Young Quill Award Evening

HERE can be found an extra-special review of Song Hunter.

It's extra-special, first because it's both thoughtful and intelligent, and, second, because it was written by Jacob, who is young enough to one of the people for whom Song Hunter was written.

HERE, written by one of the organisers of the Young Quills Award, is another very kind review. It talks of 'deeply complex subject-matter', and, you know something? When I was writing Song Hunter I spent a long time thinking about the beginnings of creativity, and I'm deeply grateful to know that someone has noticed.

I received my Young Quills Award on Wednesday evening. Song Hunter won the youngest category, my friend Catherine Johnson was there to receive the senior one, and the only disappointment was that trouble with trains meant that Geraldine McCaughrean couldn't be there to receive her prize for the middle age group.

The Young Quills Award is run by the Historical Association, which is concerned with history education at all levels. As well as the Young Quill Awards there was a dissertation prize, and various awards of fellowships, and lastly Prof Sir Richard Evans, Regius Professor of History at Cambridge University, was awarded the Medlicott Medal and gave an illustrated talk on the origins of WW1.

I felt extremely proud indeed to be part of it all.

Young Quills Award.

I am very pleased and dead proud to announce that Song Hunter has won a Young Quills Award.

(Please insert some vaguely chimp-like hoots of triumph here, and reflect upon how narrow the gap between humans and chimps is, and has always been.)

I had a marvellously stimulating and interesting time researching Song Hunter, and I'm delighted that the Historical Association have given the book its stamp of approval.

I'm going to collect my prize on Wednesday.

Account to follow!

Young Quills Award.

Song Hunter has been shortlisted for the Young Fiction section of The Historical Association's Young Quills Award. I'm thrilled to bits.

The award celebrates historical fiction for young people.

The shortlist is decided by children, and the eventual winner is decided by grown ups, based on the historical accuracy of the story.

It's terrific to know that Song Hunter's target audience enjoyed Mica's story.

An Inis Review

There's a simply beautiful review of Song Hunter by Fiona Kennedy in INIS magazine.

It can be found HERE.

Carnegie Medal.

Well, this is a nice surprise: Song Hunter has been nominated for the Carnegie Medal.

That's not the philanthropic Andrew Carnegie medal for giving zillions to charity, but the United Kingdom CILIP outstanding children's book one.

It's a great honour, as well as a great surprise, and I'm really dead chuffed.

Review from the Historical Novel Society

HERE is a very kind review of Song Hunter.

It's on the Historical Novel Society website, and it's written by Elizabeth Hawsley.

It's lovely when, after a whole year's work, people read the book - and even better if they like it!

UKLA news.

I'm pleased and proud to announce that Song Hunter has been longlisted for the UK Literacy Awards.

It's sharing the list with some fine books and some fine writers.

Song Hunter is very happy to be among them.