The 2021 Times/Chicken House Children’s Fiction Competition
Hot on the tail of our 2020 winner announcement, we’re so excited to declare the new Times Competition OPEN!
This year, we’re introducing a brand new prize in partnership with the wonderful Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET). Here are the basics about the two prizes on offer in 2021…
The Times/Chicken House Prize
The prize you already know and love – a worldwide publishing contract with Chicken House with a £10,000 advance (subject to contract) for a complete fiction manuscript of any genre for children aged 7 up to YA. The winning entry will be the novel that, in the opinion of the judges, demonstrates the greatest entertainment value, quality, originality and suitability for children.
The IET 150 Award
A brand new prize to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the IET in 2021! The IET 150 Award will be awarded to a complete fiction manuscript for children aged 7 up to Young Adult that broadly explores or celebrates Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths. The prize is a worldwide publishing contract with Chicken House with a £10,000 advance (subject to contract).
The good news is, you don’t need to do anything extra to be considered for the IET 150 Award; simply enter the competition as normal and our expert team of readers will do the rest. Simple!
The deadline is 14th May 2021 at 11.59pm GMT. Time enough to polish off that manuscript you’ve got languishing in the bottom drawer… or maybe even to write a new one…
For more details on the competition, both prizes, and instructions on how to enter, please visit our submissions page. We can’t wait to read your novel – good luck!
The Times/Chicken House Children's Fiction Competition 2020 winners are …
After a great deal of um-ing, ah-ing and lively discussion by our panel of judges on our incredibly competitive shortlist, the moment has finally arrived ...
Introducing the 2020 Times/Chicken House Competition judging panel
The Times/Chicken House Competition judging day and winners’ announcement is upon us again!
On Friday, two of our five talented shortlistees will win a publishing contract – and the life-changing decisions about who will win rest on the shoulders of seven prestigious industry experts … our marvellous judging panel! (more…)
A SECRET OF BIRDS & BONE is Blackwell's Children's Book of the Month
Kiran Millwood Hargrave's latest middle-grade has been announced as Blackwell's Children's BOTM, and we couldn't be prouder!
A Secret of Birds & Bone is a darkly beautiful historical novel featuring Kiran’s trademark magical realism and an enthralling mystery. Perfect for readers aged 10+, the story is about belonging and found family, set in the surroundings of birds and bones. We adore this tale, and are truly thrilled that Blackwell's have chosen to support the book in this way!
To find out more about A Secret of Birds & Bone and read the first chapter, take a look here.
To buy your copy from Blackwell's, head here.
New Reads: October 2020
It’s officially the season of the bookworm!
Somehow (though we’re not sure we quite believe it), it’s already October. Autumn is officially upon us, and though we’ll be sad to wave goodbye to the silver linings the lockdown summer of 2020 brought us (#CoopedUpKids), there’s a lot to love about this season. The turning leaves, cosy evenings spent under blankets on the sofa, hot chocolate – oh, and new books!
We’ve got two of the most excellent books venturing out into the world this month, and we’re so excited to tell you about them.
The Ghost of Gosswater by Lucy Strange
The Lake District, 1899.
The Earl is dead and cruel Cousin Clarence has inherited everything. Twelve-year-old Lady Agatha Asquith is cast out of Gosswater Hall to live in a tiny, tumbledown cottage with a stranger who claims to be her father.
Aggie is determined to discover her real identity, but she is not alone on her quest for the truth. On the last day of the year, when the clock strikes midnight, a mysterious girl of light creeps through the crack in time; she will not rest until the dark, terrible secrets of the past have been revealed ...
The Ghost of Gosswater is Lucy Strange’s third novel, and is perfect for readers aged 9 and up:a thrilling gothic tale, complete with spooky vibes, a dark mystery and a strong-willed heroine. The perfect read for any bookworm, especially in this spooky season!
Read the first chapter and pick up a copy of the book here.
A Secret of Birds & Bone by Kiran Millwood Hargrave
In an Italian city ravaged by plague, Sofia’s mother carves beautiful mementoes from the bones of loved ones.
But one day, she doesn’t return home. Did her work lead her into danger? Sofia and her little brother Ermin are sent to the convent orphanage but soon escape, led by an enigmatic new friend and their pet crow, Corvith. Together they cross the city underground, following clues in bones up to the towers of Siena, where – circled by magpies – the children find the terrible truth …
A Secret of Birds and Bone is a darkly beautiful historical novel, perfect for readers aged 10 and up. Full to bursting with Kiran’s trademark lyricism infused with magic and wonder, this is a story with family and belonging at its heart, wrapped up in a mystery that’ll have you reading page after page after page.
This gorgeous, gifty hardback is a truly beautiful book, and is available now.
Read the first chapter and pick up a copy of the book here.
