UNDISCOVERED VOICES 2010!

[candygourlay]

I am breathless with pride (I know so many of these people!) and excitement to post the following announcement ...

We are proud to announce the following twelve stories and authors will be featured in the British SCBWI’s Undiscovered Voices 2010 anthology:

Adele by Anne M Leone (Anne ML Anderson)
Back from the Dead by Nick Cross
Fifteen Days Without a Head by Dave Cousins
One of a Kind by Jude Ensaff (Najoud Ensaff)
From Darkness by Emily George
At Yellow Lake by Jane McLoughlin
Not Just the Blues by Claire O’Brien
The Truth about Celia Frost by Paula Rawsthorne
Vivian Divine and the Days of the Dead by Lauren Sabel
Slugs in the Toilet by Lisa Joy Smith
Blinding Darkness by Abbie Todd
Becoming Invisible by Yona Wiseman

We received nearly 150 submissions from SCBWI members. The response was beyond our wildest expectations both in terms of quantity and quality. These selected stories are a fantastic sample of the submissions we received. The judges endeavored to select a variety of voices, styles and genre from the anonymous submissions in an effort to demonstrate the array of talent in the British SCBWI.

Undiscovered Voices will be published in February 2010 and distributed at no cost to US and UK-based editors and agents focusing on children’s literature. Best-selling children’s author Melvin Burgess will write an introduction to the book, and we will include judges’ comments for each selected story appearing in the anthology. The book will be available for sale at British SCBWI events after its publication.

The selection process was extremely competitive. Though they will not be included in the anthology, we are also pleased to announce seventeen honorary mentions:

The Biddles – Operation Sugarberg by L.M. Bouri (Leila Bouri)
Low Light by Judith Bunting
Hurrican Zen by JC Button
Vindaloo Victor by Alastair Caygill
Wind-up World by Julienne Durber
Mrs. Pinkerton’s Secret by Jennifer Gray
The Apothecary’s Apprentice by Sue Hyams
The Nightmare Factory by Lucy Jones
Shadow of the Oak by Sharon Jones
A Tale of Magic, Mischief and Mayhem – Book One: A Sinister Secret by Karen Laing
Gurner Gobbit and the Bloodcurdling Bug-Eyed Jawbreaker by Maureen Lynas
The Pocket Watch by Gareth Middleton
The Secret Chickenhouse Theatre by Helen Peters
Tree by Mike Pringle
The Vespertine Hour by Paul Romeo (Paolo Romeo)
The Summoning of Freiya Rolandson by Benjamin Scott
Secretorum Secretissimus by Jeannette Towey

The anthology’s goal is not only to introduce new, promising voices in children’s literature but also elevate British SCBWI in the minds of editors and agents which will help to benefit every SCBWI member.

Special thanks to our judges for their hard work and for their enthusiasm for the project:
Julia Churchill, The Greenhouse Literary Agency; Zoe Duncan, Scholastic Children’s Books; Lindsey Heaven, Puffin Books; Sarah Manson, Literary Agent; Jo Unwin, Conville and Walsh; and Emma Young, Macmillan Children’s Books.

And also thanks goes to Working Partners for their financial support, which makes the anthology possible.

Congratulations to the selected authors and the honorary mentions! And thanks to all the members who submitted.

Sara O’Connor and Sara Grant
Undiscovered Voices anthology co-editors
www.undiscoveredvoices.com

[David H Worsdale]

Congratulations to all the above mentioned people. You so very obviously deserve your success. Just shows what can be done when one outs one's mind to it. Better make a start trying to achieve the same result for
myself next year. Once again very well done to you all.

[Tracy Ann Baines]

Congratulations to all the winners and the Honorary Mentions. Good luck for the future I'm sure there are exciting times ahead.

[Anita Loughrey]

This is marvellous news. I am so proud to be friends with so many winners. I am looking forward to reading all the stories in the anthology and to hearing your news about those book deals. Great things are happening and it is wonderful to be able to witness it.

[Jeannette Towey]

OMG Nick that must have been agonising. At least I only had to worry about that for the thirty seconds or so between reading the email I got this morning from the Saras and then seeing Candy's post! Congrats now though and fingers crossed for a super dooper book deal!

[Nick Cross]

I will just say that I am extremely chuffed about being selected for this! I got the call last Friday and the weekend was both wonderful and agonising because there were so many people that I wasn't allowed to tell! Thanks to everyone.

[Miriam Halahmy]

Huge congratulations to all Winners and Commended writers of the latest Undiscovered Voices. I feel honoured to personally know so many people on the list and look forward to reading all the novels.
I am particularly excited that two members of our North London SCWBI Critique group have been commended, Paolo Romeo and Helen Peters. Our group also includes Candy Gourlay, winner of the first Undiscovered Voices and published author and Christina Vinall who has been placed in a Cornerstones competition. I consider myself to be very fortunate to be the Convenor of such a talented group.

[Linda Lawlor]

Great stuff, folks: well done on your success, and thanks again to the Saras for being so generous with your time and expertise.
Linda

[v. kathryn evans (Kathy!)]

Congratulations all - may it lead to a glittering writing future! x

[Keren David]

Congratulations everyone - especially Jennifer Grey who I know and Anne M Leone and Sharon Jones who I know in a twittery, bloggy way.

[Mariam Vossough]

Congratulations to you all :)