NEWS RELEASE - 19.30 Wednesday 6th July 2011
 

BRANFORD BOASE AWARD: 2011 WINNER ANNOUNCED

Out Of Shadows by Jason Wallace, edited by Charlie Sheppard and published by Andersen Press, has won the Branford Boase Award, which is given each year to the most outstanding work of fiction for children by a first time novelist.

Out of Shadows is set in Zimbabwe in the 1980s. The war is over, independence has been won and Robert Mugabe has come to power offering hope, land and freedom to black Africans. It is the end of the old way and the start of a promising new era. For Robert Jacklin, it’s all new: new continent, new country, new school. But, very quickly he learns that for some of his classmates, the sound of guns is still loud, and their battles rage on.

Jason Wallace is a descendent of J. R. R. Tolkien as well as the world-renowned Victorian circus owner “Lord” George Sanger. He was born in Cheltenham in 1969 but moved to London after his parents split up. Aged 12 his life was turned upside down when his mother remarried and the family emigrated to Zimbabwe. It was this experience in a tough boarding school during the aftermath of the war for independence that forms the foundation of Out of Shadows. And he did actually meet Robert Mugabe when he visited his school. Jason now lives in South West London.

The Branford Boase Award was set up to encourage new writers and is given each year to the most promising work of fiction for children by a debut novelist. The Branford Boase Award also honours the editor of the winning title and highlights the importance of the editor in nurturing new talent.

The delighted winner said, ‘The realisation of my aspirations of becoming a published author was, of course, wonderfully fulfilling. To know that my first work is enjoyed and appreciated to the extent that it is shortlisted for, then wins, the Branford Boase Award is momentous. Above all else the Branford Boase is special to me because it recognises that writing a book

is not a solo endeavour - I know full well that Out of Shadows would not have made it without the insight and advice from my editor, Charlie Sheppard.’

Jason’s editor, Charlie Sheppard, added, ‘As a young editor I went to the launch of the Branford Boase Award and remember thinking, “I really hope I can win it one day; that I can find someone new and then have a working relationship with them that’s worth celebrating, that brings out the best in them and their writing to produce a very special book.” To be honest, Out of Shadows would still have been a special book without my help, but the whole process of finding this book and working on it and seeing people’s reactions to it has been wonderful. And now to have won this prize on top is just confirmation that I love my job and that, despite what some people say, there is a role for editors in the modern world of publishing and our contribution is still recognised and valued. So on behalf of all editors, “thank you”.’

The Branford Boase Award judging panel has a very strong track record of selecting future best-selling and critically acclaimed authors. Previous winning writers include Marcus Sedgwick, Meg Rosoff, Kevin Brooks and Mal Peet.

The judges of the 2011 Branford Boase Award are independent bookseller Isla Dawes, of The Barnes Bookshop; Jake Hope, librarian and Bookseller Magazine reviewer; Damian Kelleher, journalist and writer and Lucy Christopher, author of Stolen, winner of last year’s Branford Boase Award. The panel is chaired by Julia Eccleshare, children’s books editor of The Guardian.

Julia Eccleshare says: ‘The 2011 shortlist was an extremely strong one and any of the titles would have made a worthy winner. However, the quality of the writing in Out of Shadows really impressed the judging panel. It is an important story and one told with great nuance and subtlety.

At the ceremony at Walker Books in London this evening, former Children’s Laureate, Jacqueline Wilson, presented Jason Wallace with a cheque for £1,000 and both Jason and editor Charlie Sheppard also received a unique, hand-crafted, silver-inlaid box.

For further information please contact Elaine McQuade on 07860 701294 or emcquade@tiscali.co.uk

Notes to Editors:

The annual Branford Boase Award celebrates the most promising book for seven year-olds and upwards written by a first-time novelist and highlights the importance of the editor in the development of new authors. The shortlisted authors may have published other books in another genre – for example, poetry or a picture book – but eligibility for the prize requires that this is their first children’s novel. In addition to drawing attention to fresh talent in the field of children’s books and encouraging publishers to find and promote new writers, the Award sets out to alert readers of all ages to the work of interesting newcomers.

In 1999, the year of the first award, only 20 titles were submitted. This year 54 submissions were made.

The Branford Boase Award was set up in memory of the outstanding and prize-winning author Henrietta Branford and of Wendy Boase, editorial director and one of the founders of Walker Books. They worked together on a number of Henrietta’s novels, a partnership they greatly enjoyed. Both Henrietta and Wendy died of cancer in 1999.

The other titles on the 2011 shortlist were

I Am The Blade by J.P. Buxton, edited by Beverley Birch (Hachette)

When I Was Joe by Keren David, edited by Maurice Lyon (Frances Lincoln)

Tall Story by Candy Gourlay, edited by Bella Pearson (David Fickling)

Unhooking The Moon by Gregory Hughes, edited by Roisin Heycock (Quercus)

The Crowfield Curse by Pat Walsh, edited by Imogen Cooper (Chicken House)

The Award is the joint idea of Julia Eccleshare and Anne Marley. Julia is the children’s books editor of The Guardian and a regular contributor to Radio 4’s Front Row and Open Book programmes. Anne is Head of Children’s, Youth & Schools Services for Hampshire Library & Information Service. She has served on many children’s book award panels, including the CILIP Carnegie & Kate Greenaway Awards.

Jacqueline Wilson also presented prizes at the ceremony to six children, winners of the Henrietta Branford Writing Competition which encourages writing talent in under 18s. Further information on this can be found at www.branfordboaseaward.org.uk.

For more information about the award and the Henrietta Branford Writing Competition visit www.branfordboaseaward.org.uk .

Publicity pictures are available on request. For more details, or to arrange interviews, please contact Elaine McQuade on 07860 701294 or email: emcquade@tiscali.co.uk.

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Branford Boase Award Winners July 2011  |  Henrietta Branford Writing Competition Winners July 2011