Longlisted for the UKLA Awards!

Squished onto the 7.15am train from Watford this morning, I found my phone buzzing away lots more than usual (at least I assume so, I’m usually still in bed at that hour), and realised that people had seen the longlist announcement for various categories in the UKLA book awards, which I had managed to forget was announced today, despite recently getting the very exciting news that ‘Why did my brain make me say it?’ had been included in the 7-10+ category! Thank you to everyone who has been so kind with their congratulations, and to the panel for putting me forward at all.

I’m really thrilled to be in such illustrious company, alongside fellow Troika poet/author Coral Rumble, Wales Book of the Year winner (and previous shortlist buddy) Leslie Parr, and names like Katya Balen and David Almond, to name just a few. You can see the rest of the category below, and visit UKLA to see the 3-6+, 11-14+ and information book longlists. Keep your fingers crossed for a small pink book of poems to make the shortlist!