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Jawando wins the YA Book Prize with ‘powerful and thought-provoking’ novel
The YA Book Prize 2023 has gone to Danielle Jawando’s “raw, powerful and thought-provoking” coming-of-age novel When Our Worlds Collided (Simon & Schuster Children’s). The book was revealed as the winner of the £2,000 award at a ceremony held at Edinburgh International Book Festival (EIBF) on Thursday 24th August. The event was hosted by children’s author and current BookTrust Writer in Residence S F Said, and included appearances from several authors on this year’s 10-strong shortlist.
When Our Worlds Collided follows three teenagers from different backgrounds who are brought together in the aftermath of a stabbing. Published in March 2022, it has sold 2,930 copies through Nielsen BookScan up until the week ending 19th August 2023. Already the recipient of this year’s Jhalak Children’s and Young Adult Prize, it is the second novel from Jawando, who is an author, screenwriter and lecturer in Creative Writing at Manchester Metropolitan University. Her début, And the Stars Were Shining Brightly, was shortlisted for several awards including the YA Book Prize 2021.
In an interview with The Bookseller, Jawando explained the inspiration behind the prize-winning story: “For a long time, I’ve been wanting to write a book that examines the way that so many institutions—the justice system, the care system, the education system and the police—fail and inflict harm on young people of colour. I spent many years working in a further education college and this was something that I saw happening time and time again.”
She added: “At the same time, I also wanted to explore the deeply racist gang narrative that you often see constructed when it comes to young Black boys... I had these various themes floating around for a while, but I think it all came together when I read this heart-breaking news story about a young boy who had been stabbed and had been asking for help. No one helped him and it really made me think about the reasons why and if someone did stop, the type of person that they might be. From that, the characters and the story took off.”
In the same interview, Jawando shared that it was “really important for me to set the book in Moss Side, in Manchester, which is where I was born and grew up.” She expanded: “Just as the novel challenges the gang narrative that’s constructed when it comes to young Black boys, I also wanted to challenge the way that areas like Moss Side are often talked about and depicted. I really wanted to show an authentic representation of what being from Moss Side is like and the sense of love, community and coming together, that often happens [but] you very rarely see shown or spoken about.”
When Our Worlds Collided was crowned by a judging panel including author and former YA Book Prize-winner Patrice Lawrence, Waterstones’ national children’s events co-ordinator Gary Deane, Charley Robinson, founder of UK YA book subscription box Paper Orange UK, and teenage students from schools in Edinburgh and Bradford. EIBF’s children’s and schools programme director Rachel Fox, who was also on the judging panel, said of the winning book: “[It] completely blew me away and I am so pleased to see it crowned as the YA Book Prize winner for 2023. While the plot deals with extremely pertinent issues including racial injustice, prejudice around class and dealing with trauma, the novel is also a wonderful celebration of friendship, found family and community. I can’t wait for more readers to meet Chantelle, Jackson and Marc, and enjoy this accomplished novel as much as all of us judges.”
Deane called the novel “a raw, powerful and thought-provoking coming-of-age story that is tender, compassionate and full of hope”, and added: “Danielle Jawando is a hugely gifted writer and a highly deserving winner of the YA Book Prize 2023—I can’t wait to see what she does next!” Lawrence commented: “Danielle writes with lyricism, empathy and even humour about tough subjects. The characters in When Our Worlds Collided are flawed and completely believable, as they unpick a world that values Black lives less than others.”
The panel was chaired by Caroline Carpenter, The Bookseller’s children’s editor and deputy features editor, who commented: “As YA is propelled into the limelight again thanks to BookTok and the success of recent screen adaptations, it’s inspiring to see that some of the best work in this category is originating from the UK and Ireland. This year’s brilliant, varied shortlist is testament to that, and I could not be happier with the judges’ top choice. Though this is only Danielle Jawando’s second novel, she has already proven herself to be a powerful author of deeply affecting and authentic stories and a rising star of YA.”
When Our Worlds Collided triumphed against nine other titles: Twin Crowns by Catherine Doyle and Katherine Webber (Electric Monkey); The Eternal Return of Clara Hart by Louise Finch (Little Island Books); Five Survive by Holly Jackson (Electric Monkey); The Songs You’ve Never Heard by Becky Jerams and Ellie Wyatt (Sweet Cherry Publishing); The Cats We Meet Along the Way by Nadia Mikail (Guppy Books); Her Dark Wings by Melinda Salisbury (David Fickling Books); If You Still Recognise Me by Cynthia So (Little Tiger Press); The Society for Soulless Girls by Laura Steven (Electric Monkey); and Kemosha of the Caribbean by Alex Wheatle (Andersen Press).
The YA Book Prize was launched by The Bookseller in 2014 to celebrate books for teenagers and young adults from the UK and Ireland. Last year’s award went to Adiba Jaigirdar’s queer rom-com Hani and Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating. For the second year, the prize was run in association with EIBF, with the festival hosting two panels showcasing the shortlisted authors as part of its Baillie Gifford Schools Programme, as well as the winner announcement.
When Our Worlds Collided
Danielle Jawando S&S Children’s, £8.99, 9781471178795
When 14-year-old Shaq is stabbed outside a shopping centre in Manchester, three teens from different walks of life are brought together. A powerful story about chance encounters, injustice and how the choices that we make can change our future.
