Thursday 13 July 2023: Christine Pillainayagam is the winner of the 2023 Branford Boase Award for the year’s outstanding debut novel for young people for her funny, song-filled, second-generation coming of age story Ellie Pillai is Brown. The Branford Boase Award is unique in honouring editor as well as author and Christine shares the win with her editor, Leah Thaxton, of Faber & Faber.
Christine Pillainayagam was born in Norwich, grew up in Sheringham and attended school in Holt and Norwich. She now lives in Faversham in Kent. She is a writer and retail strategist. A mild obsession with The Beatles and the desire to write a story that reflected her own experiences growing up as a first-generation immigrant led her to put that love of music and words into a book. Ellie Pillai is Brown features songs written by the protagonist, Ellie, and they are available to listen to via QR codes in the book. Ellie Pillai is Brown was shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Book Award and the Jhalak Children’s and YA Prize. The sequel, Ellie Pillai is (almost) in Love is out now.
Leah Thaxton is Publisher at Faber & Faber Children’s Books and co-founder of the FAB prize, which foregrounds unrepresented authors and illustrators of colour. She writes books under the pen name Katie Blackburn.
This year’s judges are Maisie Chan, author and winner of the 2022 Branford Boase Award; critic and writer Joanne Owen; Darren Matthews, Primary Advisory Teacher at the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education; and Sajeda Amir, English teacher and KS3 coordinator at Levenshulme High School, Manchester. The judging panel is chaired by Julia Eccleshare, children’s director of the Hay Festival.
Founded in 2000, the Branford Boase Award was set up in memory of award-winning author Henrietta Branford and her editor Wendy Boase of Walker Books, who both died in 1999, and is unique in honouring editor as well as author. It is regarded as one of the most important awards in children’s books and has an impressive record in picking out star authors at the start of their careers. Previous winners include Meg Rosoff, Liz Hyder, Marcus Sedgwick, M.G. Leonard and Frances Hardinge. Winning editors include JK Rowling’s editor Barry Cunningham, Philip Pullman’s editor David Fickling and Fiona Kennedy, publisher of Michelle Paver, Marcus Sedgwick and Sally Gardner.
The shortlisted authors may have published other books in another genre – e.g. poetry or a picture book – but eligibility for the prize requires that this is their first children’s novel.
As well as encouraging publishers to find and promote new writers, the Award sets out to alert readers of all ages to the work of interesting newcomers.
The Award is the joint idea of Julia Eccleshare MBE and Anne Marley MBE. Julia is the director of the Hay Festival children’s programme. Anne was Head of Children’s, Youth & Schools Services for Hampshire Library & Information Service for many years and helped to found Authors Aloud UK, an author booking agency.
The complete list of titles on the 2023 shortlist are:
The Bones of Me by Kel Duckhouse, edited by Harriet Birkinshaw (Flying Eye Books)
The Eternal Return of Clara Hart by Louise Finch, edited by Siobhán Parkinson (Little Island Books)
Seed by Caryl Lewis, edited by Sarah Hughes, illustrated by George Ermos (Macmillan Children’s Books)
Rebel Skies by Ann Sei Lin, edited by Gráinne Clear (Walker Books)
The Cats We Meet Along the Way by Nadia Mikail, edited by Bella Pearson (Guppy Books)
Ellie Pillai is Brown by Christine Pillainayagam, edited by Leah Thaxton (Faber & Faber)
The Haunting of Tyrese Walker by J P Rose, edited by Chloe Thackur (Andersen Press)
The Map of Leaves by Yarrow Townsend, edited by Rachel Leyshon (Chicken House)
Running alongside the Branford Boase Award, the Henrietta Branford Writing Competition encourages writing talent in under 18s.
The Branford Boase Award is delivered in partnership with the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS) and supported by Walker Books.
The Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS) is a not-for-profit organisation started by writers for the benefit of all types of writers. Owned by its members, ALCS collects money due for secondary uses of writers’ work. It is designed to support authors and their creativity; ensure they receive fair payment and see their rights are respected. It promotes and teaches the principles of copyright and campaigns for a fair deal. It represents over 120,000 members, and since 1977 has paid over £650million to writers.
For more information visit alcs.co.uk
The Walker Books Group is one of the world’s leading independent publishers of books and content for children. This vibrant international group includes Walker Books UK, London; Candlewick Press, Somerville, Massachusetts; and Walker Books Australia, based in Sydney and Auckland.
Renowned for its truly original publishing and outstanding quality, the Walker Books Group is home to books for readers of all ages. Award-winning authors and illustrators for the group include National Ambassador for Children’s Literature, Kate DiCamillo, M.T Anderson, Patrick Ness, and Jon Klassen, and major brands for the group are Maisy, Guess How Much I Love You, Tilly and Friends, the widely acclaimed Judy Moody and the bestselling Where’s Wally/Where’s Waldo.
For more information about the award, including a full list of past winners, and the Henrietta Branford Writing Competition visit www.branfordboaseaward.org.uk.
Or contact Andrea Reece on 07807893369 or andrea.reece@zen.co.uk
Andrea Reece
30 Winton Avenue, London, N11 2AT
Tel: 0208 889 1292
Mob: 07807 893369
Email: branford.boase@gmail.com
Andrea Reece
Tel: 07807 893369 | Email: branford.boase@gmail.com