Best-selling children’s authors to attend Young Teen Fiction Awards

Teri Terry and Christopher Edge will attend the Young Teen Fiction Awards on Tuesday, July 1 at the Royal Air Force Museum, Cosford.

The awards, now in their 20th year, hope to encourage young people to enjoy reading books and share their enthusiasm with others. The day is a huge celebration of teen fiction.

Pupils have been voting for their favourite read from a shortlist of 8 titles, with the winner being announced on the celebration day.

Cabinet Member for Communities and Culture at Staffordshire County Council, Hayley Coles, said: “This is a really popular and long-running initiative that thousands of young readers and our library staff look forward to each year.

“It’s all about encouraging a love of books and reading. Young people tell us that taking part makes them feel part of a wider reading community that goes beyond the school book club. Reading for fun can help build confidence and empathy, spark imagination, expand horizons and help with a young person’s learning.

“Getting to meet their favourite authors can also be inspirational, which keeps them reading through their teens and later years. As well as our guest authors, we’re delighted to welcome Staffordshire’s Young Poet Laureate Harry Fletcher, who will also be sharing poetry inspired by teen fiction.”

Shortlisted books for this year include:

· Lie or Die by A. J. Clack

· A Mind Full of Murder by Derek Landy

· Northern Soul by Phil Earle

· The Things We Leave Behind by Clare Furniss

· On Silver Tides by Sylvia Bishop

· Snowglobe by Soyoung Park

· Taylor Blake is a Legend by Laura Jane Williams

· Running Away for Beginners by Mark Illis

For more information on the initiative visit the Staffordshire Young Teen Fiction Award webpage.