Issued: 7 December 2007
Countdown Begins For The Angus Book Award 2008
Third year pupils from throughout Angus gathered in The Reid Hall, Forfar on Wednesday 5 December for the launch of the Angus Book Award 2008.
Since the first book award in 1996, the event has captured the imagination of S3 pupils throughout the county. It aims to give both committed and less enthusiastic readers the opportunity to engage with new fiction. The first award of its kind in the UK, it has established an outstanding reputation amongst authors, publishers and others involved in teenage reading in the last 12 years
The award is based on the principle that empowering pupils by giving them responsibility and choice provides motivation. Pupils are encouraged to form their own opinions about which books they like and dislike through discussion and hearing the views of other pupils. During the coming months, pupils will read their way through the shortlist, before voting for their favourite in a secret ballot. The 2008 winner will be announced at the award ceremony on 20 May 2008.
Launching the 2008 award in front of pupils from Angus secondary schools was previous winner Keith Gray, who won the award in 2003 for Warehouse.
At the launch, Edinburgh based author Keith talked about the role that reading and writing has played in his life and the importance of not patronising teenage readers. He then announced the 2008 shortlisted titles and give pupils a taster of what they have to look forward to.
This year’s shortlist brings a selection of authors new to the Angus Book Award:
Close-up by Sherry Ashworth (Simon & Schuster), lights, camera, action... an edgy and witty novel where life is a movie and the right thing to do comes at a cost.
Leaving Poppy by Kate Cann (Scholastic), a taught tense novel, a ghost story but much more, where a latent power concealed in a house is awakened.
Bunker 10 by J.A. Henderson (Oxford University Press), a novel with all the excitement of a computer game, where a small group of teenagers attempt to find their way out of certain destruction.
Omega Place by Graham Marks (Bloomsbury), an intriguing story of the menacing possibilities of a technology that isn’t just around the corner, it’s here already: CCTV.
Henry Tumour by Anthony McGowan (Definitions), an original, dark comedy, about a boy struggling to cope with the talking brain-tumour, Henry, who is trying to take over his life.
The books will be available from local libraries and through schools.
The Angus Book Award is supported by Micro Librarian Systems and Blackadders.