill and entertain child and adult readers for many years to come."

Sarah Singleton
Highly Commended author of Century

"It was very exciting and a marvellous honour to be highly commended. As a first-time writer of a novel for young people, it is a very welcome boost to my confidence and a worthy tribute to my editor Venetia Gosling for her insight, vision and sensitivity in helping me make Century as good as it could be."