SLUSH PILE CHALLENGE April 2020 Results
Megan Carroll of Watson Little Ltd set the April 2020 Slush Pile Challenge.
We received 70 entries from members across the
British Isles and Europe for this competition. Megan read all of the
submissions. This is what Megan told us when announcing the results:
“Huge
thanks to everyone that sent in an entry to this years Slush Pile Challenge, it
was a real pleasure to read through them and see how differently each author
tackled the challenge I set. I read each entry and it was really difficult to
pick a winner – such a lot of talent, well done to everyone!
What
really stuck out to me were the instances where the characters, plot and
setting came together to create something really original but also
child-friendly. I love an interesting setting in picture books and the texts
that really stood out were where a brilliant setting completely fit alongside a
really strong narrative.
So, (drum
roll, please) I am delighted to announce my winner is THE PUFFIN FROM
PLASTIC ISLAND by Corrina Campbell
– a big issue book with lots of heart and a brilliant and striking setting
about a Puffin who is struggling to find fish to eat and travels to the humans
for help. It’s got a lovely, clear message that manages to not be too didactic
and I enjoyed the clear writing and strong voice. There’s great visual
potential here too, which is so important for a picture book text. I love
stories that tackle the big issues in a child friendly way and this was
certainly that, well done!
Honourable
mentions go to THE POCKET PIRATE by Kate
Thompson – a brilliant and inventive setting with a heart-warming
ending that had a really strong narrative arc. THE READING TREE
by Kathleen Luttschyn – a lovely, lyrical
story about reading and the power of sharing books that had such heart. THE
ICEBERG by Darren Sexton – a
brilliantly visual story about a seal and a bear working together and learning
to share.
The texts
that didn’t quite work for me generally lacked a strong link between setting
and narrative or had a great setting but the story wasn’t quite strong enough
to back it up. At the core of any picture book, there needs to be a really
strong story and narrative arc – these are short texts but still aim to give
them a beginning, middle and an end. The character, and the reader, needs to go
on a journey with you.
Congratulations
to everyone who took part in this challenge, I really enjoyed reading all of
these entries. I was so impressed by the range of texts (and interesting
settings) and I wish you all the best of luck in your writing.”
Congratulations to Corrina Campbell from all of us at Words
& Pictures. We hope they are well on your way towards getting their
writing published.
Well done to Kate Thompson, Kathleen Luttschyn and Darren
Sexton for gaining an honourable mention.
Thanks to everyone who entered. Keep writing and we hope you will be
encouraged to try your hand at appropriate competitions.
Megan Carroll graduated from Goldsmiths with a BA in English and American Literature in 2013 and worked as an intern at Watson, Little and Caroline Sheldon Literary Agency before returning to the agency as the assistant in July 2014. She is now an Associate Agent and is building her own list.
In Children’s and YA, Megan would love to see contemporary YA tackling realistic issues and big, epic love stories as well as funny, female-focused MG – think Louise Rennison – and an Abi Elphinstone-style adventure for that age group too. She’s also keen on finding new picture book authors writing funny, commercial texts tackling the big issues and is growing a list of talented illustrators for all ages.
Watson, Little Ltd handles an unusually wide range of fiction and non-fiction for adults and children. Founded in 1970, Watson, Little Ltd is a long-established literary agency that offers a full service to its clients across all aspects of media. It has an outstanding track record, and has represented a number of celebrated, bestselling and prize-winning authors over the years. Its current authors feature some of the world’s leading and most exciting novelists, children’s writers, historians, illustrators, and specialist writers, each of whom are at the top of their respective fields of expertise.
Watson, Little’s agents combine years of experience in many different aspects of the publishing industry with modern and author-centred attitudes and a keen awareness of the changing face of the industry.
Elaine Cline has been a SCBWI member for over five years and loves to write picture books, chapter books and middle-grade. She loves writing about food. She lives by the sea and has a dog and a cat. Elaine is a member of the Words & Pictures' editorial team, managing The Slush Pile Challenge for writers.
Connect with Elaine on Twitter: @elaineccline
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