A guest post by S. C. Ransom: Small Blue Thing has won an award! - Nosy Crow Skip to content
Posted by S.C., March 22, 2012

A guest post by S. C. Ransom: Small Blue Thing has won an award!

A few months ago I found out that my debut book, and Nosy Crow’s first publication, was up for an award. Small Blue Thing was one of five books nominated in the teen category for this year’s West Kent Schools Themed Book Award. This is an award set up by the local school librarians, and this year the overall theme was London, so all the shortlisted books were set in or around the city. I was up against fierce competition:

Arthur Conan Doyle – The Red Circle and the Adventure of the Dying Detective
Charlie Fletcher – Stoneheart
Benjamin Zephaniah – Refugee Boy
Matt Whyman – Street Runners

Having looked at the shortlist it was quickly apparent that I had no chance. Sherlock Holmes – with all the programmes on the TV at the moment? The fabulous Benjamin Zephaniah? But I was invited to attend along with the rather talented Matt Whyman, so I accepted and I practiced my losing gracefully face.

In February the votes were cast by the students at the various West Kent Schools, hundreds and hundreds of them, and I was told by one of the librarians that the results were too close to call. The event itself was packed, and featured music, dancing and a fancy dress competition, which I was rather surprised to find that I was judging. It was too hard to decide between the London literary characters, all of whom were done brilliantly, so I gave first prize to that ever-present Londoner, the pigeon.

Matt Whyman and Ben Aaronovich (author of Rivers of London, shortlisted in the YA category) had a discussion on stage and answered questions. As Matt and I were up against each other for the prize we each fixed on our smiles and waited while they tore open the envelope… I was sure Matt was going to win – his book sounded brilliant, and was going to appeal to the boys and the girls in the audience – but they called out Small Blue Thing! I was so surprised that I forgot to say anything and sat right back down again after getting my certificate.

So I’d like to say thank you to all the librarians and of course, all of the readers who voted for our book. It means the world to me that so many people enjoy it. (The picture is of me with the girls from Maidstone Girls’ Grammar School, some of whom had dressed as characters from SBT, with home-made amulets too!)

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