Huge congratulations today to the eight authors whose books have been shortlisted for this year’s Carnegie Medal. And a really wonderful shortlist it is too.
I have had the amazing good fortune in the past to have worked with three Carnegie-winning authors (Sharon Creech, Jennifer Donnelly and Neil Gaiman) and two further Carnegie shortlisted authors (Laurie Halse Anderson and Gennifer Choldenko) and the sense of wonder and admiration that each of those authors work elicits is profound.
Now I am delighted to see three more authors whose work I have been lucky enough to have had something to do with recognised on the shortlist. Nick Lake’s Prinz-Medal-winning novel IN DARKNESS, Sarah Crossan’s THE WEIGHT OF WATER edited by Ele Fountain (both published by Bloomsbury) and our own starkly original brilliant MAGGOT MOON by Sally Gardner.
As an editor you look for, and aim to publish the books that move you and thrill you and introduce you to aspects of the world that you had not previously known about. You look for books that touch you in an important way and affirm great values. The Carnegie list consistently seeks to recognise those same qualities and we know that any book that is recognised by the Carnegie judges as being good enough to be shortlisted, never mind to win, is a book that generations of readers will find pleasure in and fulfilment from for years to come.
There can be no greater reward for an editor than to see one’s choices reflected on that list. This year is a bumper year.
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I think it’s fair to say, based solely on the award recognition this book has received (and not on my own reading of the book, as that hasn’t happened quite yet), that Sally Gardner is a very important voice in contemporary lit, not just YA. Congratulations all around 🙂
Couldn’t agree more! Sally’s is a really special and original voice.
All of these books looks amazing, but I think it’ll be atightly contested thing between Wonder and Maggot Moon. Good luck to everyone!