Scatterheart wins Ena Noël Award (plus giveaway!)
Scatterheart seems to be having a bit of a rennaissance this year – new Australian and German covers, and now I’m so very pleased to say that it has won the IBBY Ena Noël Award. The biennial Award is an encouragement award for young writers (under 35), and was last won in 2008 by Markus Zusak for The Book Thief . Other winners whose company I’m delighted to be in include Sonya Hartnett, Anthony Eaton and Catherine Jinks.
Here’s what the announcement says:
Each chapter of Hannah’s story begins with the tale of Scatterheart, a fairy tale version of her own search for happily ever after. In a novel that is an interesting mix of historical fiction, fantasy, adventure and melodrama, Wilkinson has created in Hannah a strong character undergoing a metamorphosis from the spoilt and self centred society miss to a resilient, resourceful and loyal young woman. Her descriptions of well researched settings are equally memorable, from the dank and dangerous prison cells to the harsh realities and privations of life aboard a prison ship and in the penal colony of New South Wales. The amalgam of styles and stories revealed in Scatterheart engages, informs and entertains and is indicative of Wilkinson’s versatility.
To celebrate, I’m giving away three copies of Scatterheart (either the original Australian or UK editions). Just comment on this blog and tell me what your favourite fairy tale is – and make sure there’s a way for me to contact you if you win!
Congratulations, Lili! What a great award to win. My favourite fairy tale has to be Cinderella because when I was young I had long blonde hair (down to my waist) and bemoaned loudly that I was the ONLY one of us kids that did any work around the house…and was thus christened ‘Cinders’ for quite some time
My favourite fairytale is the one about the six/seven/eleven brothers who are changed into birds (ravens or swans) and the sister who has to be silent to break the spell, while weaving shirts of nettles.
http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/sixswans/index.html
Oh and CONGRATULATIONS!!!!
*balloons* *streamers* *champagne*
Congratulations! This was the first of your novels that I read and I really enjoyed reading an Australian based story with a twist!
My favorite fairy tale would have to be sleeping beauty. I owned the talking book when I was younger and would listen to it day in and day out. I think what really pulled me to this story was the idea of the castle becoming covered with thorns, a whole population of people forgotten. (Maybe that’s why I’m studying archaeology at uni now? Strange how fairy tales can effect your life so dramatically.)
Congrats again
Congratulations, Lili!
I think my favourite fairy-tale is The Ugly Duckling, because it holds out hope that we all, eventually, will find our tribe.
(I didn’t learn until recently that HCA was gay, which makes so many of his stories all the more poignant.)
A big congrats! And to follow in the footsteps of Markus Zusac and Sonya Hartnett is the best of writerly company to be in.
My favourite fairy tale as a kid was The Three Little Pigs. Mainly because my dad read it to me (in a booming theatre-esque style) and made the wolf manage to be both comedic and scarily badass all at once. I always thought the brick pig was incredibly boring and sensible even though he saved the day.
naomirees27@gmail.com
I hope you’re partying hard
Congratulations Lili,
What a great achievement. You must be thrilled. My favorite fairytale is The Nightingale. I think it helps me realize what’s really important and to not take for granted the beautiful things in life.
Congratulations Lili! That’s fantastic news, and a really good choice.
Celebrate in style!
Cheers
Congratulations, Lili! Oh, how lovely to be acknowledged for your work.
My favorite “traditional” or “classic” fairy tale is… hmmm… Actually, I have problems with a lot of the “they lived happily ever after” stories. I tease that I prefer tales about fairies! In that case, my favorites are PETER PAN by J.M. Barrie for the classics category and THE FAIRY REBEL by Lynne Reid Banks for contemporary. Tinker Bell and Tiki RULE.
Congratulations again.
Hmmm… I’m not sure if this counts but my mum always used to read us The Story of Rama and Sita, a couple torn apart by an evil tenheaded demon king Ravana.
Hi Lili,
Many congratulations – you’ll never look back!
The fairy tale that has made the biggest impact on me is also my most feared – that of Rumplestiltskin. For me it’s about a mother who makes some dumb choices, without any understanding of the ways of the world, then potentially loses her baby to a pedophile. Fortunately, in this tale, her social contacts and her wile enables her to snatch her baby back. Real life is not always so kind but his story offers hope.
CONGRATULATIONS! That’s fantastic.
I’m reading lots of fairy tales to Charlotte at the moment. I never noticed when I was younger but reading them now, they seem rather brutal. Two out of three pigs, AND the wolf, meet a bad end…
Welldone!!!You totally deserve it, from your other books I’ve read.Where do you get such imagination?
My favorite fairy tale is the golden bird. It’s a story about a apple tree that gave gold apples, that the king would pick every day….one day an apple disappears. The king asks his three sons to go find the robber. I won’t tell you the end, but I assure you it is wonderfull!
I loved Scatterheart the moment I picked it up. A special friend bought it for me and it has become one of my all time favourite stories. Not unlike many other girls, I dream of my own fairytale to live up to the ones in boks. Scatterheart is my inspiration. Awesome job you REALLY deserve it.