Last year I was lucky enough to be asked to shadow judge the Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award along with Amanda, Lizzi, Paul and Lucy. It was such an enjoyable experience, both reading the shortlisted titles – all very different, all more than worthy of the award – and meeting other bloggers plus, of course, the authors. This year another five bloggers will be taking a turn and I hope their experience is as rewarding as ours. Announced yesterday, this year’s shortlist looks just as enticing, made up of two novels, one short story collection and one book of poetry. Here they are:
The Perseverance by Raymond Antrobus
Salt Slow by Julia Armfield
Stubborn Archivist by Yara Rodrigues Fowler
Testament by Kim Sherwood
It’ll be a tough choice for both the sets of judges, I suspect. If you’d like to keep up with what the shadow judges are up to you can follow their posts via the links below or on Twitter using #YoungWriterAwardShadow.
Anne Cater at Random Things Through My Letter Box
David Harris at Blue Book Balloon
Linda Hill at Linda’s Book Bag
Clare Reynolds at Years of Reading Selfishly
Phoebe Williams at The Brixton Bookworm
The shadow judges will annouce their winner on 28th November followed by the judges a week later. The prize will be awarded at the London Library on Thursday, December 6th. Good luck to all and have fun!
I was very pleased to see Stubborn Archivist, one of my predictions, make the list. I also suspected a poet would be on there as there were several younger ones recognized by this year’s Forward Prizes. I don’t think I realized Antrobus was eligible, though. I reviewed his book as part of the Folio Prize blog tour.
I’ve asked for review copies of the other two books and will try to follow along. Do you know if you can make it to this year’s awards ceremony? It would be great to see you there!
I have to admit I had no expectations as to what might make it on to this list. Apart from age it’s such a wide open field but I’m pleased to see Salt Slow there.
I’m hoping to make it, Rebecca, but already have a lot on that week. Fingers crossed!
What an interesting thing to be asked to do, I don’t know if I realised that you did this last year. I will be interested to see how this year’s shadow judges get on.
I really enjoyed it, Ali. Part of the fun was meeting other bloggers.
As usual, I’ve put 1/2 on my TBR list. I don’t read poetry though.
Me, neither, I’m afraid.
Can’t believe it’s that time of year again! I enjoyed being on the shadow jury a few years back and always look forward to the party / winners announcement at the London Library. (At last year’s event I bored everyone stupid by announcing I’d quit my job with nothing to go to! The past year has been VERY eventful!)
I did that once but left out the crossing continents bit! I’m glad it’s worked out for you, Kim, but sorry that we never met when you were in London.
I’ll be back to pack up and sell a flat, and collect an Irishman partner, at some point, so our paths may cross yet!