We are delighted to announce the winner and listees for the 10th Bath Children’s Novel Award.
A record 1,256 manuscripts were submitted by writers in Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, South America and Oceania. A longlist of 18 manuscripts was announced in December and a team of Junior Judges aged seven to seventeen shortlisted five manuscripts.
The winning book was judged by Jessica Hare, Head of Children’s Books at The Agency.
Judge’s comments:
“It was a joy to read and discuss this year’s list – together with my assistant Clare Mills – and I was pleased with the overall quality of the shortlisted manuscripts, as well as fascinated by the range of styles and characters.“
“I am delighted to announce this year’s winner of the Bath Children’s Novel Award is The Train with No End, a gorgeous picture book text about the journey of life which brings a tear to my eye every time I read it – and this is one you can’t help but re-read – and which speaks to something eternal in a genuinely moving and refreshing way.” –Jessica Hare, Head of Children’s Books at The Agency and Bath Children’s Novel Award 2023 judge.
Bath Children’s Novel Award 2023 Winner | Prize: £3,000
CARMEN WITTMEIER for The Train with No End
Picture book text | unpublished
CARMEN WITTMEIER grew up in Calgary, Alberta. She discovered, as a child, that her local library only allowed patrons to borrow 99 books at one time. Despite this deprivation, Carmen went on to earn her Master’s degree in English and to teach literature at Langara College in Vancouver. She currently works as an editor.
She won CANSCAIP’s Writing for Children Competition in 2023 and the Brenda Strathern Writing Prize in 2021. Her picture book Beautiful Whisper was shortlisted in the 2022 Bath Children’s Novel Award. Her novel for younger teens The Blue Canoe also shortlisted for this year’s prize.
In The Train with No End Henry is a baby when he boards the train. As he grows he begins to ask questions. Why does the train have no beginning or end? And what happens to the people who get off when it stops? The Train with No End was inspired by Carmen’s two daughters, Danica and Lauren. Carmen wrote this picture book to reassure them that although life brings suffering, it is also rich with beauty, mystery, and deep human connection.
Bath Children’s Novel Award 2023 Shortlisted:
MARIO AMBROSI for Scarlett Buckling and the Case of the Missing Pictures
Detective adventure for older children | unpublished
MARIO AMBROSI cut his writing teeth on the streets of south London, reporting on everything from gangland criminals to alien hunters. After a variety of roles in journalism, he joined England’s largest not-for-profit provider of older people’s housing and care to lead Anchor’s communications team. With a degree in English and European Literature from Essex University, National Council for the Training of Journalists qualification and diploma from the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, writing has always been central to his career.
He began making up stories for his children before “learning about how to do it properly” with the Golden Egg Academy and has previously been long-listed for the Bath Children’s Novel Award and Times/Chicken House Children’s Fiction competition. Scarlett Buckling and the Case of the Missing Pictures was informed by the experiences of family members affected by dementia and related conditions. The way the many social care professionals he’s worked with find the right clues to help provide the best possible care for people living with dementia was also a big inspiration for the story.
Bath Children’s Novel Award 2023 Shortlisted:
RACHEL DARWIN for Outfoxed
Cosy animal and friendship adventure with magical realism for younger children | unpublished
RACHEL DARWIN grew up in the Wiltshire and Somerset countryside. At eighteen, she moved to London, where she became a professional singer for ten years. Nowadays, Rachel lives in Bath with her husband. As well as being a writer, Rachel is a singing teacher. She has a BA (Hons) in English Literature from Roehampton University and a MA in Creative and Life Writing from Goldsmith’s University. Her first children’s book, The Doll’s House Mouse, won the Bath Children’s Novel Award in 2021.
Outfoxed is Rachel’s second book for children. It was partly inspired by her years spent nannying three lovely boys, who are all very grown up now. Rachel hopes that George’s magical mission will entertain, inspire, and comfort any readers who may have experienced being bullied, as well as reminding readers that— no matter what mistake might have been made— it is never too late to set things right again.
Bath Children’s Novel Award 2023 Shortlisted:
ANDREW WILSON for Niflheim; A Tørson Adventure
Gothic fantasy for younger teens | unpublished
ANDREW WILSON is a husband, father and dentist living in the UK. From a young age, he loved books and stories but reading never came naturally. This led him to avoid books for many years until he was diagnosed with dyslexia in his early twenties. Somehow having an understanding of his difficulties with the written word allowed Andrew to reignite his love of books. He now reads widely, albeit slowly. Andrew has been writing for five years, pursuing his passion for children’s literature.
Set in an alternate Scandinavia and inspired by Norse mythology, Niflheim; A Tørson Adventure is a young adult fantasy novel about the end of childhood. Stranded on a mysterious island where a killer stalks the night, a boy awakens an ancient magic that spells both his doom and his deliverance.
Bath Children’s Novel Award 2023 Shortlisted:
CARMEN WITTMEIER for The Blue Canoe – young adult | unpublished
CARMEN WITTMEIER grew up in Calgary, Alberta. She discovered, as a child, that her local library only allowed patrons to borrow 99 books at one time. Despite this deprivation, Carmen went on to earn her Master’s degree in English and to teach literature at Langara College in Vancouver. She currently works as an editor.
She won CANSCAIP’s Writing for Children Competition in 2023 and the Brenda Strathern Writing Prize in 2021. Her picture book Beautiful Whisper was shortlisted in the 2022 Bath Children’s Novel Award. She won the 2023 Bath Children’s Novel Award with her picture book The Train with No End and had a further two books (The Deepers and Catching Lady Tooth) on 2023’s longlist.
Inspiration for The Blue Canoe came from a dream so vivid and beautiful that Carmen awoke with a deep longing to explore other worlds. Her main character, Ben, enters realms that reflect the author’s own fascination with the human mind and memory, the Backrooms, and the possibility of an afterlife.
“I just loved The Scatterling. It’s such a powerful, well-told story, and the voice of fugitive NOW is brilliantly caught. Her journey on the truck had me totally gripped – a truly talented writer who I’m sure has a bright future.” – Monica Chakraverty, Editorial Director and Head of Scouting at Cornerstones Literary Consultancy.
Congratulations to Carry De La Harpe on winning the The Cornerstones PWA Children’s Longlist Prize 2023. The prize is awarded for the most promising longlisted full manuscript. Carry wins a place on the eighteen week CPD accredited course Edit Your Novel from Cornerstones Literary Consultancy and the Professional Writing Academy.
The Bath Novel Award 2023 Longlist
Congratulations to all longlistees who win feedback on their opening extract and synopsis from Monica Chakraverty, Editorial Director and Head of Scouting at Cornerstones Literary Consultancy.
| Scarlett Buckling and the Case of the Missing Pictures | Mario Ambrosi |
| The Drowning Town | Hazel Compton |
| Escape from Etheldra | Grace Cullen |
| Outfoxed | Rachel Darwin |
| The Scatterling | Carry De La Harpe |
| How to Save a Goddess | Cate Haynes |
| And the Gods Laughed | Mónica Ibarra Parle |
| High Achievers | Allison Mandra |
| Beth Death | Amanda Poll |
| Hamish Crum and the Lost Star | Clare Saxby |
| Romy and the Caspian Cup | Adam Shakinovsky |
| The Wonderful World of Haribo… Not the Sweet! | Sharon Tandy |
| Niflheim; A Tørson Adventure | Andrew Wilson |
| The Blue Canoe | Carmen Wittmeier |
| The Deepers | Carmen Wittmeier |
| The Train with No End | Carmen Wittmeier |
| Catching Lady Tooth | Carmen Wittmeier |
| Supers | Maggie Womersley |
Bath Children’s Novel Award 2023 Shortlist Announcement