Guardian Children's Fiction Prize


The Guardian Children's Fiction Prize or Guardian Award was a literary award that annually recognised one fiction book written for children or young adults and published in the United Kingdom. It was conferred upon the author of the book by The Guardian newspaper, which established it in 1965 and inaugurated it in. It was a lifetime award in that previous winners were not eligible. At least from 2000 the prize was £1,500. The prize was apparently discontinued after, though no formal announcement appears to have been made.

History

The prize was established in 1965 as the "only children's book award made to writers by their fellow authors" and inaugurated by the 1967 award to Leon Garfield for Devil in the Fog. Through the 2000 prize, announced 28 March, it recognised one book published in the UK during the preceding calendar year.
Between the 1999/2000 and 2000/2001 cycles, the prize schedule was rearranged to culminate in October during Booktrust Children's Book Week. "iction for children aged seven and above, published in the UK between January 2000 and September 2001" was eligible for the 2001 prize. Publishers were required to submit no more than ten entries by April 30.
At the same time, a [|summer program] was inaugurated, using the newspaper's educational website and featuring a longlist announced in July. The program initially comprised merely an opportunity to vote for longlist favourites, comments by the judges to guide summer reading, and advice on "how to build a classic library of children's books". A version of the ongoing Young Critics contest was inaugurated in 2002 and the program has expanded since then to include online discussion and author interviews and appearances. Meanwhile, announcement of the longlist has advanced to late May or early June and announcement of the winner has retreated to November.

Conditions

The shortlist of no more than four books and the winner were selected by three children's fiction writers, almost always including the latest winner. The Guardian described the prize as the only children's book award winner selected by peers. The newspaper's children's book editor Julia Eccleshare participated in selection of the longlist and thereafter chaired the panel of final judges.
In years to 2016, a longlist of eight books was announced in May or June, a shortlist of no more than four announced in September, and a single winner. The longlist was the foundation for a summer program of reading, reviewing, and discussion.
The U.K. publishers of eligible books entered them for the prize with a fee, although the chair may call for submission. The publication year is August to July of the current year, but May, June, and July books must be submitted in advance. Books originally published in another language were eligible in English translation for five years.
Routinely, eligible books were entered for the prize by their UK publishers, as many as ten books each although chair Eccleshare also called for particular submissions.

Honorees

Through 2016, 52 prizes were awarded in 49 years covering 1966 to mid-2015 publications. There were co-winners in 1992 and 1996.

1960s

1970s

1980s

1990s

2000s

Until 2000, books published in the previous year were eligible for the award, and the award included a winner and a shortlist. In 2001, the award cycle was rescheduled to conclude in the fall rather than the spring. At the same time, a longlist of seven books was instituted with a shortlist of four to six books.
YearAuthorTitlePublisherMin. AgeResultRef.
2000'TransworldWinner
2000Kit's WildernessHodder Children's BooksShortlist
2000Little SoldierOrchardShortlist
2000King of ShadowsBodley HeadShortlist
2000'ScholasticShortlist
2000Harry Potter and the Prisoner of AzkabanBloomsburyShortlist
2001'OrionWinner
2001My Brother's GhostPuffin9Shortlist
2001Witch ChildBloomsbury11Shortlist
2001Raspberries on the YangtzeSimon & Schuster11Shortlist
2001TroyDavid Fickling/Scholastic11Longlist
2001Girl in RedOrion11Longlist
2001Journey to the River SeaMacmillan10Longlist
200124 HoursCollinsLonglist
2001Heathrow NightsHodder12Longlist
2001'PuffinLonglist
2002Thursday's ChildWalker Books12Winner
2002WarehouseRed Fox13Shortlist
2002Jake's TowerHeinemann, MacMillan11Shortlist
2002'David Fickling12Shortlist
2002'Doubleday, Transworld11Shortlist
2002'Orion12Shortlist
2002Revenge HouseOrchardLonglist
2002ExodusMacmillanLonglist
2002Green BoyBodley HeadLonglist
2003'Jonathan Cape, David Fickling12Winner
2003'Hodder10Shortlist
2003LucasChicken House12Shortlist
2003'Macmillan11Shortlist
2003Where in the WorldLittle Hare9Longlist
2003MalarkeyRed Fox13Longlist
2003'Orion10Longlist
2003Bad AliceHodder & Stoughton10Longlist
2004How I Live NowPuffin14Winner
2004MillionsMacmillan9Shortlist
2004No Shame, No FearWalker Books10Shortlist
2004Last Train from KummersdorfFaber11Shortlist
2004Kissing the RainChicken House13Longlist
2004MurkmereHodder10Longlist
2004Useful IdiotsDavid Fickling13Longlist
2004Private PeacefulCollins10Longlist
2005''Bodley Head11Winner
2005''Oxford10Shortlist
2005''Macmillan11Shortlist
2005''Groundwood Books, 2000; Usborne10Shortlist
2005'CandyChicken House13Longlist
2005'Wolf BrotherOrion9Longlist
2005''Puffin9Longlist
2005'Brind and the Dogs of WarPuffin10Longlist
2006'Scholastic UKWinner
2006Blown AwaySimon & Schuster13Shortlist
2006FramedMacmillan11Shortlist
2006Fly by NightMacmillan11Shortlist
2006ClayHodder12Longlist
2006'Doubleday12Longlist
2006'Penguin8-11Longlist
2006'Usborne10Longlist
2007Finding Violet ParkHarperCollins12Winner
2007'Bloomsbury11Shortlist
2007'Oxford10Shortlist
2007Mr Gum and the Biscuit BillionaireEgmont7Shortlist
2007'Puffin8Longlist
2007StoneheartHodder10Longlist
2007FearlessWalker Books12Longlist
2007'Walker Books12Longlist
2008'Walker Books13Winner
2008CosmicMacmillan9Shortlist
2008Bog ChildDavid Fickling13Shortlist
2008Before I DieDefinitions13Shortlist
2008'Walker Books11Longlist
2008Bad BloodOxford12Longlist
2008'Definitions14Longlist
2009ExposureWalker BooksWinner
2009Solace of the RoadDavid FicklingShortlist
2009ThenPuffinShortlist
2009NationDoubledayShortlist
2009GenesisQuercusLonglist
2009'OrionLonglist
2009Rowan the StrangeOxfordLonglist
2009RevolverOrionLonglist