David Almond has been named winner of the 2015 Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize for his book A Song for Ella Grey.
The novel - published by Hodder - puts a modern twist on the story of Orpheus and Eurydice.
The Children’s Fiction Prize recognises fiction written for children aged eight and above, and is the only children’s fiction award selected by fellow writers.
This year’s competition was judged by Piers Torday (winner of the prize in 2014 with The Dark Wild), Natasha Farrant (shortlisted in 2014 with Flora in Love) and Jenny Valentine (who won the prize with Finding Violet Park in 2007) and chaired by Julia Eccleshare, the Guardian’s children’s books editor.
As winner, Almond receives the £1500 prize and joins next year’s judging panel. Previous winners include Ted Hughes, Philip Pullman and Jacqueline Wilson.
David Almond said: “I’m so happy about this wonderful award. I’ve been shortlisted several times and it’s a real honour to win it at last. It’s made very special by the fact it’s judged by my fellow authors. Thanks to the judges and to my readers, and to the Guardian for publicising the strength and importance of children’s literature, which lies at the beating heart of our culture.”
Judge Piers Torday described A Song for Ella Grey as: “An intense, windswept re-working of Orpheus and Eurydice that reverberates with intensity and passion, as beautifully presented as it is written. The transformative potential of art and the imagination radiates from every page of this book, which is as short, intense and all consuming as the love story it describes.”
The ceremony took place at a party at the Guardian offices this evening (Thursday 19 November 2015), attended by children’s authors and members of the Guardian children’s books site.
Shadowing the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize is the Guardian Young Critics competition, which saw 11 winners.
The competition asked individuals (aged 18 and under) to write a 500-word review of one of the books longlisted for the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize. The book group category invited school and library books groups to enter as a group with a minimum of four reviews.
The winners were awarded sets of the longlisted books, books tokens and were invited to this evening’s Children’s Fiction Prize awards ceremony. Book group winners Holt Primary School also won a workshop at the Guardian offices.
Emily Drabble, co-editor of the Guardian’s children’s books website said: “More than 200 reviewers entered our young critics competition this year, more than ever before, and astounded us with their brilliant reviews of our longlisted books.
“It made me want to read each book all over again, and confirmed that the judges of the Guardian children’s fiction award 2015 chose wonderful books that children really want to read.”
The full list of winners of the Guardian Young Critics competition is:
- Hannah Mulcahy who reviewed All the Bright Places
- Sara El-Khamlichi who reviewed A song for Ella Grey
- Charlotte Walden who reviewed A Song for Ella Grey
- Megan Foley who reviewed A Song for Ella Grey
- Elizabeth Knappett who reviewed Apple and Rain
- Sam Davis who reviewed An Island of Our Own
- Cara Exall who reviewed My Name’s Not Friday
- Rhys Ponsford who reviewed El Deafo
- Wilkie Dickinson-Sparks who reviewed Five Children on the Western Front
- Olivia Sample who reviewed The Lie Tree
- Holt Primary School (Book group category winner)
For more information about the Children’s Fiction Prize please visit here.
For more information about the Guardian Young Critics competition please visit here.
-Ends-
Notes to editors
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The Guardian is most recently renowned for its Pulitzer Prize and Emmy-winning revelations based on the disclosures made by whistleblower Edward Snowden. In 2014, the Guardian was named newspaper and website of the year at the Society of Editors UK Press Awards and is the most trusted news source in the UK (Ofcom digital media report, 2014).
The Guardian is also known for its globally acclaimed investigation into phone hacking, the launch of its groundbreaking digital-first strategy in 2011 and its trailblazing partnership with WikiLeaks in 2010.
About Children’s Fiction Prize
The Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize was founded in 1967. It is awarded annually to fiction written for children aged eight and above, and is the only children’s fiction award selected by fellow writers.
Previous winners of the prize include Mark Haddon for The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Northern Lights by Philip Pullman, How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff, The Illustrated Mum by Jacqueline Wilson, Frank Cottrell Boyce with The Unforgotten Coat and last year’s winner Piers Torday with The Dark Wild.
About Young Critics competition
Launched in 2002 to accompany the prize. Open to anyone aged 18 or under.
The challenge is to write a review of around 500 words of any of the longlisted books.
It is open to individuals and schools.
