27.02.02
Life-long
dream coming true is the perfect birthday present for Susie Day, winner
of the 成人快手 Talent Children聮s Fiction Prize
成人快手 Talent and 成人快手 Worldwide announced today that 27-year-old Susie
Day, a former nursery nurse, is the overall winner of in the 成人快手 Talent
Children聮s Fiction Prize and will have her book The Manhole,
published by 成人快手 Worldwide, broadcast on 成人快手 Radio 4 and considered
for a television adaptation for C成人快手.
On
hearing the news on her birthday a delighted Susie said: "This
is the most brilliant birthday present ever! I am still in shock
and I don聮t think it has really sunk in yet. I worked really
hard on my book, but had tried not to get my hopes up too much as
I knew the other five finalists聮 books were also very good.
I聮ve dreamed of becoming a children聮s author for many
years and now I聮m looking forward to the future and can聮t
wait to see the book when it is published."
The
scheme was developed by 成人快手 Talent and 成人快手 Worldwide children聮s
publishing to find a new talent in children聮s writing for 7
to 11 year olds. Applicants were asked by 成人快手 Talent to send the
first chapter of their novel, together with character profiles and
a plot outline.
Selected
from over 4,500 entries to the scheme, Susie was chosen as one of
six finalists last October and received 拢2,000 from 成人快手 Worldwide
to finish writing her book by January this year.
The
six books were judged by a panel including highly acclaimed children聮s
author Jacqueline Wilson; Caroline Raphael (Commissioning Editor,
Radio 4); Elaine Sperber (Executive Producer, 成人快手 Children聮s
Drama); Lizo Mzimba (C成人快手 presenter); and Siobhan Williamson (成人快手
Worldwide).
Jacqueline
Wilson said: "It was exciting and enjoyable being part of the
judging team, and I am thrilled we found such an original and impressive
winner."
The
Manhole is a fantasy adventure story about a little boy called Bill
who finds that falling down is about the only thing that he is good
at. But when he falls down a manhole 300 miles deep one Tuesday
afternoon, he faces more than a torn trouser leg and a telling off
from his mum. Accompanied by a scruffy princess, a pompous alien,
a perpetually happy "elph" from the greenlands and an
antelope, Bill (and his enormously long and stripy scarf) embark
on a great adventure.
Sue
Tarsky, Publisher, Children聮s Books, 成人快手 Worldwide said: "I
am very excited to be publishing The Manhole. I think that we聮ve
discovered not just a great book, but a whole new voice in children聮s
publishing. There is so much talent out there, and I feel privileged
to have discovered some of it during the scheme. Not only are we
publishing The Manhole, but two of the other finalists聮 books
are also under consideration for publication."
Angie
Stephenson, Head of 成人快手 Talent, added: "We were really delighted
with the calibre of entries that we received. The Children聮s
Fiction Prize scheme was a new venture with 成人快手 Worldwide and 成人快手
Radio 4 which proved extremely popular. I am thrilled that Susie
has been given such a fantastic opportunity."
Notes
to Editors
成人快手 Talent was launched in 2000 as part of the 成人快手聮s continued
long-term commitment to find and nurture the nation聮s new talent.
成人快手
Talent launch the third year of their campaign on Thursday 7 March,
offering people the opportunity to get their first break in the
business. This year the search is on for talented individuals across
16 key areas.
成人快手
Worldwide聮s sales from children聮s brands and properties
reached 拢90 million in the financial year 2000-2001.
The
成人快手 generates supplementary income to support its domestic services
by marketing its programme-related products and services through
its main commercial arm, 成人快手 Worldwide. No licence fee money is
used in developing these activities, and strict fair-trading regulations
apply between the public service and commercial arms of the 成人快手.
成人快手
Worldwide is:
路 The UK聮s biggest seller of children聮s media-based
products
路 The world聮s biggest tv channel operator based outside
the US
路 Europe聮s biggest exporter of television programming
路 The UK聮s third largest publisher of consumer magazines
路 The UK聮s leading spoken word audio publishers
路 The UK聮s leading non-film DVD distributor
路 One of the UK聮s leading non-fiction book publisher
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