+++ 2015 Winners Announced +++

Over 800 Children and Young People from 20 high schools and 54 primary schools packed into Pudsey Civic Hall in two events to celebrate their favourite authors and books of the last year in the 9-11, 11-14 and 14-16 age categories.

In total, a whopping 1563 reviews were posted onto this website and 781 votes were counted from across the city as young people avidly read and discussed each shortlisted book before choosing their own winner in each respective category.

With many of the shortlisted authors in attendance, tension was high as the golden envelopes containing the names of the winners were opened on the stage.

The Winners for 2015 are:

• 9-11 category: A Room Full of Chocolate by Jane Elson
• 11-14 category: Smart by Kim Slater
• 14-16 category: Web of Darkness by Bali Rai

+++ 2015 Shortlists Announced +++

The shortlists for the 2015 Leeds Book Awards have been announced.

Is the book you suggested on the shortlist? We look forward to receiving your reviews on the website.

+++ 2014 Winners Announced +++

As part of the 2014 Leeds Book Awards, over 700 children from 50 primary schools and 18 high schools packed into Pudsey Civic Hall and Leeds Civic Hall in two events to celebrate their favourite authors and books of the last year in the 9-11, 11-14 and 14-16 age categories. In total, 60 primary schools and 20 high schools from across the city participated in the awards, which saw young people avidly reading and discussing each shortlisted book before choosing their own winner in each respective category.

With many of the shortlisted authors in attendance, tension was high as the golden envelopes containing the names of the winners were opened on the stage.

The Winners for 2014 were:

• 9 – 11: Wild Boy by Rob Lloyd Jones
• 11 – 14: Geek Girl by Holly Smale
• 14 – 16: Ketchup Clouds by Annabel Pitcher

+++ 2014 Shortlists Announced +++

The shortlists for the 2014 Leeds Book Awards have been announced.

Is the book you suggested on the shortlist? We look forward to receiving your reviews on the website.

+++ 2013 Winners Announced +++

The winners of the 2013 Leeds Book Awards have been announced.

The winners are:

• 9-11 category: Poppy's Hero by Rachel Billington
• 11-14 category: Socks are not Enough by Mark Lowery
• 14-16 category: Slated by Teri Terry

+++ Leeds young people help to establish the Young People's Category of the British Comic Awards +++

Hilda and the Midnight Giant

This year we have continued to work in partnership with the Thought Bubble comics Festival to help celebrate the best in comics and graphic novels for young people and also with Adam Cadwell who was setting up The British Comic Awards.

We helped to pilot and develop a new National Award rather than just a Leeds based one.

13 high schools and 2 library based comic groups signed up to participate in the Young People’s Category. Groups read and discussed 5 shortlisted titles, with young people voting for their favourite one.

The shortlist was:

• Bad Machinery: The Case of the Fire Inside by John Allison
• The Lost Boy by Kate Brown
• Dinopopolous by Nick Edwards
• Hilda and the Midnight Giant by Luke Pearson
• Gum Girl by Andi Watson

The winner was announced at an event at Leeds Town Hall on Friday 16th November 2012 in front of an audience of 80 people, including many of the young people who had been our judges.

Attending the event were John Allison, Luke Pearson, Ross Fraser from The Phoenix Comic (where The Lost Boy was serialised in weekly parts) and Lizzie Spratt from Walker Books (publisher of Gum Girl).

They all spoke about their work and chatted to the young people, drawing pictures, signing autographs etc.

Adam Cadwell announced that the winner was Hilda and the Midnight Giant, which proved to be a very popular choice!

We are very much hoping that the British Comic Awards will go from strength to strength and are proud to be working in partnership with the Awards and Thought Bubble.

We can’t wait for next year’s Award! If you are interested in your school taking part in the Graphic Novel Awards, please contact Debbie Moody

+++ 2012 Winners Announced +++

The winners of the 2012 Leeds Book Awards were revealed on 24th May 2012 at the Final ceremony at the Carriageworks Theatre in Leeds. For full details please see our events page.

+++ Second Leeds Graphic Novel Award +++

The 2nd Leeds Graphic Novel Award ceremony took place at Leeds Central Library on Friday 18th November.

This year 9 High Schools took part in the Awards - Leeds East Academy, Temple Moor, City of Leeds, Allerton High, Roundhay, Mount St Mary’s, David Young Community Academy, Morley Academy and Swallow Hill.

Book groups read and discussed the following 6 shortlisted books:

• Robin Etherington (author) and Lorenzo Etherington (illustrator): Monkey Nuts: The Diamond Egg of Wonders
• Mike Kunkel (author): Billy Batson and the Magic of Shazam!
• Sarah McIntyre (author and illustrator): Vern and Lettuce
• Metaphrog (author and Illustrator): Louis – Night Salad
• David Peterson (author): Mouse Guard Vol 1: Legends of the Guard
• Jonathan Stroud (author) and Andrew Donkin (adapter): The Amulet of Samarkand

Around 60 young people came to the Awards ceremony to meet Robin and Lorenzo Etherington, Sarah McIntyre and John Chalmers and Sandra Marrs, the team behind Metaphrog. They all gave fascinating and entertaining presentations, detailing how they design and produce their books.

Dave Shelton, last year’s winner, was on hand to announce that Sarah McIntyre had won this year’s Award for Vern and Lettuce. Sarah was overjoyed!

Everyone had a great time – many thanks to Robin, Lorenzo, Sarah, John and Sandra for spending so much time chatting to the young people there, signing books, drawing pictures, having photos taken and looking at comics that some of the young people had produced themselves. Everyone had travelled a long way to be with us and their time and effort in coming to Leeds and preparing such brilliant presentations was much appreciated.

Also, many thanks to Lisa Wood, the Thought Bubble Comics Festival and everyone at Travelling Man comic bookshop for all their help and support and for working together with us to develop the Leeds Graphic Novel Award.

We can’t wait for next year’s Award! If you are interested in your school taking part in the Graphic Novel Awards, please contact Debbie Moody.

+++ 2011 Winners Announced +++

The winners of the 2011 Leeds Book Awards were revealed on Tuesday 24th May at the Final ceremony at Leeds Civic Hall. For full details please see our events page.

+++ Leeds Graphic Novel Award +++

We have just piloted a new category for the Leeds Book Awards – the Leeds Graphic Novel Award.

Seven High Schools took part – Parklands, Roundhay, Pudsey Grangefield, Temple Moor, Allerton High, David Young Academy and Mount St Mary's, with book groups reading and discussing the following six books:

• Kate Brown
  Spider Moon
• Evan Dorkin (author)
  Jill Thompson (artist)
  Beasts of Burden
• Ben Haggarty (author)
  Adam Brockbank (artist)
  Mezolith
• Charlie Higson (author)
  Kev Walker (illustrator)
  Silverfin: The Graphic Novel
• Eric Shanower (author)
  Skottie Young (artist)
  The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
• Dave Shelton
  Good Dog, Bad Dog

Sixty young people came along to The Carriageworks on 19th November to meet four of the shortlisted artists – Kate Brown, Adam Brockbank, Dave Shelton and Kev Walker.

Dan Chernett, illustrator of Malice, the hugely popular winner of the Leeds Book Awards 2010 (11-14 category) was also there to announce the winner: Good Dog Bad Dog by Dave Shelton.

Dave was thrilled to win, although he admitted that he was totally stunned!

Many thanks to all the shortlisted artists who travelled a long way to come to the event.

This new category is organised as part of the Thought Bubble Comics Festival which takes place every November. We hope to be able to expand and develop the Leeds Graphic Novel Award over the next year.

If you are interested in your school taking part in the Graphic Novel Awards, please contact Debbie Moody.

+++ 2010 Winners Announced +++

The winners of the 2010 Leeds Book Awards were revealed on Tuesday 25th May at 2 awards ceremonies at Leeds Civic Hall. For full details please see our events page.

+++ Awards Ceremony 2010 +++

The 2010 Leeds Book Awards ceremonies will take place on Tuesday 25th May in the Banqueting Hall, Leeds Civic Hall, Millennium Square.

+++ 2010 Shortlist Announced +++

The shortlists for the three categories in the 2010 Leeds Book Awards have now been announced. For full details, please visit http://www.leedsbookawards.co.uk/2010/shortlists.php!

+++ 2009 Winners Announced +++

After weeks of anticipation the winners of the 2009 Leeds Book Awards were revealed at awards ceremonies at Trinity and All Saints College, Horsforth on Tuesday 19th May. See our events page for full details!

+++ Schools sign up to take part +++

Lots of schools have registered for the Leeds Book Awards 2009:

Primary Schools taking part this year are:

• Fieldhead Carr, Our Lady of Good Counsel RC, St Nicholas Gipton, Cookridge, Greenhill, Chapel Allerton, Morley Victoria, Kippax North, Oulton, Hugh Gaitskell, Blackgates, Blenheim, Aberford C of E, West End, Holy Trinity Horsforth, Green Lane, Hawksworth Wood, Austhorpe, Holy Family RC, Talbot, Thorp Arch Lady Hastings, Stanningley, Cottingley, Shire Oak, All Saints Otley, Alwoodley, Beecroft, Newlaithes, Ninelands, Pool C of E

High Schools taking part this year are:

• Boston Spa, Ossett, Roundhay, Wortley, Temple Moor, Guiseley, Benton Park, Otley Prince Henry, Parklands, Allerton Grange, Allerton High, Morley, City of Leeds, Primrose, Mount St Mary’s, Abbey Grange, Lawnswood, Wetherby, Intake, St Mary’s Menston, Ralph Thoresby

If you are a school interested in registering for the Leeds Book Awards 2010 and would like more information, please go to the Contact page.

+++ Awards Ceremony +++

Craig Bradley

Great news! Some of the shortlisted authors will be coming to our celebration day and Awards ceremonies on Tuesday 19th May.

Authors who have confirmed that they are coming so far are:

• Tim Bowler, Andy Briggs, Kevin Brooks, Pauline Francis, M G Harris, Catherine Johnson. Siobhan Dowd's sister will attend on behalf of her family and the Siobhan Dowd Trust.

We can also confirm that popular performance poet Craig Bradley (aka That Poetry Bloke) will be on hand again to entertain and guide us through the proceedings.

For more details about this event, see our Events page.

+++ Fantastic Competition! +++

We would like to give each of the authors who are coming to our ceremonies a special certificate to say thank you for attending and we want you to help to design them.

Here's what we need:

• The design needs to be on a piece of paper no bigger than A4
• It can be in colour
• The certificate should say Thank you for attending the Leeds Book Awards Ceremonies 2009
• There should be a line, space or box for us to write the author's name
• The certificate can be designed on a computer or by hand

Please send your design to one of the people on the Contact page along with your name, age, school and which Leeds Library you use, if you are a member.

The winning designs will be printed, framed and presented to the authors, and the winners will also receive a selection of fabulous books as prizes.

The closing date is Friday 19th April 2009.

So, get designing and good luck!