Congratulations Katie Dale!

With the Mass Book Launch at the SCBWI Conference in Winchester this evening it's going to be a great day for celebrations all round... But for those of us that can't be there, we can still sip a glass of bubbly, dig into a slice of cake and shout "Hurrah!" for Katie Dale. She just won the Stockport Mad About Books Award for Key Stage 4 for Someone Else's Life, and her second book, Little White Lies launched last month.

Katie tells us: "I am incredibly thrilled and honoured that my novel Someone Else's Life was awarded the Stockport Mad About Books Award for Key Stage 4. It's my first novel and my first award, and the result was announced at the most glitzy Oscar-like ceremony I've ever seen. A red carpet led up to the entrance of the gorgeous Plaza Theatre in Stockport, which was soon filled with hundreds of pupils from surrounding schools, their teachers and librarians, members of the council and even the mayor, all dressed to the nines. It was made all the more special by the fact that the winning books were voted for by the pupils themselves - and the prizes were works of art created by the pupils, inspired by the winning books. But the real champions of the evening were books and reading - and I am in awe of Stockport council, schools and librarians, for valuing books so highly, for engaging pupils with them so creatively, and for orchestrating a truly special evening - one I'll remember for the rest of my life."

 Pupil Rit McErlean, Katie with her prize
by the artist, Natasha Brierley (on right)

But while Katie's first novel wins a prize, her second novel, Little White Lies was just published as we told you a few weeks ago. Now, here are a few photos from the book launch at Waterstones in Islington last month. Scoobies, wine and cupcakes were a-plenty. And everyone was invited to write their own little white lie in red edible ink on the cake.

Agent Jenny Savill introduces Katie Dale

SCBWI authors Tim Collins, Dave Cousins,
Sara Grant & Sarwat Chadda

SCBWI author Miriam Halahmy and Jenny Savill

Katie and  SCBWI author Teri Terry

Katie gave an inspiring speech

Katie with SCBWI authors Candy Gourlay and Savita Kalhan

So while you're raising your glasses tonight and toasting all the SCBWI authors and illustrators who've launched books this year, say an extra cheers for Katie and wish her every success!

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Tania Tay is an ex-advertising copywriter and has been published in Sable LitMag. She is currently writing a YA romantic thriller, and is on the editorial team at Words & Pictures.