Philip Pullman talks about the crucial relationship between editor and new author:
"The Branford Boase Award is one of the most imaginative and useful prizes there are. Imaginative, because imagination is a way of seeing the truth about things, and the truth about writing and publishing novels is that a good editor is a story’s best friend and wisest counsellor. There are other people whose job is to do other kinds of things connected with the profession of writing: an agent will make sure the writer has the best financial deal, a publicist will make sure the book is as widely known as possible, librarians will bring the book to the attention of eager readers – and so on; but the real work is done when author and editor sit down together and work at making the story as good as it can possibly be. There are few rewards for editors, apart from the satisfaction of seeing ‘their’ books do well – but no-one knows what their contribution has been; and the Branford Boase award is a welcome and important way of celebrating what editors do".

"And it’s useful, because of course the award is shared, rightly, by a new author. Recognition at an early stage is a valuable boost to a writer’s career: not so much as to swamp it with unreal expectations, but enough to let them and everyone else know that their work is going to be worth watching. I’m very glad that the Branford Boase Award exists to do the excellent work it does, and also to celebrate the names of two great contributors to this business of making stories work as well as they possibly can".