Ealing Author Shortlisted For Waterstones Book Prize
Sam Copeland's children's book 'Charlie Changes into a Chicken' up for award
An Ealing author been shortlisted for a top book prize. Sam Copeland is nominated in the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2020 Younger Fiction category for his novel Charlie Changes Into A Chicken.
Sam says, “I am staggered. Being shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Prize means everything to me. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I would get published, never mind be up for this prize. I’m still convinced it’s all a huge, cruel prank. I could not be happier.”
In Charlie Changes into a Chicken, Copeland tells the story of Charlie McGuffin who tries to be an optimist, but in reality he's a bit of a worrier. Right now, he is worried about his brother who is in hospital, unwanted attention from the school bully and the fact that he's started turning into animals. In this hilarious tale, Charlie needs to find a way of dealing with his crazy new power - and fast!
Sam Copeland grew up in Manchester and now lives in Ealing with his family.
Mike O’Connell, Waterstones Bookshop Manager in Ealing says, “This is brilliant news, Sam’s books are brilliantly funny. He is popular in the local community and actively supports reading in the borough's schools. We are all over the moon he's made the short list.”
Every year Waterstones’ expert booksellers are called upon to vote for the books they believe are the very best in new children’s writing and illustration. Now in its sixteenth year, the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize has become a formidable platform for emerging talent, demonstrating its enduring relevance by bringing the best new books to readers’ attention every year and launching the careers of many children’s book authors and illustrators.
Last year’s winner The Boy at the Back of the Class by Onjali Q. Raúf, Waterstones’ most successful winner yet, shot to the top of the bestseller charts following the Prize announcement and the novel saw an increase in sales of over 500%.
The shortlists consist of eighteen books across three categories. Six books will compete within each category to be crowned Category Winner, with the three category winners then vying for the overall title of Waterstones Children’s Book of the Year 2020.
The winners will be announced at an evening reception at Waterstones Piccadilly (London), Europe’s largest bookshop, on Thursday 26th March, 2020. The winner of each category will receive £2000, with the Overall Winner receiving an extra £3000. In the event that the Prize is awarded to a partnership, then the Prize money will be split equally between the joint winners.
The winning authors and illustrators will also see a significant boost in sales, and the promise of an ongoing commitment to their writing career from all Waterstones shops nationwide.
February 13 2020