We are excited to bring you another fascinating article on writing, this time from the unique perspective of Branford Boase Award judge Christine Pillainayagam, who shares her thoughts on the judging process, and her thoughts on why writing for children is so important.
Brandford Boase Award 2024
Founded in 2000, the Branford Boase Award was set up in memory of award-winning author Henrietta Branford and her editor Wendy Boase of Walker Books, who both died in 1999, and is unique in honouring author as well as editor.
When I wrote my debut novel Ellie Pillai Is Brown, I wrote it for me. Or more accurately, for 15 year old me. A girl who’d never seen herself – a brown, second generation, Catholic, Tamil immigrant – reflected in the world around her. Not in books or magazines or films or music. The places she looked to for comfort and guidance, never showed her a version of who she could be. Growing up, that feeling of invisibility, of not belonging, sticks. Like glue on the inside of a book spine, it forms a fundamental part of your structure.
Decades later, I sat down at my computer and a book began to pour out of me. I remember vividly the feeling of typing the first words onto a blank page – My name is Ellie. Ellie Pillai – and so my hero was born. Both me, and so much more than me, Ellie is a 15 year old brown girl caught between two cultures – a traditional Tamil upbringing with her family at home, and the life of a classic British teenager at school.
This story, loosely based on some of my own experiences as a music obsessed teenager growing up in a predominantly white area, is what the book industry describes as ‘own voice’ – meaning exactly that. A book written by an author with intimate knowledge and understanding of the material, because it is lived first hand.
As a debut author, taking an ‘own voice’ story into the world can be frightening. It can feel as if not simply your writing is being judged, but yourself and the validity and relevance of your experiences. I was told time and time again, by agents and publishers alike, that my story wasn’t really a story. That there wasn’t a ‘hook’ or a sense of jeopardy, yet to me, I felt the transformation of this shy 15 year old from someone determined to be invisible out of fear of racism, to someone with the courage to stand up and stand out, was a story needed by so many children today. Luckily, my brilliant agent and publisher agreed – and so did the judges of the Branford Boase Award who made me the winner of the prize in 2023.
Winning the BBA has had a profound impact on how I now view children’s stories and their importance in the world. The foundation they build in young people’s lives. The glue we create in their book spines. This year as a judge for the prize, I was delighted to see more ‘own voice’ stories being promoted by publishers. Books that speak to the reality of children’s lives and represent every version of who they are and who they could be.
With a longlist of 25 incredible books, my fellow judges and I had some spirited discussions about who would make the shortlist, but in the end, the word that comes to mind for all 6 shortlisted novels is ‘powerful’. Each one, through a mix of humour, joy, love, pain, fear, compassion, representation, felt powerful. Stories that stick with you long after you turn the final page.
… that feeling of invisibility, of not belonging, sticks. Like glue on the inside of a book spine, it forms a fundamental part of your structure.
Like the amazing You Think You Know Me by Ayaan Mohamud, which gripped the judges with its use of pace and tension as a terrible incident unfolds, and deals sensitively and beautifully with themes of racism, Islamophobia and microaggressions. Or the hilarious The Swifts by Beth Lincoln, a classic whodunnit full of twists and turns that has such a distinctive voice and is so cleverly layered with themes of identity and family that it becomes a celebration of individuality. The Jhalak Prize winning Safiyyah’s War by Hiba Noor Khan, a compassionate story full of heart, which taught us something we didn’t know, then made us want to learn more about it. The brilliant The First Move by Jenny Ireland, a YA love story with depth, that speaks openly and authentically about disability and covers themes from LGBTQIA+, to mental health and housing security. The outstanding The Final Move by Matt Goodfellow, a verse novel that draws you into a world so often unrepresented in children’s books – a hopeful, playful masterpiece.
And of course, our wonderful 2024 Branford Boase Award winner Steady For This by Nathanael Lessore, a book of joy, emotion, light and shade. A story that confronts heavy subject matter in a life affirming and generous way. We wanted to push this brilliantly funny book into the hands of as many children as we could.
Each of these powerful novels represents the future of children’s books. One that is filled with hope and safety, whoever you are.
The complete list of titles on the 2024 shortlist are:
The Final Year Matt Goodfellow, illustrated by Joe Todd-Stanton, edited by Charlotte Hacking (Otter-Barry Books)
The First Move by Jenny Ireland, edited by Ruth Knowles with Sara Jafari (Penguin)
Safiyyah’s War by Hiba Noor Khan, edited by Eloise Wilson (Andersen Press)
Steady for This by Nathanael Lessore, edited by Ella Whiddett and Ruth Bennett (Hot Key Books)
The Swifts by Beth Lincoln, illustrated by Claire Powell, edited by Ben Horslen and Julie Strauss-Gabel (Puffin)
You Think You Know Me by Ayaan Mohamud, edited by Sarah Stewart (Usborne)
Christine Pillainayagam was born in Norwich, grew up in Sheringham and attended school in Holt and Norwich. She now lives in Faversham in Kent. She is a writer and retail strategist. A mild obsession with The Beatles and the desire to write a story that reflected her own experiences growing up as a first-generation immigrant led her to put that love of music and words into a book. Ellie Pillai is Brown features songs written by the protagonist, Ellie, and they are available to listen to via QR codes in the book. Ellie Pillai is Brown was shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Book Award and the Jhalak Children’s and YA Prize and won the 2023 Branford Boase Award.
Ellie Pillai is Brown, Ellie Pillai is (almost) in Love and Ellie Pillai is Not Done Yet are out now.
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