The Branford Boase Award for authors and their editors
The Henrietta Branford Writing Competition for young writers
Julia Eccleshare (Chair) is the Children's Book Editor of The Guardian and Co-Director of the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education. She is a critic and commenter on children’s books including being a regular contributor to Radio 4’s Front Row and Open Book. She is the author of several books including Beatrix Potter to Harry Potter: Portraits of children's writers, NPG and The Rough Guide to Picture Books, Rough Guides.
Tricia Adams has been a librarian all her working life - in various different guises. Having recently been Principal Librarian for Children, Schools and Families in Northamptonshire she is now the Director of the School Library Association (SLA). She is a long time member of Youth Libraries Group and she was chair of the Carnegie and Greenaway judging panel in 2008. An avid reader herself she tries to make sure all her friends, their children and grandchildren have the latest recommendations to read and enjoy.
Helen Boyle has worked in children's books and children's media for the last eight years. She has worked freelance as a magazine editor and designer, as well as reviewing and contributing to a variety of publications. She now edits tBkmag, a quarterly books magazine for 8-12 year-olds that is distributed to library reading groups through Peters Bookselling Services. She also works on the Summer Reading Challenge with the Reading Agency and works closely with publishers on marketing and publicity campaigns across a range of books.
B. R. Collins, last year's winner, trained as an actor after reading English at King's College, Cambridge, and her past jobs include shop assistant, cleaner for the NHS and torturer's assistant at the York Dungeon, as well as playing various tragic heroines and the lead in a feature film, Stranger Things (currently in post-production). Her first book, The Traitor Game, was published in 2008 and longlisted for the Carnegie Medal and UKLA Award as well as winning the Branford Boase. Her second, A Trick of the Dark, was published in 2009 and her third, Tyme's End, will be published early in 2011 (all with Bloomsbury). She also reviews for the children's book website WriteAway.
John Newman was raised and educated in the East End of London. He read History at University College London before training as a social worker. He has been children’s book buyer at the Newham Bookshop since 2002. The shop will celebrate its 32nd year of existence as an independent community bookshop in 2010. As well as reviewing children’s books he has been a regular speaker and panel member at conferences and the London Book Fair. He is the current Chair of the Booksellers Association’s Children’s Bookselling Group and is a member of both the British IBBY and World Book Day Executive Committees.
Judges 2010
Branford Boase Award 2010