What a difficult job! But we have finally managed to whittle down the longlist of thirty-six to a shortlist of ten. It has been a hard job, and I have no doubt missed some great books in the pipeline, but a choice had to be made and I’m absolutely thrilled for the shortlisted authors. Thank you to all who submitted such a dazzling array of stories – they were all such a high standard and hugely enjoyable to read. Now it’s the judges turn to agree on a winner – watch this space in the autumn…
Congratulations to these authors! They are, in no particular order:
Emily Randall – The Water’s Child
Olu Oke – The Triumphant Rise of P. Fanque’s Incredible Insect Circus
Christopher Galvin – The Thing About Giants
Sam Oaten – The Demon’s Apprentice
Caroline Sellon – Pizza Pete and the Perfectly Bonkers Pizza Place
Amy Feest – The Hunderbeaste
Sarah House – Five For Silver
James Dixon – The Billow Maiden
Zareena Subhani – Split
Cathryn Norris – The Magic of Hare Hill