I’ve had such a wonderfully surreal day at the Alexandra Palace Biblio Buzz Children’s Book Award 2023.
Biblio Buzz is a huge event organised by Haringey Libraries and Haringey Schools Librarians Group. It’s a reading initiative that encourages young people aged 9–12 to immerse themselves in the world of books.
Over 700 children read the shortlisted books and vote for their favourite.
The list was awesome. On it were:
Tyger by S. F. Said
The Bird Singers by Eve Wersocki Morris
Consequence Girl by Alastair Chisholm
The Elemental Detective by Patrice Lawrence
S.T.E.A.L.T.H. Access Denied by Jason Rohan
and of course - Twitch by me
Twitch won! I cannot tell you how happy this has made me. The noise from the audience when it was announced was deafeningly jubilant. I was so shocked.
A huge thank you to all who organised the event and the librarians who selected the shortlist.
What a day! A boy brought a Goliath beetle to the signing queue, for me to meet. I plotted a murder with over 250 kids. I saw an old friend whom I love, and I learned that Jack Meggitt-Phillips can tap dance.
It was truly unforgettable.
Thank you to all Twitch readers, voters and bird lovers. You’ve made this author very happy.
