24 July 2013

Winner of the 2013 Branford Boase Award

Hurray for Dave Shelton who has won the leading prize for a first novel for children with his extraordinary book, A Boy and a Bear in a Boat.  'An amazing debut novel,' the judges said, 'almost hypnotic … philosophical … An astonishing piece of work.'  Yes, exactly.  Hats off to Dave!

It’s third time lucky for Dave, who was short-listed for both the Costa Children's Book Award and the CILIP Carnegie Medal.  The judges praised above all his book's originality: 'I've never read anything like this before', 'absolutely new', 'a unique voice . . . and a different way to use language.’  They also enthused about its magical story-telling power: a captivating blend of words and pictures. In the story a boy and a bear go to sea, equipped with a suitcase, a ukulele and a comic book.  They're not travelling far, and it really shouldn't take long.  But their voyage takes a number of unexpected twists, and together they must face stormy seas, a terrifying sea monster and (once they start to feel peckish) the revolting remains of the Very Last Sandwich.

We urge you – whether you are ten years old or a hundred and ten – to read it.  You can see more about it on the Random House website. Or take a look at the Branford Boase site, for an account of the prize-giving ceremony, and dozens of photographs.  Or even watch Dave reading from the book here:

The Branford Boase Award uniquely honours both author and editor – so David Fickling was also awarded with a prize for his editing.  'In the sea of publishing,' he said, 'there is no one that I'd rather spend time in the book-making boat with than Dave. I am not saying who was the bear and who was the boy, but confess that as an editor I sometimes did not know where we were going but pretended I did!'  It's the third time David has won the Branford Boase – more than any other editor.  Hats off to him too!

Dave Shelton at the Branford Boase awards