Waterstones prize winner Elle McNicoll: ‘I never saw autistic girls in books’

The author was repeatedly told that no one wanted to read fun books with disabled heroes. Now she has won the £5,000 Waterstones children’s book prize for her debut, A Kind of SparkWhen Scottish author Elle McNicoll was first trying to enter the publishing world, she was repeatedly told that people didn’t want to read about an autistic heroine. “In job interviews, I was saying that I wanted to see more books with disabled characters in them that were not traumatic, boring or educational, but fun and full of life. A lot of the reactions were, ‘Waterstones don’t like books like that’,” she says.Now McNicoll’s debut novel A Kind of Spark has won the Waterstones children’s book prize. Published by tiny independent Knights Of, it follows Addie, an 11-year-old autistic girl, as she campaigns for a memorial to the witch trials that took place in her Scottish village. The novel has been praised by Waterstones’ booksellers as “eye opening, heart-wrenching, sad [and] inspiring”. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2021-07-01 05:01:05 UTC ]
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Ten-strong shortlist revealed for the YA Book Prize 2019

Macmillan Children’s Books, Scholastic and Walker Books have two titles apiece on the shortlist for the YA Book Prize 2019, which includes books by the award’s inaugural winner Louise O’Neill, as well as Juno Dawson, Laura Dockrill and début author Muhammad Khan. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-03-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Cut Out Girl wins Slightly Foxed Best First Biography Prize

Bart van Es has won this year’s £2,500 Slightly Foxed Best First Biography Prize for The Cut Out Girl. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-02-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Anderson and Beastie Boys on shortlist for Penderyn Music Book Prize

Suede frontman Brett Anderson and members of the Beastie Boys are among the authors shortlisted for this year’s Penderyn Music Book Prize. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-02-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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John Young wins Scottish Teenage Book Prize 2019

John Young’s Farewell Tour of a Terminal Optimist (Kelpies Edge) is the winner of this year’s £3,000 Scottish Teenage Book Prize, an award run by Scottish Book Trust and supported by Creative Scotland. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-02-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Bologna Children’s Book Fair Names 2019 Ragazzi Award Winners

The more than 1,500 titles submitted for the Bologna Ragazzi awards program this year represent the work of authors and illustrators in key trends and issues. The post Bologna Children’s Book Fair Names 2019 Ragazzi Award Winners appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2019-02-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Adeyemi and Anderson make Waterstones Children’s Prize shortlist

Authors and illustrators including Tomi Adeyemi, Sophie Anderson, Jessica Love and Onjali Q. Raúf are on the shortlist for this year’s Waterstones Children’s Book Prize, which is now in its fifteenth year. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-02-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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German Publishers Association Names Its 2019 German Book Prize Jurors

Jurors have been named in the 2019 German Book Prize competition. The winner will be announced on October 14 during the Frankfurter Buchmesse. The post German Publishers Association Names Its 2019 German Book Prize Jurors appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2019-02-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Debut authors dominate Wellcome Book Prize longlist

The longlist has been revealed for the 2019 Wellcome Book Prize, with six debuts in line for the contest’s 10th anniversary award as memoirs dominate the non-fiction titles. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-02-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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He wrote a book on WhatsApp. It just won the 2019 Victorian Prize for Literature

Iranian-Kurdish journalist Behrouz Boochani’s book has been awarded a literary prize. He wrote it on a messaging service. Iranian-Kurdish journalist Behrouz Boochani didn’t have access to a laptop or typewriter, so he wrote his memoir through texts on WhatsApp. Now his book, No Friend but the... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2019-02-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Wellcome Book Prize Announces Its 10th Anniversary Longlist

Almost evenly divided between fiction and nonfiction, the 2019 Wellcome Book Prize longlist features issues of gender, identity, mental health and medicine. The post Wellcome Book Prize Announces Its 10th Anniversary Longlist appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2019-02-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Scottish Book Trade Conference Preview: Waterstones’ Daunt, Nielsen’s Bohme

With a dual-track structure for booksellers and publishers, the Scottish Book Trade Conference on February 26 will feature workshops as well as discussion. The post Scottish Book Trade Conference Preview: Waterstones’ Daunt, Nielsen’s Bohme appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2019-02-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Industry Notes: London Book Fair’s 2019 Trailblazers; GLLI’s First YA Translation Winner

The London Book Fair's Trailblazer Awards have honored 20 young publishing standouts in four years. And the GLLI YA Translated Book Prize goes to a PRH work. The post Industry Notes: London Book Fair’s 2019 Trailblazers; GLLI’s First YA Translation Winner appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2019-02-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Detainee wins major literary prize for book written through WhatsApp

Messaging apps aren't just useful for everyday communication -- in at least one case, they've enabled an influential book. Kurdish-Iranian author Behrouz Boochani has won Australia's top literary award, the Victorian Prize for Literature, with a boo... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2019-02-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Cut Out Girl wins Costa Book of the Year

Bart van Es' biography The Cut Out Girl (Fig Tree) has won the £30,000 Costa Book of the Year award. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-01-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Costa Book of the Year: Jewish rescue story The Cut Out Girl wins

Bart van Es wrote about a Jewish girl who was sheltered by his grandparents during World War Two. Continue reading at BBC News

[ BBC News | 2019-01-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Bart van Es’ Biography ‘The Cut Out Girl’ Named Costa Book of the Year

The Costa Book of the Year prize goes to its biography category winner, a tale of the Dutch Nazi resistance by Bart van Es. The post Bart van Es’ Biography ‘The Cut Out Girl’ Named Costa Book of the Year appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2019-01-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Joyce Carol Oates Is Named the 2019 Jerusalem Prize Winner

One of the best-known and most widely read American authors working today, Joyce Carol Oates has won the Jerusalem Prize and will be on-hand for the Jerusalem International Book Forum in May. By Porter Anderson, Editor-in-Chief | @Porter_Anderson ‘The Freedom of the Individual in Society’... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2019-01-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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BookTrust celebrates books for the under fives with new prize

Reading charity BookTrust is launching a £5,000 book prize to celebrate titles published for babies and children aged 0-5. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-01-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Malala Yousafzai: What does a Nobel Peace Prize winner do for fun?

Whilst studying at Oxford, the Nobel Peace Prize winner has just written a book called "We Are Displaced". Continue reading at BBC News

[ BBC News | 2019-01-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Ireland’s Sally Rooney Leads Costa Prize Category Winners

The acclaimed young Irish author Sally Rooney is the winner of the 2018 Costa Book Prize in the novel category. The overall Costa Book of the Year is to be named January 29. The post Ireland’s Sally Rooney Leads Costa Prize Category Winners appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2019-01-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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