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David Fickling has achieved two nominations for the Branford Boase Award, a prize given each year for the best debut children's novel.
Books from the Random House Children's Publishing imprint took two places on the seven-strong shortlist, alongside titles from Faber and Macmillan. Earlier this week Fickling announced his decision to leave Random House and set up as an independent publisher.
More than 60 books were submitted for the 2013 prize, three times the number submitted for the first prize in 2000. The winner of the £1,000award is announced on 11th July at a ceremony in London.
The prize also rewards the editors of the book and their role in developing talent; the winning editor and author both receive a silver-inlaid box in the shape of a book.
Judges this year include Coventry City Council learning resources manager Joy Court; children's consultant Prue Goodwin; former m.d. of Scholastic Book Clubs Julie Randles; and the winner of last year's award Annabel Pitcher.
The chair of the judges is the Guardian's children's books editor Julia Eccleshare, who said: "This year¹s longlist was exceptionally strong and the shortlisted books are extremely accomplished. Here are eight really interesting authors, doing really interesting things in their writing."
The nominated titles:
After the Snow by S D Crockett, edited by Emma Young (Macmillan)
The Things We Did for Love by Natasha Farrant, edited by Julia Heydon-Wells
(Faber)
Daylight Saving by Edward Hogan, edited by Mara Bergman (Walker)
A Hen in the Wardrobe by Wendy Meddour, edited by Janetta Otter-Barry
(Frances Lincoln)
Black Arts by Andrew Prentice & Jonathan Weil, edited by Simon Mason (David
Fickling)
A Boy and a Bear in a Boat by Dave Shelton, edited by David Fickling (David
Fickling)
A World Between Us by Lydia Syson, edited by Sarah Odedina (Hot Key)