Out of Shadows is shortlisted for The Branford Boase Award

Out of Shadows by Jason Wallace has been shortlisted for the Branford Boase Award, given each year to the most promising work of fiction for children by a first time novelist. This stunning novel has already won the Costa Children's Book Prize and has been shortlisted for the prestigious CILIP Carnegie Book Award.

Jason Wallace’s Out of Shadows has been shortlisted for the Branford Boase Award. The Award is given annually to the author of an outstanding debut novel for children.

The books on the shortlist are:

I Am The Blade by J.P. Buxton, edited by Beverley Birch (Hachette, £5.99)

When I Was Joe by Keren David, edited by Maurice Lyon (Frances Lincoln, £6.99)

Tall Story by Candy Gourlay, edited by Bella Pearson (David Fickling, £5.99)

Unhooking The Moon by Gregory Hughes, edited by Roisin Heycock (Quercus, £5.99)

Out Of Shadows by Jason Wallace, edited by Charlie Sheppard (Andersen Press, £6.99)

The Crowfield Curse by Pat Walsh, edited by Imogen Copper (Chicken House, £6.99)

This year’s judging panel includes independent bookseller Isla Dawes of The Barnes Bookshop; Jake Hope, librarian and Bookseller Magazine reviewer; Damian Kelleher, journalist and writer and Lucy Christopher, author of Stolen and winner of last year’s Branford Boase Award. The panel is chaired by Julia Eccleshare, children’s books editor at the Guardian.

Julia Eccleshare says:  “This year’s varied and impressive shortlist is a very positive statement about the strength and health of children’s books. Everyone is looking for creative new authors and it good to see them being spotted by both the major houses and the small and independent publishers”.

Congratulations Jason.