And the shortlist for The Times/ Chicken house competition 2022…

2 Oct

I'm very proud that my book baby Apprentice Guide to Fairyside made the shortlist for The Times/ Chicken House competition. My zany, young adult adventure quest explores themes of identity and reshaping gender norms.

Here is the pitch:

SHELBY CERWYN doesn’t want to be a lady-in-waiting, but with two sisters and a brother serving as ladies and laddies in the grand courts of Fairyside, everyone expects her to snag a coveted lady-in-waiting traineeship at the Day of Calling. Unable to take the pressure, Shelby sabotages her chances by jumping out of a damsel tower and rescuing herself during the auditions. Her desperate act catches the attention of the charming PRINCE GIDEON who convinces her to be his squire. To Shelby’s delight, she makes a great squire. If she can earn enough chivalry points with her heroic deeds, she’ll be made a knight which would outrank all her siblings.

When PRINCESS NEVE of Fury is kidnapped by an enchanted mechanical dragon, Shelby seizes her chance to win her knighthood. She battles Gentle Tinmen (nothing gentlemanly about them!), locks horns with mini- taurs (cute, axe-wielding baby minotaurs) and tangles with strangler swans (they only try to strangle you if you feed them wholemeal bread). Shelby’s attempts to defeat the dragon unravel when Princess Neve’s father, the King of Fury, offers her an alternative path to knighthood but in return, both Princess Neve and Prince Gideon will remain trapped forever. Can Shelby sacrifice their freedom to forge her own path?

To celebrate my shortlisting, my good friends Andi Spark and her partner Paul Cleveland presented me with this beautiful map of Fairyside. Andi designed the illustration and Paul etched the design onto scratchboard.

Congratulations to all shortlisted authors.

All Hell – Jess Popplewell

All Things Dead and Dying – Chandra Fisher

Eddie’s Demons – Sarah Harrison

Ghostly: Murder at the Haunted Hotel – Antje Frey

I Was an Alien Fashion Model – Fatima Mahdi

Stay tuned for the competition results in mid-November!