Blog

For those hoping to enter the Times/Chicken House Children's Fiction Competition, who better to get writing tips from than a previous shortlistee? Lisa Drakeford was shortlisted for our comp back in 2014 with her novel The Baby (then called Birthday Surprise). We loved it so much, we couldn't let it go: fast-forward a year and Lisa's book was on bookshop shelves with a Chicken House logo on its spine!  (more…)

Lisa Drakeford, author of the brilliant The Baby, was shortlisted for the Times/Chicken House Children's Fiction Competition in 2014. One year on we've published her fantastic shortlisted story – here are her top tips for budding authors!  (more…)

So you’ve written your children’s novel – or perhaps you’re planning on writing one before our 18 December deadline! – but either way you’re probably curious about what we’re looking for. Here’s a little info on past winners for an insight into who, and what, has won in the past … (more…)

Lisa Drakeford was shortlisted for the Times/Chicken House Children's Fiction Competition in 2014. One year later, we've published her shortlisted novel, The Baby, and the incredible reviews have been flooding in. Here, Lisa shares her experience of being published ...
(more…)

Now a children’s tutor, Lisa Drakeford used to be a library assistant and became inspired to write by the brilliant young adult novels filling the shelves.

She started writing seriously four years ago, attending a number of writing courses and winning a place on the Writing East Midlands Mentoring Scheme. Her debut novel, The Baby, was shortlisted for the Times/Chicken House Children's Fiction Competition 2014. Her newest novel, The Crash, will publish in July 2017.