Irish Children’s Prize 2013 Shortlist
David and I have emerged, only a few hours ago, from a week of non-stop reading.
On deadline day last week I shared the submissions with David, going through each independently until, finally, yesterday we sent each other a list of our ten favourites. The perfect opportunity to reconsider any that the other had loved, but that hadn’t got on our radar. From there we chiseled at the list, asking questions, lifting some up to the top and knocking some out. We were looking for voice, concept, character, and something with a strong heart. Not an easy process but an incredible week.
For the statistic junkies: we received over three hundred manuscripts (322 to be exact). The quality and originality of what was submitted has been brilliant – with picturebooks (both illustrated and non-illustrated) making up approximately half the total submissions. That was an unexpected, but very welcome, bonus. The other half of submissions were spread across younger readers, 8-12 and YA. It was a broad, fascinating and enlivening cross-section of manuscripts.
Are you ready? We’re so excited to introduce the Irish Children’s Prize 2013 Shortlist:
John Simpson – Willoughby Wychwood and the Book-Lenders Undercover Resistance Bureau
Myra Zepf – Never Ever Swap Your Goldfish
Morgan O’Regan – A Monster Sleep
Eva Byrne – Doris Ballerina
Carol Crimmins – Leah & Peggy
Eugene Lambert – The Sign of One
Martha Sullivan – Walking on the Wild Side
Meredith Strandquist – The Seed
Annie West – Granny Farts at the Opera
Darragh McManus – Shiver the Whole Night Through
The winner will be announced next week on Thursday 31st.