York Book Award 2024 Winner Announced

In an award ceremony on Friday 15th March, months of reading, reviewing and creativity culminated in students from across York hearing who they had voted for as the winner of the third annual York Book Award.

To a rapt audience of seven of the participating schools in the St Peter's Shepherd Hall, Jason Cockroft was announced as the winner of the 2024 York Book Award. His book ‘Running with Horses’ was voted for by students from ten secondary schools who came together to read, review and make creative responses to the shortlisted books.

Jason said about his win;

“I’m hugely honoured that my novel, Running with Horses, published by Andersen Press, has won the 2024 York Book Award.

Usually, when I write I avoid picturing a reader in mind, in case I become self-conscious and immediately begin to restrict the story I’m setting out to tell. But once a book is published and let loose on the world, it is no longer solely the author’s story. You learn to relinquish ownership, knowing that whoever picks it up will infuse it with their own experiences, their own imagination and their own understanding of love and hate and whichever themes your story touches upon. For a writer, that’s the scary part and, also, the rewarding part, because reading isn’t a passive activity, but a creative one. It’s both a lesson in empathy and an act of empathy. Every reader who reads your book transforms it, and often for the better.

If you ask any author which awards prove to be the most significant and meaningful to them, they will inevitably admit that the awards voted for by the readers themselves make the most impact. To know that your work has connected emotionally with someone is incredibly moving.

So my thanks to all the students involved in judging the five books on the shortlist, to the librarians and teachers of the ten schools taking part, who provide an essential role in expanding the horizons of readers, and to anyone who sat down and shared their time with my characters, Rabbit and Joe. I know they will have been very pleased and proud that you showed them such an act of generosity.”

This year’s ceremony took place at St Peter’s School and was hosted by last year’s winning author Ann Sei Lin, whose debut ‘Rebel Skies’ captured the imagination of York’s students.

Ann said, “The York Book Award is a fantastic opportunity to showcase and celebrate the writing and creativity of both authors and students. It was such an honour to win the 2023 York Book Award. From the moment I entered St Peter’s, where the event was held, I could tell that this was something special.

There is no greater joy for a children’s author than to see how your words and your writing inspires young people. The creativity on display at the York Book Award, from the music to the art to the dances and creative essays, was truly amazing. It was a joy to see such enthusiasm from young readers, the wonderful support they were given by their teachers and librarians, and the passion in other authors as they spoke about their books.”

The York Book Award was launched in 2021 following the COVID-19 pandemic by librarians at All Saints RC School and St Peter’s School as a way to unite the young people of York by enabling them to celebrate and share the books that matter to them. It is aimed at Year 7 and 8 pupils, with a shortlist of five books that students read, vote for, and respond to creatively. It culminates in an award ceremony with talks from the shortlisted authors.

Now in its third year, the York Book Award has been lucky enough to be able to provide all state secondary schools in York with a bundle of the shortlisted books thanks to a generous donation from the York Company of Merchant Taylors.

In an effort to expand the impact of the award, this year the shortlisted authors were also involved in school visits. Simon James Green visited York High and the Joseph Rowntree School to speak to Year 7 and 8, and to give workshops to pupils on how to write mysteries. Ann Sei Lin visited All Saints Catholic School and St Peter’s to give year group talks, and Frances Hardinge had a busy morning at Millthorpe School speaking to year groups and chatting to students in the library at break. Further visits from Robin Stevens and Andy Ruffell are being planned for later in the year.

Adam Baybutt, Assistant Headteacher at Millthorpe school, said:

“When I found out that our wonderful librarian had managed to arrange a visit from Frances Hardinge, I was beyond excited….It was an amazing morning and we are so grateful to the York Book Award Team and Frances for making this happen for our students. This will be a day that lives long in the memory at Millthorpe School.”

At The Joseph Rowntree School, librarian Julie Brownridge said about their visit from Simon James Green, “It was wonderful for students to have the opportunity to share their writing and receive feedback from a published author, many staying for the book signing at the end,”

Jen Linsey, librarian at York High, said:

“It has been fantastic for our students… I think that a lot of what Simon shared with us today has been empowering.”

Students were also enthusiastic about the event, with one claiming that “everyone there seemed really like-minded, so I loved that.”

The nomination window for the 2025 York Book Award will open in late April, and schools in and around York are encouraged to sign up to take part in what is a fun and exciting way for students to engage with reading and like-minded peers from the wider York community.