[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":11},["ShallowReactive",2],{"blog-post-guardian-childrens-fiction-prize-2015":3},{"_type":4,"body":5,"bodyHtml":6,"excerpt":5,"featuredImage":5,"publishedAt":7,"slug":8,"tags":9,"title":10},"blogPost",null,"This was a busy weekend! I'll blog next about the pirate shenanigans at the Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators Conference next, but first up, Thursday night's \u003Cb>Guardian Children's Fiction Prize\u003C/b> ceremony. Big congratulations to \u003Ca href=\"http://www.davidalmond.com/\">David Almond\u003C/a>, who scooped this year's prize with \u003Ci>\u003Cb>A Song for Ella Grey\u003C/i>\u003C/b>! (Here he is with writer \u003Ca href=\"http://www.sfsaid.com/\">SF Said\u003C/a> and me.) \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/david_almond_prize_zpswen8crfj-8d4cf599d1.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nDavid's books reworks the myth of Orpheus, whose wife Eurydice has died, about how he travels to the underworld to bring her back. (You can read a \u003Ca href=\"http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/oct/11/a-song-for-ella-grey-david-almond-review-triumph\">Guardian review by Marcus Sedgwick here\u003C/a>.) I don't think anyone was surprised David had won, only that he hadn't won the prize earlier! (You can only win it once; \u003Ca href=\"http://www.theguardian.com/books/2006/sep/28/guardianchildrensfictionprize2006.guardianchildrensfictionprize1\">Philip Reeve won it for the fourth book, \u003Ci>A Darkling Plain\u003C/i>\u003C/a>, in his Mortal Engines quartet, so our books are disqualified.) I haven't yet read \u003Ci>A Song for Ella Grey\u003C/i> but I'm excited to dive in. (Click \u003Ca href=\"http://www.theguardian.com/childrens-books-site/gallery/2015/jul/10/the-guardian-childrens-fiction-award-2015-longlist\">here to see the books on the prize longlist\u003C/a>.) \\r\n\\r\nOther highlights of the evening: Seeing illustrator and writer \u003Ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Foreman_%28author/illustrator%29\">Michael Foreman\u003C/a> and his hot-off-the-press new book spanning his career, \u003Ci>A Life in Pictures\u003C/i>. I think the last time I saw Michael \u003Ca href=\"http://www.jabberworks.co.uk/party-at-the-savoy/\">was in 2008\u003C/a>, one of the very early book events I went to, as a reviewer. He has an amazing career and he'd only just seen the first copy of this book; Philip and I felt honoured to get a peek. \u003Ca href=\"http://www.thebookseller.com/news/seven-stories-host-foreman-exhibition-306259\">Seven Stories centre in Newcastle will be hosting a year-long exhibition of his work\u003C/a>, tied in with the launch of the book, so if you're up there, do go along to see it! Here's a peek at some of his work \u003Ca href=\"http://www.theguardian.com/books/childrens-books/gallery/2011/mar/07/michael-foreman-booksforchildrenandteenagers\">on the Guardian website\u003C/a>. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/foreman_reeve_zpsmlabp3dr-91e86ad355.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nSecond highlight, \u003Ca href=\"http://www.theguardian.com/childrens-books-site/2015/jun/02/review-sally-nicholls-island-of-our-own\">\u003Ci>An Island of Our Own\u003C/i>\u003C/a>-shortlisted author Sally Nicholls brought along her new baby and I got to give it a cuddle. :) I've read \u003Ci>An Island of Our Own\u003C/i> and really enjoyed it, particularly the way she portrayed the Internet. So many stories I hear about kids and the Internet are about its dark side, but Sally focuses on the amazing power of the Internet for good, and how the young people in the story interact with it. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/tom_sally_zpspb1fjlfa-67598d356f.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003C!--more Click here for more under the cut!-->\\r\nAnd one more highlight, getting to see \u003Ci>Tall Story\u003C/i> and \u003Ci>Shine\u003C/i> author \u003Ca href=\"http://www.candygourlay.com/\">Candy Gourlay\u003C/a>. Candy's one of my favourite people but she's always surrounded by a zillion people she knows, and we're both very busy, so I see her A LOT less than I'd like to! But I did photobomb her a couple time that evening and it was great to see her a bit more at the SCBWI conference. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/polaroids2_zpsf7ag5jdu-189e459e53.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nHee hee! Polaroids have made a comeback! Here's one with \u003Ci>Horrid Henry\u003C/i>'s \u003Ca href=\"http://www.francescasimon.com/\">Francesca Simon\u003C/a> and with Philip. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/polaroids1_zpso9iixgte-ca7b25da1f.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nA few more pics: \u003Ca href=\"http://www.faber.co.uk/author/kate-saunders/\">Kate Saunders\u003C/a> signing a copy of her shortlisted book \u003Ca href=\"http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/oct/18/five-children-western-front-kate-saunders-review\">\u003Ci>Five Children on the Western Front\u003C/i>\u003C/a>, and shortlisted writer \u003Ca href=\"http://www.davidficklingbooks.com/CatalogueItems.php?pubID=96\">Jon Water\u003C/a> (for \u003Ca href=\"https://bookshop.theguardian.com/catalog/product/view/id/308920/\">\u003Ci>My Name's Not Friday\u003C/i>\u003C/a> with Guardian reviewer \u003Ca href=\"http://www.theguardian.com/profile/juliaeccleshare\">Julia Eccleshare\u003C/a>, Philip and last year's longlisted author \u003Ca href=\"http://www.natashafarrant.com/\">Natasha Farrant\u003C/a> (for her second Bluebell Gadsby book, \u003Ca href=\"https://bookshop.theguardian.com/catalog/product/view/id/338171/\">\u003Ci>Flora in Love\u003C/i>\u003C/a>).  \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/signings_zpsptqwinll-742e12daea.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nShortlisted author \u003Ca href=\"http://www.franceshardinge.com/\">Frances Hardinge\u003C/a> (who always wears a good hat) and \u003Ci>The Lie Tree\u003C/i> which I'm desperate to read and I may have accidentally dropped that copy into my handbag. I adored her previous book, \u003Ci>Cuckoo Song\u003C/i>. (Here's a bit about that on \u003Ca href=\"http://jabberworks.livejournal.com/697675.html\">my blog from earlier\u003C/a>.) \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/frances_zps15jhn9yy-8232746e94.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nAnd lots of Guardian child reviewers and shadow judges! \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/guardian_reviewers_zpsjrermyph-9d13292895.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nBig thanks to \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/EmilyDrabs\">Emily Drabble\u003C/a> (taking the photo of David) and Children's Book team for inviting me along, and you can follow them on Twitter at \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/GdnChildrensBks\">@GdnChildrensBks\u003C/a> and be sure to check out their \u003Ca href=\"http://www.theguardian.com/childrens-books-site\">website\u003C/a>, which is packed full of the fun activities and tutorials that don't make it into the printed pages.  \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/emily_zpsijoz3f4h-6d6863ff15.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nFind out \u003Cb>how to draw PUGS\u003C/b> \u003Ca href=\"http://www.theguardian.com/childrens-books-site/gallery/2015/sep/12/how-to-draw-pugs-reeves-mcintyre\">here on the Guardian website\u003C/a>... \\r\n\\r\n\u003Ca href=\"http://www.theguardian.com/childrens-books-site/gallery/2015/sep/12/how-to-draw-pugs-reeves-mcintyre\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/drawpugs_guardian_zps68omftlh-59bd480207.jpg\">\u003C/a>\\r\n\\r\nAlso, big thanks to \u003Cb>Books For Keeps\u003C/b> for featuring \u003Cb>\u003Ci>Pugs of the Frozen North\u003C/i>\u003C/b> by Philip and me in their \u003Ca href=\"http://booksforkeeps.co.uk/issue/215/childrens-books/articles/books-for-giving-christmas-2015\">list of essential Christmas gift books\u003C/a>! And including Philip's \u003Cb>\u003Ci>Railhead\u003C/i>\u003C/b> in their \u003Ca href=\"http://booksforkeeps.co.uk/issue/215/childrens-books/articles/books-of-the-year-2015\">Books of the Year list\u003C/a>.","2015-11-23T13:00:00.000Z","guardian-childrens-fiction-prize-2015",[],"guardian children's fiction prize 2015",1776628727958]