The Branford Boase Award was set up in memory of outstanding 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. Over its 20+ years in existence, winners and shortlisted authors include Siobhan Dowd, Meg Rosoff, Mal Peet, Philip Reeve, Frank Cottrell Boyce, Frances Hardinge, Patrick Ness and Marcus Sedgwick.
The Award is made annually to the most promising book for 7+ by a first-time novelist. The shortlist is announced in May each year and the website features interviews with authors etc
CLPE have produced fabulous teaching notes to accompany past winners http://www.branfordboaseaward.org.uk
The Henrietta Branford Writing Competition runs in conjunction with the Branford Boase. The competition is open to anyone aged 19 or under. Each year there are hundreds of entries from all over the country, often thanks to the encouragement of teachers and school librarians, who can download a poster to display to encourage children to take part. Entrants have to complete a story begun by the winning author of the previous year’s Branford Boase Award. Winning stories can be read on the website
| Winner: Danny Chung Does Not Do Maths by Maisie Chan. Illustrated by Anh Cao (Piccadilly Press. ISBN: 978-1800780019) Danny Chung loves art. Unfortunately, everyone else thinks he should love maths and classmates assume he will be brilliant because he is Chinese. He is excited about a promised surprise – until it turns out to be his Nai Nai from China, taking up residence in his top bunk. But there’s more to Danny’s wrinkled little grandma than meets the eye. Funny, light-hearted, and challenging racist stereotypes, this is a delightful celebration of intergenerational love and individual strengths and while featuring all the silliness that children love, deals sensitively with the difficulties of building and fostering relationships in the upper primary years, wanting to fit in and, for boys especially, allowing oneself to be emotionally vulnerable. |  |
