Children’s author scoops second award

The Branford Boase Award is given annually to the most promising work of fiction for children by a first time novelist, and also recognises the role of the editor in nurturing new talent. On winning the award Jason said that it was ‘momentous’ and paid tribute to his editor for her role in bringing the book to life.

Inspired by Wallace’s own life growing up in Zimbabwe, Out of Shadows is an extraordinarily powerful account of the lives of a group of teenagers in the newly-independent country under the devastating rule of Robert Mugabe, and is said to have readers gripped from start to finish.

Jason will be appearing at this year’s Book Festival in a joint event with Australian author Morris Gleitzman on 23 August.