History

The Leicester Book of the Year Award for Teenage Fiction started life in 2002 as part of the Everybody’s Reading festival as a collaboration between Leicester Libraries and the Gifted and Talented scheme. The aim of the award, then as now, was to create something that would really engage young people with reading and celebrate the work of writers making young adult fiction. The winner that year, chosen by a panel of young readers, was the fantastic Bali Rai with his novel ‘Unarranged Marriage’.

In 2003 the award grew up, involving more schools, more young people and more readers. The winner was choosen by an open vote and that year the trophy was taken by Alan Gibbons for the novel The Edge.

Alan returned to defend his title in 2004 having been once again shortlisted, along with the 2002 winner Bali Rai. The result of this titanic clash was a close call but ultimately Bali Rai took the popular vote and the title of Leicester’s favourite book for 2004.

In 2005 the hugely popular Benjamin Zephaniah swept to award victory. No sooner had the 2005 award closed than work began on 2006. The award that year was taken by Sherry Ashworth for her wonderful novel, Paralysed. Sherry was also shortlisted in 2007, but narrowly lost out in defending her title to S.F.Said and his novel, The Outlaw Varjak Paw.

Each year more than 30 publishers submit well over 100 titles for consideration for the award. At a suspenseful meeting of library and school representatives in September these are whittled down to a longlist of 30. Shortly thereafter volunteer reader groups from local secondary schools come together to choose just 5 titles which will become that years shortlist. Hundreds of the shortlisted titles are sent into every secondary school in the city, accompanied by teams of highly trained young people with but one mission – to make people vote! Once all the votes are cast the award winner is declared at a special ceremony in June.

We hope to continue this excitement with the 2008 award. Stay up to date with all the latest news by subscribing to our RSS feed (use the orange buttons below)

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