Henrietta Branford Writing Competition

7July 2016

YOUNG WINNERS OF THE 2016

HENRIETTA BRANFORD WRITING COMPETITION

Six talented young writers have been announced as winners of the 2016 Henrietta Branford Writing Competition. They are:

Josie Davies aged 13 years from Petersfield, Hampshire

Devon Davis aged 14 years also from Petersfield, Hampshire

Elsie Leiper aged 12 years from Hemel Hempstead

Isabelle Mills aged 12from Fareham

Jessica Wood aged 16 yearsfrom Wakefield

David Wright aged 10 years from Winchester

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 Competition aims 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 Leopold Blue, Rosie Rowell.

Prue Goodwin,lecturer in literacy and children’s books, judged the entries and said, ‘The entries for the Henrietta Branford Writing Competition this year were very difficult to judge. The stories were all so well written according to the current curriculum. The technical aspects of the writing were good despite a tendency to waste precious words on description. Congratulations to all the writers on that, but good spelling, grammar and punctuation does not automatically lead to riveting narratives. The stories that became the six winners stood out because of their originality of ideas and their tight plotting. Any reader (but especially one who has just read 100+ stories with identical openings) has to want to continue reading from line one to the final word. These six stories did just that. So, well done to David, Elsie, Isabelle, Jessica, Devon and Josie; you are all writers.’

The six winners are all invited to attend the Branford Boase Award celebration party in London on 7 July. There they will meet special guest Children’s Laureate Chris Riddell as well as the authors shortlisted for the award plus editors, publishers, agents, and other professionals in this field. Beverley Naidoo, author of the modern classic Journey to Jo’burg 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 2016 shortlist are

Aubrey and the Terrible Yoot by Horatio Clare, edited by Penny Thomas. Illustrations by Jane Matthews (Firefly Press)

Stone Rider by David Hofmeyr, edited by Ben Horslenand Tig Wallace (Penguin)

The Unlikely Adventures of Mabel Jones by Will Mabbitt, edited by Ben Horslen. Illustrations by Ross Collins (Penguin)

My Brother is a Superhero by David Solomons, edited by Kirsty Stansfield (Nosy Crow)

Time Travelling with a Hamster by Ross Welford, edited by Nicholas Lake (HarperCollins Children’s Books)

The Art of Being Normal by Lisa Williamson, edited by Bella Pearson (David Fickling Books)

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 books editor of The Guardian. 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

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The Branford Boase Award gratefully acknowledges support from Walker Books and

Dame Jacqueline Wilson O.B.E.