The 2014 judging process was handled differently this year and entries were ordered into categories. Each category has a winner and these make up the overall shortlist. As with previous years there are three overall winners which are taken from the shortlist.
Winners
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1st Prize
Flatlands - Victor Tapner |
A themed collection which examines pre-historic society and settlements in the East of England. Many of the poems are tight, perfect miniatures, without punctuation, as fascinating and jewel-like as archeological finds.
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2nd Prize
Float - JoeAnn Hart |
This is a gloriously funny and perceptive book with an unpredictable plot, populated by unique characters. Cleverly titled, it’s about impending financial ruin, the abundance of plastic that washes up on beaches, a rescue centre for seagulls and art – amongst other things. A terrific read, unfortunately let down by the fact that half the pages are falling out!
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3rd Prize
Spindrift - Peter Reason |
This is a beautifully presented book about a journey from Plymouth across the Celtic Sea and back again, partly a sailing story and partly a meditation on life and nature. The narrative is lyrical and thoughtful
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Category Winners
We are excited to announce the Category Winners which makes up the overall shortlist!
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Children's
Gold in the Days of Summer - Susan Pogorzelski Non-Fiction Spindrift - Peter Reason Poetry Flatlands - Victor Tapner |
Fiction
Float - JoeAnn Hart Short Fiction The Cure for Everything - Severna Park |
Category shortlists
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Children's
Pog the Pixie -James Hanock A delightfully illustrated book for young children, told in a loose rhymes, about an unpleasant pixie who doesn’t reform, but doesn’t get the treats either. Banzai's Unexpected Voyage - Jane-Anne Hodgson A pleasing sequel to Grubson Pug’s Christmas Voyage. A delightful, well-told story for 6 – 10 year olds about adventures at sea. A well produced hardback with small, pleasing black and white illustrations. The Dinner Club - Rob Keeley Charming, well written stories for middle readers, set in a contemporary world of school and friendships that will be familiar to most primary school children. These are realistic situations, and pleasing stories which entertain and amuse. It would benefit from a more appealing cover – at the moment it looks like a cookery book! Ally N. Invasion: Space Spy - Stephen Lill A really good fun read for junior aged readers about an alien spy, cleverly disguised as a 10 year old boy, examining school life from his unique perspective. The illustrations are intricate and clever. It has a good, page-turning pace. Cell Wars - A. Miles An ingenious idea that teaches young readers how the human blood system works. The blood cells are characters – Bands, Captain Neutro, Commander Lympho etc – all delightfully illustrated. Gold in the Days of summer - Susan Pogorzelski An excellent, well-written and atmospheric story that looks at growing up, family life, love and understanding. The book is suitable for the older child/young teenager, and while there is no great adventure here, it has a charm that keeps you turning the pages. It’s described on the cover as a novella, but is, in fact, a normal length for a children’s novel. Non Fiction
Scapegoat - Steve R Dunn A biography of Rear Admiral Sir Christopher Cradock, who was unfairly blamed for the disastrous results of the Battle of Coronel in 1914, when 1600 lives were lost. This is an excellent book, well written, apparently very well researched, and utterly scathing of politicians! Record & Play - Damon Fairclough A clever memoir, made up of a series of articles based around particular music tracks from 1985, which lead to an exploration of the personal life of the author. The cover and the presentation are clever and well thought out. The Big Picture - P. D. Hemsley This is a well presented book that examines the relationship of science, philosophy and religion. The science is accessible and set out in a chatty style with easy diagrams and boxes to break up the text. It is refreshingly free from dogmatic opinions. Angels in the Darkness - Lisa Farringer Parker This book grabs you from the start. It takes a very different approach from most books about World War 2, as it tells the true story of a German family who lived among the high ranking Nazi officers in a village near Berlin. It covers the rise of Hitler and later the brutal occupation by the Russians. The photographs add to the enjoyment of the book. Fascinating, but extremely long. It might have been better in two volumes! Spindrift - Peter Reason This is a beautifully presented book about a journey from Plymouth across the Celtic Sea and back again, partly a sailing story and partly a meditation on life and nature. The narrative is lyrical and thoughtful Poetry
South - Peter Huggins A collection of poems about the south of USA – Louisiana, Alabama, Gettysburg, New Orleans – capturing the liveliness and the strangeness of the place with an insider’s knowledge. Energetic and original. FlatLands - Victor Tapner See winners Lavando La Dirty Laundry - Natalia Treviño By a Mexican poet, whose first language is Spanish, but written in English with great sensitivity. Spanish words are expertly thrown in and mixed with the English, creating an exciting and surprising cocktail. The Shell Gatherer - Anthony Watts Poems exhibiting a pleasing originality in their examination of beaches, shells, the sea, unrequited love. They demonstrate a real poet’s eye for detail, for the unusual image. And a great use of really tight rhymes. |
Fiction
89th Temple - Charlie Canning A clever, elegantly told story about Japanese young offenders who are taken on a pilgrimage of Shikoku. The style is simple, but potent and poses many questions about philosophy and Japanese society. It is entered as a book for Young Adults, but the judges felt it would be more suitably be categorised as an adult novel. There is much to admire here. Float - JoeAnn Hart See winners The Spark - John Kenny A stylish thriller about fire fighting, written by someone who clearly knows what he is talking about. It’s completely convincing, with exactly the right amount of pace for a conspiracy thriller. It would make a good film. Kiss me Over the Garden Gate - Alexis Rankin Popik An extremely well written novel about bi-polar disorder, told from the point of view of both the man and his wife as they come to terms with his condition. The author has a good grasp of the subject and it’s a convincing portrayal of both the manic episodes and the depressed periods. It ends realistically - without easy answers. The Assistant -Jonathan Skinner A well written novel about a reclusive young man and the female assistant on his new computer. She’s meant to be an instructor, but develops her own personality. It’s a fast read with a good narrative hook on the very first line. The idea is deceptively simple but there is an underlying depth. It is a book with a lot of charm. An imitation of Life - Laura Solomon A first person account of a woman so distorted and handicapped that she is considered to be a monster from the moment of her birth. She spends much of her life isolated from the world, her face hidden behind a cloth mask. The novel has a compelling narrative drive, and her intriguing life is told in a strong, convincing voice that is ultimately very moving. Very well written. In the Rosary Garden - Nicola White An intriguing crime story that keeps you guessing, set in contemporary Ireland. When the body of a newborn baby is found in the grounds of a Convent school, the spotlight falls unfairly on 17 year old Ali, whose life is explored with depth and understanding. The book is well written and develops into an exciting thriller. Short Fiction
X & 0 - Kate Horsely An unusual collection of short fiction, including short stories and small plays. Sharp and clever, immediately engaging and thought-provoking. The Cure for Everything - Severna Park Science Fiction short stories, each one unrelated to the others, except the first two, which are linked. The plots take the reader into convincing alternative worlds with confidence and a vivid sense of place. They are clever and intriguing, presented with style and originality. Women with Dark Horses - Aimee Parkison Clever, lyrical writing that engages from the first sentence and leads the reader with no choice but to continue. It’s full of light and colour and portrays real, flawed characters with great skill. One Hundred Years of Marriage - Louise Farmer Smith An Oklahoma family saga covering the period from 1887, during the aftermath of the Civil War, up to 1970 , shown in segments. The short stories take you back through the generations, looking at the mis-matched marriages and the influences on their descendents. An excellent read, suffused with humanity and humour. Belated - Elisabeth Russell Taylor A collection of beautifully crafted stories, elegantly told with perception. They have a hypnotic appeal and an unusual precision. |