Guardian Children's Fiction Prize – Longlist Annouced

In a move that is sure to increase the size of many a reader’s wishlist (including mine!) UK national newspaper, The Guardian has announced the longlist for it’s annual Children’s Fiction prize.

The announcement of the winner of the £1,500 prize will be announced on 8 October 2009, following the unveiling of the shortlist in September.

A panel of judges featuring authors Celia Rees, Andy Stanton, and Patrick Ness (the winner of last year’s prize for his novel The Knife of Never Letting Go) will join Guardian children’s book editor, Julia Eccleshare in the unenviable position in having to decide between some fantastic books.

Past winners of the prize, which has been running since 1968 and is the the only children’s award in which authors are judged by their peers, include Philip Pullman, Ted Hughes, Anne Fine and Jacqueline Wilson.