BBA & HBWC Administrator
Andrea Reece
30 Winton Avenue, London, N11 2AT
Tel: 0208 889 1292
Mob: 07807 893369
Email: branford.boase@gmail.com
Press Enquiries
Andrea Reece
Tel: 07807 893369 | Email: branford.boase@gmail.com
Nathanael Lessore was born in Camberwell, South East London, as one of eight children to French and Madagascan parents. Although he has spent most of his life in Peckham, Nathanael has also lived in Paris, Strasbourg and Singapore. He won the 2024 Branford Boase Award with Steady For This and the books was also shortlisted for the Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing 2024. His second novel, King of Nothing, is out now. Nate writes stories that show his South East London childhood as the funny, warm, adventurous world that wasn’t always represented as such.
Phoebe Demeger is the Librarian at the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE). A former Bookseller, she manages CLPE’s extensive library of children’s books, hosts regular visitors to the library, and assists the wider team in their delivery of training programmes and special events. She produces book reviews and recommendations for CLPE, ensuring that the very best titles find their way into classrooms and schools.
Nicki Thornton’s debut middle-grade fantasy crime thriller The Last Chance Hotel won the Times/Chicken House Children’s Fiction Competition and was translated into 15 languages. Her novels have been nominated for awards including the Carnegie Medal, the CrimeFest Best Crime Novel for Children, Specsavers National Book Awards and the Elbakin Fantasy Award in France. Before she turned to writing Nicki ran her own bookshop to spread the joy of books and reading in her home town. Now, alongside writing, she remains committed and enthusiastic about anything to do with bookshops and promoting reading for pleasure. Nicki is proud to work for the Booksellers Association as a bookshop mentor.
Rumena Aktar is an experienced school librarian who won SLA School Librarian of the Year Award in 2022. She was the West Midlands Carnegie Judge in 2023/2024 and is currently a reviewer at Inclusive Books for Children. She uses her experience to support schools with reading for pleasure and diversify their reading lists.
Julia is the children’s director of the Hay Festival and head of Public Lending Right policy and advocacy and a regular contributor to Radio 4’s Front Row and Open Book programmes. Julia is the Chair of the Judging Panel.