Branford Boase Award facts for kids

The Branford Boase Award is a British literary award presented annually to an outstanding children's or young-adult novel by a first-time writer; "the most promising book for seven year-olds and upwards by a first time novelist."

Wendy Boase, Editorial Director of Walker Books, and Henrietta Branford worked together to produce a great number of books. Both Boase and Branford died in 1999 of cancer. The Branford Boase Award was created to celebrate and commemorate their names and memories and to encourage new talent in writing, which they worked for. The awards were a joint idea by Julia Eccleshare and Anne Marley who both had jobs to do with books.

The Branford Boase Award runs alongside the Henrietta Branford Writing Competition for young writers (under 19).

Winners receive a hand-crafted box with the Branford Boase Award logo and a cheque for £1,000. The prize and the official website are currently sponsored by the best-selling children's writer Jacqueline Wilson.

I have a special affection for this prize since I was invited to be the first Author Judge in 2000. Since then the prize has grown in stature with an incredible 57 titles submitted last year, reflecting a great enthusiasm for new writing amongst publishers and readers alike. It can be such a struggle for new writers starting out that I am thrilled to be able to offer this support to a prize which can make a real difference to their prospects.

Winners

Shortlists

• Dominic Barker – Sharp Stuff – Transworld
• Gus Clarke – Can We Keep It, Dad? – Andersen Press
• Richard Kidd – The Giant Goldfish Robbery – Transworld
• Paul May – Troublemakers – Transworld
• Stephen Pots – Hunting Gumnor – Egmont
• Katherine Roberts – Song Quest – Chicken House

2001

• Nick Manns – Control Shift – Hodder
• William Nicholson – The Wind Singer – Egmont
• Hazel Riley – Thanis – OUP
• Marcus Sedgwick – Floodland – Orion

2002

• Emma Barnes – Jessica Haggerthwaite: Witch Dispatcher – Bloomsbury
• Adele Minchin – The Beat Goes On – Women's Press
• Sally Prue – Cold Tom – OUP
• Bali Rai – (Un)arranged Marriage – Corgi
• Philip Reeve – Mortal Engines – Scholastic

2003

• Kevin Brooks – Martyn Pig – Chicken House
• Patricia Elliott – Ice Boy – Hodder
• Richard MacSween – The Firing – Andersen
• Livi Michael – Frank and the Black Hamster of Narkiz – Puffin
• Simon Mason – The Quigleys – David Fickling Books
• Nicky Singer – Feather Boy – HarperCollins

2004

• Steve Augarde – The Various – David Fickling Books
• Graham Gardner – Inventing Elliott – Dolphin
• Julie Hearn – Follow Me Down – OUP
• L. S. Matthews – Fish – Hodder
• Mal Peet – Keeper – Walker
• Eleanor Updale – Montmorency – Scholastic

2005

• Alison Allen-Gray – Unique – OUP
• Frank Cottrell Boyce – Millions – Macmillan
• Cathy Cassidy – Dizzy – Puffin Books
• John Dougherty – Zeus on the Loose – Random House
• Michelle Paver – Wolf Brother – Orion
• Meg Rosoff – How I Live Now – Puffin
• Leslie Wilson – Last Train from Kummersdorf – Faber

2006

• Nicola Davies – Home – Walker
• Joshua Doder – A Dog Called Grk – Andersen Press
• Frances Hardinge – Fly By Night – Macmillan Children's Books
• Ann Kelley – The Burying Beetle – Luath Press
• Sarah Singleton – Century – Simon & Schuster
• Anthony McGowan – Hellbent – Doubleday
• Cat Weatherill – Barkbelly – Puffin

2007

• Linda Buckley-Archer – Gideon the Cutpurse – Simon & Schuster
• Siobhan Dowd – A Swift Pure Cry – David Fickling Books
• Charlie Fletcher – Stoneheart – Hodder
• Ally Kennen – Beast – Scholastic
• Sian Pattenden – The Awful Tale of Agatha Bilke – Short Books
• Andy Stanton – You're a Bad Man, Mr Gum – Egmont
• Tabitha Suzuma – A Note of Madness – Random House

2008

• Atinuke – Anna Hibiscus – Walker
• L. Brittney – Nathan Fox: Dangerous Times – Macmillan
• Sharon Dogar – Waves – Chicken House
• Jenny Downham – Before I Die – David Fickling Books
• Sarah Mussi – The Door of No Return – Hodder
• Jenny Valentine – Finding Violet Park – HarperCollins

2009

• Jeremy de Quidt – The Toymaker – David Fickling Books
• B. R. Collins – The Traitor Game – Bloomsbury Publishing
• Sally Nicholls – Ways to Live Forever – Scholastic Press
• Patrick Ness – The Knife of Never Letting Go – Walker Books
• Katy Moran – Bloodline – Walker Books
• Marie-Louise Jensen – Between Two Seas – Oxford University Press
• Emily Diamand – Flood Child (originally published as Reavers' Ransom) – Chicken House

2010

• Sarwat Chadda – Devil's Kiss – Puffin
• Lucy Christopher – Stolen – Chicken House
• Damian Kelleher – Life, Interrupted – Piccadilly Press
• Anna Perera – Guantanamo Boy – Puffin
• Dan Tunstall – Big and Clever – Five Leaves
• Rachel Ward – Numbers – Chicken House
• Victor Watson – Paradise Barn – Catnip

2011

• J P Buxton – I Am the Blade – edited by Beverley Birch, Hachette
• Keren David – When I Was Joe – edited by Maurice Lyon, Frances Lincoln
• Candy Gourlay – Tall Story – edited by Bella Pearson, David Fickling Books
• Gregory Hughes – Unhooking the Moon – edited by Roisin Heycock, Quercus
• Jason Wallace – Out of Shadows – edited by Charlie Sheppard, Andersen Press
• Pat Walsh – The Crowfield Curse – edited by Imogen Cooper, Chicken House

2012

• Lindsey Barraclough – Long Lankin – edited by Annie Eaton and Natalie Doherty (Bodley Head)
• Phil Earle – Being Billy – edited by Shannon Park (Puffin)
• Lissa Evans – Small Change for Stuart – edited by Annie Eaton and Ruth Knowles (Bodley Head)
• Ali Lewis – Everybody Jam – edited by Charlie Sheppard (Andersen Press)
• Gill Lewis – Sky Hawk – edited by Liz Cross (OUP)
• Irfan Master – A Beautiful Lie – edited by Emma Matthewson (Bloomsbury)
• Annabel Pitcher – My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece – edited by Fiona Kennedy (Orion)

2013

• S. D. Crockett – After the Snow – edited by Emma Young (Macmillan)
• Natasha Farrant – The Things We Did for Love – edited by Julia Heydon-Wells (Faber)
• Edward Hogan – Daylight Saving – edited by Mara Bergman (Walker)
• Wendy Meddour – A Hen in the Wardrobe – edited by Janetta Otter-Barry (Frances Lincoln)
• Andrew Prentice & Jonathan Weil – Black Arts – edited by Simon Mason (David Fickling)
• Dave Shelton – A Boy and a Bear in a Boat – edited by David Fickling (David Fickling)
• Lydia Syson – A World Between Us – edited by Sarah Odedina (Hot Key)

2014

• C.J. Flood – Infinite Sky – edited by Venetia Gosling (Simon & Schuster)
• Natasha Carthew – Winter Damage – edited by Rebecca McNally (Bloomsbury)
• Rob Lloyd Jones – Wild Boy – edited by Mara Bergman and Lucy Early (Walker)
• Julie Mayhew – Red Ink – edited by Emily Thomas (Hot Key)
• Ross Montgomery – Alex the Dog and the Unopenable Door – edited by Rebecca Lee and Susila Baybars (Faber)
• Fletcher Moss – The Poison Boy – edited by Imogen Cooper and Barry Cunningham (Chicken House)
• Holly Smale – Geek Girl – edited by Lizzy Clifford (HarperCollins)

2015

• Sara Crowe, Bone Jack, edited by Charlie Sheppard and Eloise Wilson (Andersen Press)
• Clare Furniss, The Year of the Rat, edited by Jane Griffiths (Simon and Schuster)
• Giancario Gemin, Cowgirl, edited by Kirstie Stansfield (Nosy Crow)
• Sally Green, Half Bad, edited by Ben Horslen (Puffin)
• Non Pratt, Trouble, edited by Annalie Grainger and Denise Johnstone-Burt (Walker Books)
• Rupert Wallis, The Dark Inside, edited by Jane Griffiths (Simon and Schuster)

2016

• David Hofmeyr, Stone Rider, edited by Ben Horslen and Tig Wallace (Penguin Random House)
• Will Mabbitt,The Unlikely Adventures of Mabel Jones, edited by Ben Horslen, illustrations by Ross Collins (Penguin Random House)
• David Solomons, My Brother is a Superhero, edited by Kirsty Stansfield (Nosy Crow)
• Ross Welford, Time Travelling with a Hamster, edited by Nick Lake (HarperCollins Children’s Books)
• Lisa Williamson, The Art of Being Normal, edited by Bella Pearson (David Fickling Books)

2017

• Peter Bunzi, Cogheart, edited by Rebecca Hill (Usborne)
• Amber Lee Dodd, We are Giants, edited by Niamh Mulvey, (Quercus)
• Sue Durrant, Little Bits of Sky, edited by Kirsty Stansfield (Nosy Crow)
• Stewart Foster, The Bubble Boy, edited by Rachel Mann (Simon and Shuster)
• Kiran Millwood Hargrave, The Girl of Ink and Stars, edited by Rachel Leyshon (Chicken House)
• Martin Stewart, Riverkeep, edited by Shannon Cullen and Sharyn November (Penguin Random House)

2018

• Yaba Badoe, A Jigsaw of Fire and Stars, edited by Fiona Kennedy (Head of Zeus: Zephyr)
• Sharon Cohen, The Starman and Me, edited by Sarah Lambert (Quercus Children’s Books)
• Chloe Daykin, Fish Boy, edited by Leah Thaxton (Faber)
• Elys Dolan, Knighthood for Beginners, edited by Clare Whitston and Elv Moody (Oxford)
• Tony Mitton, Potter’s Boy, edited by Anthony Hinton (David Fickling Books)
• Jacob Sager Weinstein, The City of Secret Rivers, edited by Gill Evans (Walker Books)

2019

• Sophie Anderson, The House with Chicken Legs, Rebecca Hill and Becky Walker, Usborne
• P.G. Bell, The Train to Impossible Places, Rebecca Hill and Becky Walker, Usborne
• Mel Darbon, Rosie Loves Jack, Sarah Stewart, Usborne
• Rowena House, The Goose Road, Mara Bergman, Walker Books
• Matt Killeen, Orphan Monster Spy, Sarah Stewart and Kendra Levin, Usbourne
• Onjali Q Raúf, The Boy at the Back of the Class, Lena McCauley, Orion Children’s Books