CELEBRATIONS, June 2020

Tune in for June as we tweak our ears to the sounds of celebrations! Join 
B B Taylor as she brings music to our ears with happiness and good news all round! 

New Releases 

The Perfect Shelter, written by Clare Helen Welsh and illustrated by debut talent, Åsa Gilland, publishes on 25th June with Little Tiger Press. It's a story inspired by Clare's personal experience with cancer and aims to unpick and make sense of the many challenging feelings we have when a loved one is diagnosed with a serious illness. However, it's also a story for those looking to live in the moment and make sense of an ever-changing, ever-challenging world.

June sees the publication of Emma Perry and Rikin Parekh's picture book, This Book Has Alpacas and Bears. This was the script that won the SCBWI Slushpile Competition back in April 2016 - which led to an agent, which led to a book deal with David Fickling Books. Three cheers for SCBWI!

Have you ever noticed that bears are absolutely EVERYWHERE? Alfonso the alpaca has and it really gets his GOAT! He's decided that alpacas should get the recognition (and LOVE!) that they deserve. (Watch out, bears!)

Coming Soon 

Tracy Darnton's Young Adult thriller The Rules is published on 9th July. It's about a girl on the run from her prepper dad who grew up living by his strict set of rules. Tracy thinks it's been very strange indeed to launch a book on the perils of constantly preparing for disaster in the midst of these unusual times!

Keep your eyes peeled here for all the upcoming books and newest signed deals, we'll make sure you don't miss out!

Agents

Have you got a new agent? Don't be shy. Let us know so we can celebrate with you too! 

Good News

The Crystal Kite Award is presented annually to PAL books that represent excellence in the field of children’s literature. Crystal Kite Awards are peer-selected, voted on by SCBWI members from local regions.

Congratulations to all our wonderful 2020 winners from around the world for their books published throughout 2019. We are proud to announce that this years winner for the British Isles is Clare Helen Welsh for her book The Tide Illustrated by Ashling Lindsay.

Anita Lehmann celebrates as her picture book Slobber Slobber Kiss Kiss (Helvetiq), illustrated by Kasia Fryza, has been shortlisted for the German Youth Literature Prize 2020, alongside Mac Barnett/Jon Klassen, Ina Hattenhauer, John Hare, Piotr Karski, and Julie Fogliano/ Lande Smith. The winner will be announced at Frankfurt Book Fair in October 2020.

Kathyrn Evans will be too tired to sleep with excitement as she has won a Portsmouth Book Award! Beauty Sleep has not only been short listed for the Crimefest Bristol Award and the Steam Book Prize but also snagged the Longer Novel Book Award at the Portsmouth Book Awards, voted for by the readers themselves! Published Usborne and cover illustration by Will Steele

Most of us may be stuck at home at the moment but Vanessa Harbour's Book Flight certainly isn't! Flight has snuck across the oceans and is being published in the US by Feiwel & Friends part of Macmillan in March 2021.

Yet again Clare Helen Welsh is jumping for joy in this months celebrations The Tide, written by Clare Helen Welsh and illustrated by Ashling Lindsay has won an honour award for its excellence in illustration at the Children's Book Ireland awards. Everyone who worked on the book is extremely pleased and proud! 

Share your good news with us and brighten our day!

*All images courtesy of authors mentioned above. 

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Have you got good news to share? New book? New agent? Award nominee or winner? Are you a new member? Say hi and let us know. Why not send an email over with your good news at celebrations@britishscbwi.org, a picture and any links so we can celebrate too :)