We are delighted to share that three of our authors have been listed for awards in the past few weeks! So much time and effort goes into every one of our publications, and it is such an encouragement when authors receive public acknowledgements like this.
First up is Helen Parker’s young adult novel, Island Treasure, which has been shortlisted for the Christian Resources Together Children/Youth book of the Year Award 2023. A number of our books have been shortlisted previously in various categories of these celebrated industry awards, including Rahil Patel’s, Found by Love, which won the Biography of the Year Award 2017.
Island Treasure is set on a beautiful and remote Scottish island, but addresses very topical issues of child refugees, blended families and school bullying, and what it looks like to be a young Christian today. Helen comments, ‘Looking for books with a Christian basis for children and teens, in the last few years I have found lots of beautifully retold Bible stories and some lovely fantasies, but not many realistic stories of “normal” kids in contemporary situations. I wanted to write about realistic youngsters, aiming to live out their faith in school and among friends, and trying to help others to do the same. So that was my goal in writing Island Treasure. I hope it will be an encouragement to lots of young people.’
On a very different tack, Carolyn Donnelly’s The Giant at My Back chronicles her experiences of living with and caring for her husband as he suffered with mixed dementia. Carolyn regularly speaks around Northern Ireland, where she is based, about her experiences of caring for her husband, and has a passion for raising awareness of and encouraging those facing such challenges. So it has been great to hear that her honest and poignant account has been shortlisted for the Irish Carousel Aware Prize for Independent Authors in the non-fiction category. Carolyn said, ‘I am thrilled to have the book shortlisted. This will bring it to a wider audience and hopefully give encouragement to individuals, families and churches who care for and support individuals with progressive degenerative conditions.’
And third, there is speaker, author and songwriter Matt McChlery’s powerful book about living with faith and cancer, Standing in the Storm. This is a finalist in the Page Turner Awards 2023, and tells how he found himself wrestling with his faith and the God he thought he knew when he was diagnosed with Stage Four non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Grounded, honest and vulnerable, his book shares how Jesus was the rock that held fast throughout, and how we can find the comfort, hope and inspiration we need to keep standing in our storms, whatever we face.
‘I am so pleased to have my book named as a Finalist in the 2023 Page Turner Awards,’ says Matt. ‘It is fantastic to know that something I have written is making an impact and helping others.’
Our prayer is that these award listings will bring these important books, and their three brilliant authors, and the hope and encouragement God can give, to many new readers!
Photo by Ray Hennessy on Unsplash