Children’s Laureate Jacqueline Wilson has announced that debut author Tom Becker has won the Waterstone’s Children’s Book Prize for his novel Darkside, set in a dangerous parallel ‘secret’ London where nightmares walk the streets.
The announcement was made at a central London Awards ceremony earlier today.
Wayne Winstone, Waterstone’s head children’s buyer, explains why ‘Darkside’ triumphed as this year’s winner. ”I read ‘Darkside’ and immediately thought of it as a winner as it captivates from the first page. Tom Becker’s writing style grips you in the same way that Darren Shan’s does with his mix of adventure and the supernatural. The standard of the shortlist was extremely high this year so it is a huge achievement for Tom to win the Prize with his first novel. I have a feeling that Tom has real potential and could be one of the big names in children’s writing in the future.”
Becker, who drew inspiration for ‘Darkside’ from fantasy novels, film noirs such as ‘The Asphalt Jungle’ and ‘The Big Sleep’, and also from a fascination with the seamier side of Victorian history, says, “It's an incredible feeling to have won the Waterstones' Children's Book Prize, and I hope that this means that readers have enjoyed the strange and other-worldly pleasures of ‘Darkside’. Given the calibre of the other books on the shortlist, I didn't think I stood a chance of winning, and it's amazing to receive such a prestigious award at the very beginning of my writing career. Needless to say, I am absolutely made up.”
The Waterstone’s Children’s Book Prize is in its third year and was created to uncover hidden talent in children’s writing. Open to authors who have written three or less books, the award is the only one where publishers, booksellers and the public join forces to recommend their book to the panel of judges. Over 4,000 booksellers get involved, together with local schools and reading groups, to discuss and pick their favourite book within three categories: 5-8, 9-12 and Teenage.
Tom Becker wins £1,000 in cash and his novel ‘Darkside’ will be displayed front-of-store in all Waterstone’s 330 branches nationwide. Previous winners of the competition - Stuart Hill, Cry of the Icemark in 2005 and Julia Golding, The Diamond of Drury Lane in 2006 – have both gone on to enjoy considerable commercial success.
The Waterstone’s Children’s Book Prize 2007 Short List
‘Jake Cake: The Werewolf Teacher’ by Michael Broad
5-8
Penguin
‘The Dragon Detective Agency: Case of the Missing Cats’ by Gareth Jones
5-8
Bloomsbury
‘Darkside’ by Tom Becker
9-12
Scholastic
‘Nathan Fox: Dangerous Times’ by L. Brittney
9-12
Macmillan
‘Sebastian Darke: Prince of Fools’ by Philip Caveney
9-12
Random House
‘The Black Book of Secrets’ by F.E. Higgins
9-12
Macmillan
‘The Thing With Finn’ by Tom Kelly
9-12
Macmillan
‘Smugglers’ by Christopher Russell
9-12
Penguin
‘A Swift Pure Cry’ by Siobhan Dowd
Teenage
Random House
‘Bunker 10’ by J.A. Henderson
Teenage
Oxford UP
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