The winner of the 22nd CBI Book of the Year Award was revealed earlier this week by Fergus Finlay at a ceremony held in Wood Quay in Dublin. Recipients of the Eilís Dillon, Children’s Choice, Honour and Judges’ Special Award were also revealed.
Cavan author Celine Kiernan has won the 2012 CBI Book of the Year Award, and is the first author to win both the Book of the Year Award and the Children’s Choice Award for her novel Into the Grey. Set in the 1970s, the book tells the story of identical teenage twins Patrick and Dominic who are forced to move after a fire destroys their family home. The judges said: “this supernatural thriller brings together past and present to explore the complexities of fraternal love and the pain of loss“. At the awards ceremony Celine was presented with her awards trophies and a cheque for €5,000.
During the ceremony, four of eight specially appointed junior juries comprising young people from school and library reading groups around Ireland also presented their thoughts about the shortlisted titles and revealed Into the Grey as the winner of theChildren’s Choice Award.
The winner of the Eilís Dillon Award, valued at €1,000 and awarded to a first time author or illustrator, was Paula Leyden for The Butterfly Heart. Paula’s book reflects much of her own experience growing up in Zambia.
Paula was born in Nyeri, Kenya and when she was five she moved to Lusaka, Zambia where she lived with her family until the age of fifteen. At that stage she moved to South Africa where she completed schooling and then studied English and History at the University of Natal, and Education at the University of Cape Town.
Paula taught at secondary school for a number of years and then moved into the human rights field, working for a variety of human rights projects on issues such political prisoners, the death penalty, unlawful detention etc. She was also involved in preparing submissions for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa.
In 2003 she moved with her partner and their five children to a farm in Kilkenny, Ireland where they now breed horses and write. Her partner Tom O’Neill wrote Old Friends, The Lost Tales of Fionn MacCumhaill which was published by Little Island last year. Paula started writing fiction when she moved to Ireland, and her first book The Butterfly Heart was published by Walker books in March 2011, and endorsed by Amnesty International. The follow on book to this will be out in 2012.
The judges also made three other awards, each carrying a prize of €1,000 to the following:
Mark O’Sullivan for My Dad is 10 Years Old and how it deals with complex family and health issues and it protrays a realistic teenage reaction to difficult family circumstances.
Honour Award for Illustration: Oliver Jeffers for Stuck and its outstanding quality of illustration which encourages readers to journey imaginatively into the absurd.
Honour Award for Fiction: Siobhán Parkinson for Maitríóisce – a novel in Irish which skilfully brings its protagonist back through five generations of her family.
This year’s list featured some incredible titles from the cream of Irish writing and illustrating talent. Keith O’Sullivan, chair of the judging panel who between them read more than 70 titles said: “This year’s shortlist features nine excellent books which all offer young readers a rich and satisfying experience. With subjects which range from difficult contemporary issues to stories of whimsy and fun, each book is beautifully crafted and brilliantly conceived”
The CBI Book of the Year Awards are a celebration of excellence in children’s literature and illustration and are open to books written in English or Irish by authors and illustrators born or resident in Ireland and published between 1st January and 31st December each year. Previous winners include John Boyne for his book The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas; Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick for her books You, Me and the Big Blue Sea and There;Chris Haughton for A Bit Lost and Kate Thompson for her books The New Policeman, Annan Water and The Alchemist’s Apprentice.
Mags Walsh, Director of CBI said “In a time where children have so many options with what to do with their spare time, it’s a terrific pleasure and privilege to work with passionate young readers across the country as they enjoy and savour these excellent books. Ireland continues to produce world class authors and illustrators for children and we send our congratulations to all of today’s winners”
Paula Leyden told writing.ie “I was absolutely delighted to be awarded the Eilis Dillon trophy today – it means an enormous amount to me as (obviously ..!!)The Butterfly Heart is my first published novel and it tells a story dear to my heart. So I will treasure the award. It was a big enough honour getting onto the list In the first place and then to get this was just brilliant. And mega congratulations to the other short listed authors and prize winners – with a special mention of Siobhan Parkinson who has helped me so much in this new life of writing!”
Read Paula’s tips for children’s writers Things I Have Learned and our review of her fabulous book The Butterfly Heart. in our reviews section.
(c) Vanessa O’Loughlin May 2012
