Wednesday 5July 2017
YOUNG WINNERS OF THE 2017
HENRIETTA BRANFORD WRITING COMPETITION
Six talented young writers have been announced as winners of the 2017Henrietta Branford Writing Competition. They are:
Orla Borseyaged 13 years from Fleet, Hampshire
Brianna Cain aged 17 years from Liverpool
HadeelElwilid aged 13 years from Chandler’s Ford, Southampton
Jemima Gleeson aged 8from Hampshire
Zoe Latchford aged 13 yearsBedfordshire
Isaac Tiomkin aged 9 years from London
The Henrietta Branford Writing Competition is an annual competition for young people which runs in conjunction with the prestigious Branford Boase Award.
The Branford Boase Award recognises a debut children’s author and their editor and was set up in memory of the outstanding children’s writer Henrietta Branford and the gifted editor, Wendy Boase, Editorial Director of Walker Books. They both died of cancer in 1999. The Henrietta Branford Writing Competitionaims to find and encourage writers of the future, something Henrietta Branford was always keen to do.
The competition is open to anyone under the age of 19 and this year as last year there were hundreds of entries from all over the country, often thanks to the encouragement of teachers and school librarians. Entrants had to complete a story begun by last year’s winner, author of Aubrey and the Terrible Yoot, Horatio Clare.
Prue Goodwin,lecturer in literacy and children’s books, judged the entries and said, ‘Well done, to all the young writers who entered the Henrietta Branford Writing Competition 2017. This year the general standard of writing was so high that it was very difficult indeed to make the final choices. It was truly a fitting way to celebrate and remember Henrietta Branford.’
The six winners are all invited to attend the Branford Boase Award celebration party in London on 5July. There they will meet special guest author and former Branford Boase Award winnerFrances Hardingeas well as the authors shortlisted for the award plus editors, publishers, agents, and other professionals in this field. Frances Hardinge will present them with their awards.
For further information please contact Andrea Reece on 07807893369 or
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 also 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.
The books on the 2017 shortlist are
Cogheart by Peter Bunzl, edited by Rebecca Hill (Usborne)
We Are Giants by Amber Lee Dodd, edited by Niamh Mulvey (Quercus)
Little Bits of Sky by S.E. Durrant, edited by Kirsty Stansfield (Nosy Crow)
The Bubble Boy by Stewart Foster, edited by Rachel Mann (Simon and Schuster)
The Girl of Ink and Stars by Kiran Millwood Hargrave, edited by Rachel Leyshon (Chicken House)
Beetle Boy by M G Leonard, edited by Barry Cunningham and Rachel Leyshon (Chicken House)
Riverkeep by Martin Stewart edited by Shannon Cullen and Sharyn November (Penguin Random House)
The Branford Boase Award was set up in memory of the prize-winning author Henrietta Branford and 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 Award is the joint idea of Julia Eccleshare MBE and Anne Marley MBE. Julia is the children’s director of the Hay Festival. Anne was Head of Children’s, Youth & Schools Services for Hampshire Library & Information Service for many years and is now a partner in Authors Aloud UK, an author booking agency. She has served on many children’s book award panels, including the CILIP Carnegie & Kate Greenaway Awards.
Prue Goodwin is a freelance lecturer in literacy and children’s books. Her work includes speaking at conferences; consultancy to publishers of children’s books; and, supporting literacy education in schools. She has spent over forty years teaching literacy, especially helping youngsters to write with originality, imagination and confidence.
For more information about the award and the Henrietta Branford Writing Competition visit .
Images are available on
or contact Andrea Reece on 07807893369 or
[- ENDS -]
The Branford Boase Award gratefully acknowledges support from Walker Books and
Dame Jacqueline Wilson O.B.E.