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Simon Mayo and Steve Backshall are among the longlisted authors for the Branford Boase Award, which celebrates debut novels for children.
The award, which also honours the editor of the winning title, has revealed a 26-strong longlist from 62 submissions.
Other titles on the longlist include Doglands by Tim Willcocks, edited by Charlie Shepperd (Andersen Press) and Geekhood by Andy Robb edited by Jane Harris (Little Tiger Press).
Chair of judges and Guardian children’s books editor Julia Eccleshare said: “The 62 submissions, one up on last year, came from 19 different publishers, demonstrating the exciting and healthy state of children’s books in this country.
"The longlist contains books for readers of all ages and is very varied, with adventure stories, thrillers, comedy, romance and family stories all represented, as well as some books that defy categorisation.”
The judging panel comprises: Julie Randles, Scholastic Book Clubs m.d.; Joy Court, learning resources manager for Coventry City Council; Prue Goodwin, consultant and lecturer in children’s literature; and Annabel Pitcher, author of My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece, winner of last year’s Branford Boase Award.
The shortlist for the award will be announced on 1st May, with the winner announced on 11th July at a ceremony in London.
The longlist:
Soldier Dog by Sam Angus, edited by Rachel Petty (Macmillan)
Tiger Wars by Steve Backshall, edited by Fiona Kennedy (Orion)
Heart-Shaped Bruise by Tanya Byrne, edited by Hannah Sheppard (Headline)
Wolf Princess by Cathryn Constable, edited by Rachel Leyshon (Chicken House)
15 Days without a Head by Dave Cousins, edited by Jasmine Richards (OUP)
After the Snow by S D Crockett, edited by Emma Young (Macmillan)
Mortal Chaos by Matt Dickinson, edited by Kathy Webb & Liz Cross (OUP)
The Things We Did for Love by Natasha Farrant, edited by Julia Heydon-Wells (Faber)
The Feral Child by Che Golden, edited by Roisin Heycock (Quercus)
Shrunk! by Fleur Hitchcock, edited by Sara O’Connor (Hot Key)
Daylight Saving by Edward Hogan, edited by Mara Bergman (Walker)
A Dog Called Homeless by Sarah Lean edited by Rachel Denwood & Lizzie Ryley (HarperCollins)
Socks are Not Enough by Mark Lowery, edited by Alice Swan (Scholastic)
Torn by David Massey, edited by Imogen Cooper (Chicken House)
Itch by Simon Mayo, edited by Kelly Hurst (Random House)
At Yellow Lake by Jane McLoughlin, edited by Maurice Lyon and Emily Sharratt (Frances Lincoln)
A Hen in the Wardrobe by Wendy Meddour, edited by Janetta Otter-Barry (Frances Lincoln)
Magnificent Moon Hare by Sue Monroe, edited by Rachel Boden (Egmont)
Hitler’s Angel by William Osborne, edited by Imogen Cooper (Chicken House)
Black Arts by Andrew Prentice & Jonathan Weil, edited by Simon Mason (David Fickling)
Black Heart Blue by Louisa Reid, edited by Amanda Punter (Puffin)
Geekhood by Andy Robb, edited by Jane Harris (Little Tiger Press)
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)
Slated by Teri Terry, edited by Megan Larkin (Hachette)
Doglands by Tim Willcocks, edited by Charlie Shepperd (Andersen Press)