About Introducing: KILL ME NOW by Helen Price 🔪

We are delighted to reveal the STUNNING cover of Kill Me Now by Helen Price – your next YA murder mystery obsession!

This spine-chilling YA crime thriller is jam-packed with tense murder mystery, nasty school cliques and first crushes; think Riverdale meets One of Us is Lying.

Thanks so much to Michaela Alcaino for the BEAUT of a cover, Kill Me Now is out 12^th February 2026!

Pre-Order your copy of Kill Me Now with CRIMINALLY GOOD BOOKSHOP for a signed bookplate with your copy!

Q&A

We asked Helen a few questions for some delicious *spoiler free* goodness to get us through to publication day!

What inspired you to become a writer?
I’ve written for most of my career but mostly boring stuff like corporate communications (aka, the kind of thing you’d only read if forced to). So, when my teen son ran out of action-packed books, I thought: “How hard can it be?” (Spoiler: very hard 😅). But then, I joined the Golden Egg Academy and learned how to actually write, and from that point on, I was hooked.

How long did it take you to write KILL ME NOW?
About a year, which is basically record time for me. Thrillers are tricky to write because you’ve got to layer in twists, red herrings, and keep the tension cranked high enough to stop readers from scrolling TikTok. But honestly, that’s my favourite part.

Did you face any major challenges during the process?
Since Guy’s family runs a funeral business, I couldn’t exactly rely on Google (let's face it, that would get really weird, really fast). So, for research, I went behind the scenes at a real funeral home. Some might call that creepy. I call it fascinating. And yes, I did take notes. Lots of notes. ⚰️

What’s your favourite YA crime/thriller novel (apart from KILL ME NOW, obviously)?
Ooooh, tough one. I’d go with One of Us Is Lying by Karen McManus. She’s basically YA’s Queen of Crime 👑. That book kept me guessing until the very end, which is rare, because my family hates watching thrillers with me since I usually ruin them by guessing the ending halfway through. And if we’re talking ultimate plot twist? I'd say, We Were Liars by E. Lockhart. Best. Ending. Ever. 🤯

Give us a sneak peek - what’s one crime trope we’ll find in KILL ME NOW?
Take your pick: Small town with dark secrets, an overload of red herrings, or… multiple murders. Yup, spoiler alert: there’s a serial killer on the loose.

What’s one fun or unexpected fact about you?
I once set my hair on fire (accidentally!) in the next room to President Clinton and had to be rescued by his secret service agents. True story. 🔥👀 Also, I have a black belt in karate… but unfortunately it didn’t help much in that situation.

About The Times/Chicken House 2025 Shortlist is Here!

Phew, that was tough! The longlist this year was super strong – so strong, in fact, that we couldn’t bear to whittle it down to only five titles.

YA won us over this year, with 5 YA titles and 1 Middle Grade making the shortlist.

The Fane and the Fruit Wagon by Olive M. Morris

The Less-Than-Perfect Life of Jaya Kapoor by Shefali Kharabanda

Nothing Good Happens After Midnight by Hannah Nathan

Secret Wolf by Beth Holland

Skelly Boy by George Wigzell

The Wrangler’s Daughter by Marianna Shek

Huge congratulations to our shortlisted authors. To anyone who was longlisted but didn’t reach the shortlist, never fear: we’ll be providing you with a handy reader’s report with some feedback from our team.

Now, it is over to our fantastic panel of judges to decide on the winners. We’ll be announcing the result in November as well as opening next year’s competition. Watch this space!

About Unveiling The Times/Chicken House 2025 longlist!

The Times/Chicken House Children's Fiction Competition 2025 longlist is here! 

Thank you to everyone who entered the Times/Chicken House Children's Fiction competition - the UK's biggest competition for unpublished children's writers. As always, the standard of entries was incredibly high and our readers are continually blown away by the imagination and talent of authors – this year we have fifteen fantastic titles on the longlist.

YA led the charge this year, with 11 YA stories and 4 middle-grade stories making the longlist. As always, there is a wonderful range of stories. From fantastical jinn familiars and chronobears to tennis courts and new schools, our longlistees' scope of imagination is unparalleled!

Here is the 2025 longlist:

• A Mystery at Whisper Lake by Julia Blackburn
• Azel and the Jinni Familiar by Zareena Nazimudeen
• Dancing on Fire by Villy Tichkova
• The Fane and The Fruit Wagon by Olive M. Morris
• The Less-Than-Perfect Life of Jaya Kapoor by Shefali Kharabanda
• Love-Love by Sally Hewitt
• Nothing Good Happens at Midnight by Hannah Nathan
• The Potentials by Adrian Woodland
• PSI by Harriet Worrell
• Secret Wolf by Beth Holland
• The Seven Wonders of Westerley Point by E. K. Luke
• Skelly Boy by George Wigzell
• The Turquoise Thief by Essie Brammer
• The Warlock at Ridge Valley by Mike Hibbert
• The Wrangler’s Daughter by Marianna Shek

Massive congratulations to our talented longlisted authors. We can’t wait to find out which of these stories will reach our shortlist – and which will win our two prizes of publication! We hope to announce the shortlist here on our website and across our social media channels early September, so watch this space for more news . . .

About New books: July 2025

We have two spectacular summer stories to kick-start the holidays! (more…)

About What winning has meant for Lucas Maxwell

Lucas Maxwell was announced as the winner of the 2024 Times/Chicken House Children’s Fiction Competition, an annual prize that aims to uncover new talent in children’s fiction. His story, You Have Selected Power Drive, is the story of Elias, an autistic fourteen-year-old boy growing up in a snowy rural town. Unbeknownst to Elias, his older brother Bo struggles with addiction.

Pitched as being for fans of The Perks of Being a Wallflower and My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece, judges praised Maxwell’s accomplished writing and the endearing warmth of the story.

In this Q&A, Lucas discusses the inspiration behind his winning story, his writing journey, and what the experience of working with Chicken House has been like so far …

What inspired the story that won you the Times/Chicken House Prize?

I wrote the story because I felt it had always been swirling around in my head for a very long time and I thought it was something worth telling.  It’s inspired by events that transpired when I was younger and growing up in rural Canada. I didn’t realise it at the time, but looking back, I realise that my brother and I had a somewhat unique experience and I wanted to write it all down. We were surrounded by a lot of interesting characters and there were some ridiculous and  traumatic events that have remained in my mind. Ultimately, I wanted to tell a story that will stick in people’s minds.

Can you tell us a bit about your writing journey before the competition?

I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember. I wrote ghost stories and poems and stories about UFOs and bigfoot when I was a little kid.  I tried very hard to have my short stories published when I was a teen. They never made it to publication, but there were two events that I never forgot and that kept me going.

I received a rejection letter from a small Nova Scotian publisher and the guy who ran the publisher sent me a hand-written note that told me he was sorry that he couldn’t publish it but to keep going, that there was something there he could see that was good in the work.

The second was when I was in a very low place and gave a short story to a university professor, she held it up in front of the class, read it and then announced that one day I’d be a published author. That was over twenty years ago now, but it never left me.

What made you decide to enter the competition?

I really felt this story was pretty good and at the same time was feeling somewhat disheartened by the process of finding an agent. I know now how hard it can be to find an agent but at the time I was just frustrated and was being quite hard on myself about the entire process. I felt like I had a great story but I didn’t know what to do with it. When I saw the competition, which just seemed like a breath of fresh air, I decided to give it a try.

How did it feel when you found out you’d won?!

Leading up to the event, I had, like most people I’m sure, trained myself to accept that I had lost. I felt pretty relaxed up to a certain point, then, as the announcement got closer, I felt really lightheaded and strange. I was standing behind a few people and I could see the stage and it all just hit me and I felt really sad for some reason. I think in my head I knew I wasn’t going to win and I was trying to accept it, but when you make it that far it’s hard not to want it to be you.

I remember Shalu, my editor from Chicken House, came and stood beside me and said something. I don’t remember what it was, but she is so nice and has a calming presence and it made me feel a lot better.

Then one of the judges, Lucy Bannerman, stood up on the stage and said something about the winning book making her feel cold just reading it and a light went off in my head as I knew my book was set in a Canadian winter and I thought that maybe there was a chance. And before I could get that thought out I saw my face on the screen as the winner and I don’t remember anything I said after that. It changed my life, I know that much.

What’s it been like working with Chicken House since your win?

They are amazing people. I have been fortunate to see them in person since I won and they really have been the best group of people to work with. I am working with Shalu on the edits and she is the best, I know she’s championed the book from day one and I owe her a lot. I owe all of them a lot. This has been a dream of mine since I was a little kid scribbling down ghost stories under a blanket with a flashlight, stories I’d tell to make my brother laugh, and it would not have happened without them. They genuinely seem invested in every single detail of this book and I am very grateful to be working with them.

What has surprised you most about the publishing process?

I’m very fortunate that through my role as a school librarian I’ve met a lot of authors and I’ve always picked their brains about the process. Therefore this has given me a lot of insight into the publishing process over the past decade. So what I’ve been surprised the most is how Chicken House has been asking me for the ‘feeling’ of the book to help with titles and book covers and that was a pleasant surprise.

I went into it so worried that I would not have as much input on things like that, and I’ve really enjoyed exploring the book again and ensured I’ve squeezed out everything that I want from it to give Chicken House a complete picture.

Any tips for writers who are thinking about entering in the future?

Get someone else to read your story. I say this because for a very long time I was reluctant to let anyone read this story because it’s so personal. However, when someone else reads your story they will find things you would never pick up on and it will be a huge help.

Also, try to give yourself enough time to finish your story, not look at it for a few weeks or even a few months and then go back over it line by line. Again, you will find all kinds of things, not just spelling and grammar mistakes but plot holes or things that don’t make sense.

Craft a good synopsis, and don’t forget that you should spoil the ending in your synopsis, I didn’t realise that for a long time. My last tip is to simply take the leap and try, I never in a million years thought I’d win so don’t let self doubt get in your way.

What’s next for you and your writing?

I have two things I’m working on that I’m really excited about. I don’t think I can talk about them at this time but I’m very excited about the stories. One is essentially pure comedy and the other is very, very sad, so they couldn’t be more different, but at the moment I am very proud of both of these stories and I would be very grateful if they make it onto shelves one day.

What books or authors inspired you as a young reader?

When I was a kid I read a ton of comic books, I was obsessed with The Punisher because they felt like comics that I shouldn’t be reading at that age. But when I was around nine or ten, my teacher read The Hobbit to us in class and I was completely hooked.

I became obsessed with that story and anything like it. My brother, who was older, gave me a book called The Crystal Shard by R.A. Salvatore which is part of a fantasy series that I also became obsessed with. This series introduced me to the world of Dungeons and Dragons and that has also had a huge impact on me. As a teen I read Sometimes a Great Notion and The Catcher in the Rye which were also life-changing for me.

If you could give your pre-entry self one piece of advice, what would it be?

To not be so hard on myself. I think because writing is often a very isolating process we can beat ourselves up and simply exist in a cloud of self doubt. I would tell myself that the fact that I had even written a novel is a huge thing, it’s massive, and it’s something not to be sniffed at. I’d tell myself that the story I’ve written is worth reading, I’d try to convince that person to be nicer to themselves.

About Writing for Modern Teens - Top tips from Marisa Linton

Times / Chicken House award winning author and professor Marisa Linton shares her top tips for writing YA for modern teenagers below! 

The Binding Spell is in the tradition of classic fantasy – the books I loved as a kid – but its lead characters are modern teenagers. For the story to work, they needed to speak like young people do now, and have the kind of preoccupations that teenagers would find familiar – family problems, lack of money, anxiety, worries about identity, friendships, relationships.

Top Tips

Writing for YA presented me with all sorts of challenges. Even my kids are in their twenties. But I spent many years in higher education. Teaching young people necessitates keeping pace with their energy, blazing honesty, and alert, enquiring minds. For any writer over the age of 25 years old, making sure you get your teenage characters right will require some extra thought and research so here are my tips for writing a novel for teenagers:

• Don’t be ‘down with the kids’, especially if, like me, you are generations older. Teenagers are quick to sniff out condescension and inauthenticity. Be your true self. Rather than crafting a book that was consciously ‘for the teens’, I wrote a story I hoped anybody – including teenagers – would find exciting.
• Teenagers could be doing a lot of other things than reading your book. You need to dive straight into your story, drawing readers in with dialogue, tense situations, characters they can identify with. Some young readers will bear with long slow developments. Most won’t.
• Some things about being young don’t change – uncertainty over identity, anger at the state of the world, intense emotions. Remember what it was like to go through those things, how it made you feel. Use those feelings.
• So many things are utterly different for today’s teenagers – the internet, social media, growing anxiety over the kind of world they will inherit. How you deal with that as a writer depends on the kind of story you’re writing. But even with high fantasy, or historical fiction, modern attitudes are going to come in. We see everything refracted through our own eyes.
• The voice is key. If you’re over about 25, you’ll need to work on that. Listen to youngsters and how they talk. If there aren’t any young generationals around you, some tv can help, though not American shows as so much about the style of speaking is different.
• Does your dialogue feel natural, like the sort of thing teenagers might say? Speaking it aloud helps.
• Slang is a tricky one. Don’t try too hard to be up to date, because it can feel fake and may date quickly. Put in just enough that it sounds fresh without seeming contrived.
• In the first versions of The Binding Spell my teenage characters didn’t swear. That had to change. To be ‘real’ they had to know the sort of words that British teenagers know – and use them.
• Beg or bribe youthful people to read your dialogue and to be frank about anything that sounds jarring or dated. Some of the funniest and enlightening debates I had with my kids were about the phrases their generation uses.
• Technology changes so fast, as do cultural references – what people watch, what they listen to – so I was deliberately vague about that.

Marisa's novel THE BINDING SPELL is out now; find out more here!

About New books: May 2025

In a month of sequels and standalones, we have three exciting magical mysteries coming to you this May ... (more…)

About What winning has meant for Marisa Linton

Marisa Linton won The Times Chicken House Children’s Fiction competition in 2023 – and that winning YA novel, The Binding Spell, is publishing incredibly soon.

A stand-alone contemporary fantasy novel that’s rich with folk horror elements, The Binding Spell launches on May 8th, and is available to pre-order now! Here, Marisa walks us through her path to publication through The Times Chicken House competition, and talks about all things rejection, making our long and short lists, and what it’s like to work with Chicken House … Enjoy – and over to you, Marisa!

______

The Binding Spell

I didn’t think The Binding Spell would be the kind of book Chicken House would want. It’s very much a young adult story, part folk horror, part burning romance, a kind of mash-up of The Wickerman and This Country. 

A young family is stuck in a remote village, where the Dad is carrying out an archaeological dig – and he begins to uncover ancient Celtic artefacts that should have stayed hidden. His daughter starts to realise that this is bad – very bad. She suspects that the mysterious young guy she’s drawn to is somehow involved in the secret, but she can’t work out how.

Dealing with rejection

I’d already had a lot of rejections for the story. Sadly, rejection is a routine experience in this really tough industry. I wasn’t going to try The Times Chicken House Children’s Fiction Competition, thinking they would be looking for middlegrade novels (age 9–12), until a friend talked me into it just before the deadline. You lose nothing by trying. 

I reworked my submission package (though the manuscript itself was the same one so many agents had turned down) and sent it off. I tried not to think about it, and got on with other projects. Easy to say, hard to do, though I’d had a lot of practice.

Making the long and short lists

When I made the longlist I kept my hopes in check, telling myself I could use that to query again. Then came the day Barry Cunningham (Publisher and Chicken House MD) phoned me to tell me I’d made the shortlist. 

I have full-on imposter syndrome, and the call took me completely unawares. I couldn’t think straight. He asked what inspired me to write the book. I had no idea. I wasn’t even sure which book he was asking me about. I gabbled about liking old stuff. Barry waited patiently – I guess he’d met that kind of incoherent reaction before. 

Winning the prize

Chicken House hosted a Big Breakfast event where the two winners were announced. It’s also where Chicken House and their authors talk about books they’ll publish in the coming year, with people from the publishing world come along to see what’s planned. I joined the other shortlistees, and we waited for the announcement to be made. I was convinced one of the others had won. They were all lovely and really nervous like me, and I’m sure they all really deserved it. But still . . . I clung on to those last few moments, thinking “at least you still have hope, they haven’t said yet that you haven’t won, not yet” …

When they called my book out, I was so stunned I couldn’t take it in. I worried they’d made a mistake. Imposter syndrome again. Someone nudged me to go up on the podium, and they handed me flowers, and a badge with the Chicken House logo. I think it was the homely touch of the badge that made me start to realise this was really happening, that my book would be published, that I had actually made it. 

In that one moment everything changed for me. Afterwards the Chicken House team took all us shortlistees to a restaurant. Several previous winners came too. That personal touch and their sheer friendliness helps make Chicken House special. They work hard to support you, and make you feel that your book – and you – are important to them.

Publication is now on the horizon!

And now, sixteen months later, The Binding Spell is on the verge of being published. The process has been straightforward. The team is really supportive and professional. My editor, Shalu Vallepur, has been fantastic in guiding me through the edits, helping me make cuts and shape up the back story, and the final book is much better for it. 

Why did my book win? Well, I’d like to think it’s because it’s the best book ever … Yeah, sure, in your dreams. But I do think that the way Chicken House chooses its winners makes a difference. The whole team is involved in reading the entries and everyone has their input. Seven judges make the final choice. Also, Barry himself – he’s set up a culture where the team can afford to follow their instincts, whereas the way that commercial publishing works makes most agents and editors very cautious and risk averse.

I still have the badge. Like the Romans with the statues of their household gods, I keep it in a special place – on the shelf beside the kitchen table where I write. To remind me – yes, this really did happen to you. 

My best advice? 

Write the book you really want to write, that only you can write, and make it the best you can. Be resilient when rejections come – which they will. Keep going regardless. And please enter this competition. You lose nothing by trying – and you may succeed.

Thank you for this amazing insight into the process, Marisa! To be in with a chance at winning the 2025 iteration of The Times/Chicken House Children’s Fiction Competition, please take a look at our submissions page. We can’t wait to read what you’re creating!

About What winning has meant for Jasbinder Bilan

Children’s author Jasbinder Bilan won The Times/Chicken House Children’s Fiction Competition in 2017 with her debut, Asha and the Spirit Bird. Since winning the prize, Jasbinder has written 10 books, won the Costa Children’s Book Award, and has built a full and brilliant career as a children’s author. 

Ever inspired by Jasbinder and her passion for storytelling, we caught up with her to chat about The Times/Chicken House Children’s Fiction Competition, how she writes now, and what’s coming next …

Asha and the Spirit Bird won the competition in 2017 – that’s now 8 years ago! How has life changed for you since winning the prize? 

Winning the prize changed everything!  It made my childhood dream of becoming a published author come true. The biggest change is probably that I am now lucky enough to write full time.

Did you ever anticipate Asha and the Spirit Bird being the catalyst for this career as an author? 

I put so much effort and hard work into writing Asha, but I honestly never dared to believe it might lead to an actual career. There are so many other great books out there, so the fact that Asha started my writing journey brings me such happiness.

Is there anything about the book that you’d change now, 8 years on?

When you write your first book, you have the luxury of time on your side and the opportunity to experiment – so by the time I entered it for the competition, I had tried all sorts of different scenes. And I also had the wonderful Kesia Lupo as my editor so I wouldn't change anything, actually! 

How has your writing process evolved since writing Asha and the Spirit Bird? Do you still work in the same way, or have you made changes along the way? 

The one thing that has changed in my writing process is that I have less time for the early stages of creativity. I used to have more time to be playful and use my sketchbook to collect inspirations. However, I think I have become better at holding the story in my head and editing as I go. 

What upcoming projects are you excited about? (This can be anything, it doesn’t have to be Chicken House related!)

Since publishing Asha, I have had so many wonderful opportunities to work collaboratively so I hope I can do more of those. But I’m getting really excited about what I’ll write next for Chicken House. I have six books under my belt with Chicken House, and they’ve all been different so I can’t wait to see where my inspirations will take me!

What’s the one piece of advice you’d give to writers considering entering the prize this year?

There’s an awful lot of noise out there, and sometimes I think that can be overwhelming and also make you doubt the book that sits in your heart. So I’d say write your story, make it the best you can, and press send! 

A big thank you to Jasbinder for answering our questions. To be in with a chance at winning the 2025 iteration of The Times/Chicken House Children’s Fiction Competition, please take a look at our submissions page. We can’t wait to read what you’re creating!

About WIN a DELUXE SLEEP KIT when you order A BETTER NIGHTMARE

Order A BETTER NIGHTMARE by Megan Freeman from any retailer and send your proof of purchase to us via this FORM to be in with the chance of winning a deluxe sleep kit including an Unwind the Mind gift set from The Body Shop, Clippers Sleep Time Tea, a Satin feel sleep mask and an Aery Before Sleep candle.

ENTER HERE: https://forms.gle/43SGTo4CRoRZMJ319

Order your copy before 23:59 on Sunday 13 April to be in with the chance of winning:

• An 'Unwind the Mind Gift Set' from The Body Shop
• Clipper Sleep Time Tea Bags
• Satin Feel Sleep Mask
• Aery 'Before Sleep' Candle

Terms & Conditions

1. The ‘Entrant’ is the person completing the online entry form.
2.  Only one entry per person is allowed.
3. Entrants must be aged 18 or over. Entrants must be residents of Great Britain and must provide a valid British address upon entry. This prize draw is not open to employees or contractors of the Promoter or the Publisher, their immediate families, nor to any other person connected with the prize draw.
4. There will be one prize winner, who will win a deluxe sleep kit including an Unwind the Mind gift set from The Body Shop, Clippers Sleep Time Tea, a Satin feel sleep mask and an Aery Before Sleep candle.
5. The Promoter reserves the right to amend the specification of the prize or offer an alternative prize of equivalent status. No cash alternative will be offered. The Prize is non-transferable.
6. Unsuccessful entrants will not be contacted. The decision of the Promoter on all matters is final.
7. A random draw of all valid entries will take place within six working days after the closing date above to select the winner(s). The winner(s) will be notified by telephone or email, and MUST respond by midnight within seven days of the date of contact, providing a valid GB address for the prize to be dispatched to. If a selected winner does not meet all of the entry conditions or refuses the prize, another entrant will be selected at random from the remaining eligible entries within a reasonable timeframe.
8. In exceptional circumstances the Promoter may be required to terminate, amend or withdraw this promotion and/or these terms and conditions.
9. Entry to the prize draw is conditional on acceptance of these terms and conditions, which are governed exclusively by English Law and under the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts. By entering this prize draw you are deemed to have read and accepted these terms.
10. The contact details you provide upon entry to the prize draw will be used by the Promoter to contact entrants if necessary to notify winners or to check eligibility requirements have been met, and will not be shared with other companies except to the extent necessary to provide the prize. The Promoter will only use your email address and other personal information in compliance with the provisions of the General Data Protection Regulation (including any amended, equivalent or subsequent legislation). Chicken House Privacy Policy can be viewed HERE.

About The girl with the rebel heart – Ally Sherrick

What if your country was at war? Except the enemy was made up of friends and neighbours, even members of your own family. And what if that enemy’s army was camped right outside your door, and refused to let you leave, threatening that if you didn’t surrender, it would fire its guns on you and burn your house to the ground?

That’s exactly what happens to 14-year-old Merriweather Pryce, the rebellious, brave-hearted hero of my new historical adventure story, Rebel Heart.

The book is set during an exciting but very dangerous time in our history known as the English – or British – Civil Wars when King Charles I and his supporters, known as royalist ‘cavaliers’, fought against Parliament and its army of ‘roundheads’ or ‘rebels’. When the story opens, a force of roundhead soldiers is preparing to attack Merri’s family home of Compton Blaize manor. With her father, Sir Richard Pryce, away fighting for the king and only a small troop of men to protect them, Merri fears her stepmother, Lady Ellinor is going to give up the fight before it’s even begun and surrender to the enemy. Determined to rescue Compton Blaize, she disguises herself in boy’s clothes, and with only her pet jackdaw, Merlin, for company, sets off to get help.

But in a land full of enemy soldiers, turncoats and spies, there are dangers at every turn and Merri will need all her wits and courage to save her home and her family ...

I got the first sparks of the idea for Merri’s story when I visited two very special places – Corfe Castle in Dorset, and Basing House in Hampshire, not far from where I live. They are both ruins now, but at the time of the Civil Wars nearly four hundred years ago, they were grand houses owned by families who, like Merriweather’s, were loyal to the king. Both shared the same fate, coming under attack or ‘siege’ by Parliament’s forces, and once captured, were deliberately ruined or ‘slighted’ to stop them taking part in the war again. But the thing which interested me most of all was learning about the brave women who had led their defence, holding out against the enemy and its guns for weeks on end while their husbands were away fighting.

This was enough to set my story whiskers twitching. After doing more research, I discovered plenty of other examples of courageous lady-defenders on both sides. Also, of other daring women and girls who acted as message-carriers, gold-smugglers and sometimes even as spies, or ‘intelligencers’ as they were called then. And then there were the women who disguised themselves as men and followed the army to be with their husbands, or else to join in the fight as soldiers in their own right. There’s a well-known story that Oliver Cromwell, the famous roundhead general and later Lord Protector, discovered a suspected young ‘she-soldier’ in his troop by asking her to sing.

When I started to cook up the characters – especially Merri and Lady Ellinor – and the plot for my story, how could I resist putting all of these brilliant ingredients into the pot? But I needed a villain too – which is where Abenazar Shine comes in. I won’t say any more about him though – I don’t want to ruin the surprise!

There are two nail-biting battle scenes in the book. The first is the famous, real-life Battle of Naseby, part of the exciting climax to Merri’s desperate mission to find her father and bring him back to defend their home. The second is the battle for Compton Blaize itself. As you might expect of a hero, Merriweather plays a key part in the action. But will the Pryce family motto – ‘Fearless and True’ – and Merri’s brave rebel heart be enough to save the day? You’ll have to read the book to find out!

About Meet the Judges for the Times/Chicken House Children's Fiction Competition 2025!

Drumroll please … It’s time to announce our incredible lineup of judges for the 2025 Times/Chicken House Children’s Fiction Competition 2025!

While you’re busy polishing and perfecting those manuscripts, we’re prepping our judges and making sure they’re ready to pick our 2025 winners. Submissions are open until 2nd June 2025, so if you want to be in with a chance of having these all-star industry professionals read your story, make sure you head to our submissions page.

But – before you tap away – read on to find out more about our illustrious 2025 judges.

BARRY CUNNINGHAM, PUBLISHER AND MD, CHICKEN HOUSE

Barry Cunningham has had an impressive career in publishing. After an English degree at Cambridge, he joined Penguin Books in 1977. As Children’s Marketing Director for Puffin, he worked with all the great names in children’s books including Roald Dahl and Spike Milligan, and was responsible for the re-launch of Beatrix Potter. In 1984 he was promoted to the Penguin Board and became responsible for the marketing of all Penguin Books, a position he held until 1988, when he was headhunted by Random House. In 1994 he was approached by Bloomsbury to set up their first children’s book list. Barry left Bloomsbury at the height of its success and, in early 2000, decided to start his own publishing company. The result was Chicken House, a lively and creative company publishing highly original and enjoyable children’s books, with a special emphasis on new fiction. He has been a judge for the competition since it's fruition.

LUCY BANNERMAN, THE TIMES REPORTER AND CHILDREN’S BOOK CRITIC

Lucy Bannerman is an award-winning journalist at The Times, who has been chasing stories for the past 20 years. She has reported from 24 countries around the world, covering everything from the funeral of Nelson Mandela to the Eurovision Song Contest in Azerbaijan.

She is a regular contributor to The Times magazine, Times Radio and the Stories of Our Times podcast. As the newspaper's children's book critic, the best part of her working week is sifting through the hundreds of stories and picture books - from the fantastical and magical to the comical and historical - that arrive in the mail room every week to find the one that will become 'The Times children's book of the week.' It is the only weekly review space dedicated to children's literature in the mainstream press.

She was Young Journalist of the Year 2006 but is older now.

TIM COMPTON, CO-HEAD OF CHILDRENS, LIME PICTURES

Tim Compton is joint Head of Kids & Family (alongside Angelo Abela) at Lime Pictures. Prior to this, he was a script editor and producer at HIT Entertainment and CBBC. For Lime, Tim was the story producer and core writer on the global hit House of Anubis (Nickelodeon) and producer and co-creator of Evermoor, which was the Disney Channel's first direct drama commission from outside the US. Tim produced and wrote for Free Reign, the Emmy award-winning Netflix original and was executive producer on the Emmy-nominated limited series Zero Chill, also for Netflix. He is currently executive producer on Wereworld, Lime’s first animated series for Netflix.

KAI SPELLMEIER, LITERARY SCOUT, MARIA B. CAMPBELL ASSOCIATES 

Kai Spellmeier is a German author and a Children’s & YA scout in London. He loves unapologetically queer literature and has been blogging about books on social media for years.

GYAMFIA OSEI, LITERARY AGENT, ANDREW NURNBERG ASSOCIATES

Gyamfia Osei is a Literary Agent at Andrew Nurnberg Associates, representing a dynamic list of children’s book authors writing from middle-grade up to New Adult. Gyamfia particularly loves accessible, kid-centric stories and joy-driven books that celebrate children from underrepresented backgrounds.

Among other accolades, her authors have been selected for the BookBuzz and Empathy Lab lists, as well as shortlisted for The British Book Awards, The Sports Book Award and UKLA Book Awards. Gyamfia was chosen as a Bookseller Rising Star in 2024.

SARAH WALLIS-NEWMAN, AREA SALES MANAGER, BOUNCE SALES & MARKETING 

After beginning her career in books as a bookseller at Blackwell’s on Charing Cross Road, Sarah joined the small team at Chicken House selling rights and leading export sales. She is proud to have worked with authors such as Kiran Millwood Hargrave, Maz Evans and Lucy Strange and helped to sell them around the world. Now, working for Bounce as an Area Sales Manager, she represents over 40 children’s publishers, working with Independent Booksellers across the Midlands and the South West.

CHRIS SMITH, CHILDREN’S NOVELIST 

Chris Smith is a bestselling author and the joint recipient of the 2024 Ruth Rendell award for his work promoting literacy and campaigning for school libraries. Chris created the Kid Normal series with his friend Greg James and recently the pair published The Twits Next Door which became an instant bestseller. Chris is also a solo author and has published two fantasy adventures set in his fictional kingdom of Parallelia including Frankie Best Hates Quests. In January 2025 he’ll be bringing back Enid Blyton’s classic characters in The New Famous Five: Five and the Forgotten Treasure. Before he was an author Chris worked as a newsreader and presenter on radio stations including Xfm and BBC Radio 1. His most famous news bulletin is probably the one sampled by George Michael in 1998 and used on his international hit Outside. Chris lives in London with his wife Jenny, their son Lucas and Mabel the cat.

LUCY JANE WOOD, CONTENT CREATOR & SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR

Lucy Jane Wood, author of the instant Sunday Times Best Seller Rewitched, is an online content creator, avid reader and cosiness-seeker from the Wirral. These days, you’ll find her living in London, giant coffee in hand, and being headbutted at any given time by her cat.

LUCY JAKES, CHILDREN’S BUYER, WATERSTONES

Lucy Jakes is a Children’s Buyer at Waterstones. After working for three years as a Children’s and YA bookseller (all the while spreading the love for Chicken House titles), she joined Waterstones Head Office in 2022, where she is now the buyer for Picture Books, Baby & Toddler, Fairytale & Gift, Reference, and Activities & Hobbies, and helps run and judge for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize. She has previously been a judge for the Times Chicken House Children's Fiction Competition and Books Are My Bag Readers’ Awards. When not working, she can be found painting, writing, and reading every Children’s book she can get her hands on.

Quite the list, we think you’ll agree! Ready to submit your work for judging? Head to our submissions page for all the information you’ll need. Good luck!

About The Times/CH Children's Fiction Competition 2024 Winners!

What a blast! We had a fantastic time yesterday at our Big Breakfast event, not only celebrating our 2025 authors and a very special 25th anniversary of the Coop, but we also hosted the Times/Chicken House Competition judging panel ... AND announced the winners!

The fantastic judging panel consisted of chairman and publisher Barry Cunningham, The Times reporter and children’s book critic Lucy Bannerman, agent Lydia Silver, children’s laureate Frank Cottrell-Boyce, literary scout Tessa Girvan, and Co-Head of Kids and Family at Lime Pictures, Tim Compton. They provided some fantastic and thoughtful feedback, a huge thank you to each one of our judges for their time and attention on our six shortlisted manuscripts – you are all stars!

Well, the time has come …

DRUMROLL PLEASE!

The overall prize, the Times/Chicken House award – the prize of which is a £10,000 publishing contract and the offer of agent representation – was won by Lucas Maxwell and his novel You Have Selected Power Drive!

You Have Selected Power Drive is the story of Elias, an autistic fourteen-year-old boy growing up in a snowy rural town. Unbeknownst to Elias, his older brother Bo struggles with addiction. Pitched as being for fans of The Perks of Being a Wallflower and My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece, judges praised Maxwell’s accomplished writing and the endearing warmth of the story.

The Lime Pictures New Storyteller Award, awarded to the novel which shows the greatest TV development potential, was won by Tommy Finlayson and The Cornershop on Apocalypse Street. Tommy Finlayson wins a £7,500 publishing contract and the offer of representation from agent Lydia Silver.

Described by judge Frank Cottrell-Boyce as an ‘idea I wish I’d had first’, The Cornershop on Apocalypse Street is a post-apocalyptic YA story, about an interdimensional cornershop that travels to different apocalypses and fixes them for free. Judges were spellbound by the originality and scope of the novel.

Many congratulations to both winners - we are all looking forward to working with you here at the Coop!

Congratulations, too, to the rest of our shortlist for reaching the final six – the judges had a tough time deciding on the final two! We’ll be providing all of you with detailed feedback based on the panel’s thoughts.

The competition will be re-opening soon for 2025 entries - watch this space for more information!

About RETURN TO INKWORLD UK TOUR!

CORNELIA FUNKE IS COMING TO THE UK

THIS IS NOT A DRILL! To celebrate the launch of THE COLOUR OF REVENGE, a magical return to Inkworld after 20 YEARS, Cornelia Funke will be heading to the UK for a series of exclusive events. See more details below:

EDINBURGH, Friday 4th October

TOPPINGS & COMPANY EDINBURGH welcome Cornelia in an EXCLUSIVE Scottish event.

Book tickets HERE

CHELTENHAM, Saturday 5th October

CHELTENHAM LITERARY FESTIVAL are hosting an 'In Conversation' event between Cornelia Funke and Fun Kid's Radio's, Bex Lindsay. There will be a signing event taking place after the event.

Book tickets HERE

BATH, Sunday 6th October

BATH CHILDREN’S LITERATURE FESTIVAL are hosting an 'In Conversation' afternoon event with Cornelia in Waterstones, Bath.

Book tickets HERE

Grab your tickets today whilst stocks last. You can also pre-order THE COLOUR OF REVENGE here.

About The Times/Chicken House 2024 Shortlist is Here!

Well, that was tough! The longlist this year was super strong – so strong, in fact, that we couldn’t bear to whittle it down to only five titles.

This year we have an even split between YA and MG. From twins separated at birth to football in space, there’s mystery and history, the quirky and the heartfelt.

1. A Celestial Family – Meena Mistry
2. Chance and the Seventh Son – Anna Hattersley
3. The Corner Shop on Apocalypse Street – Tommy Finlayson
4. Earth Elite – Alan Joyce
5. The Wandering – Melissa Catena
6. You Have Selected Power Drive – Lucas Maxwell

Huge congratulations to our shortlisted authors. To anyone who was longlisted but didn’t reach the shortlist, never fear: we’ll be providing you with a handy reader’s report with some feedback from our team. Now, it’s over to our fantastic panel of judges to decide on the winners. We’ll be announcing the result at the end of November as well as opening next year’s competition. Watch this space!

About Meet the Judges for the Times/Chicken House Children's Fiction Competition 2024!

It's time to reveal our all-star lineup of judges for the 2024 competition ...

We are so excited to showcase the amazing panel for this year's competition. Manuscript reading is underway, and the submissions portal is still open, so if you want to be in with a chance of having these incredible industry professionals read your story, make sure to head over to the submissions page. But first, read on to see who those incredible industry professionals are ...

BARRY CUNNINGHAM, PUBLISHER AND MD, CHICKEN HOUSE

Barry Cunningham has had an impressive career in publishing. After an English degree at Cambridge, he joined Penguin Books in 1977. As Children’s Marketing Director for Puffin, he worked with all the great names in children’s books including Roald Dahl and Spike Milligan, and was responsible for the re-launch of Beatrix Potter. In 1984 he was promoted to the Penguin Board and became responsible for the marketing of all Penguin Books, a position he held until 1988, when he was headhunted by Random House. In 1994 he was approached by Bloomsbury to set up their first children’s book list. Barry left Bloomsbury at the height of its success and, in early 2000, decided to start his own publishing company. The result was Chicken House, a lively and creative company publishing highly original and enjoyable children’s books, with a special emphasis on new fiction. He has been a judge for the competition since it's fruition.

LUCY BANNERMAN, THE TIMES REPORTER AND CHILDREN’S BOOK CRITIC

Lucy Bannerman is an award-winning journalist at The Times, who has been chasing stories for the past 20 years. She has reported from 24 countries around the world, covering everything from the funeral of Nelson Mandela to the Eurovision Song Contest in Azerbaijan.

She is a regular contributor to The Times magazine, Times Radio and the Stories of Our Times podcast. As the newspaper's children's book critic, the best part of her working week is sifting through the hundreds of stories and picture books - from the fantastical and magical to the comical and historical - that arrive in the mail room every week to find the one that will become 'The Times children's book of the week.' It is the only weekly review space dedicated to children's literature in the mainstream press.

She was Young Journalist of the Year 2006 but is older now.

TIM COMPTON, CO-HEAD OF CHILDRENS, LIME PICTURES

Tim Compton is joint Head of Kids & Family (alongside Angelo Abela) at Lime Pictures. Prior to this, he was a script editor and producer at HIT Entertainment and CBBC. For Lime, Tim was the story producer and core writer on the global hit House of Anubis (Nickelodeon) and producer and co-creator of Evermoor, which was the Disney Channel's first direct drama commission from outside the US. Tim produced and wrote for Free Reign, the Emmy award-winning Netflix original and was executive producer on the Emmy-nominated limited series Zero Chill, also for Netflix. He is currently executive producer on Wereworld, Lime’s first animated series for Netflix.

LYDIA SILVER, LITERARY AGENT, DARLEY ANDERSON

Lydia Silver is a Senior Literary Agent at Darley Anderson Children’s Agency. Since joining the agency in 2018, Lydia has built a wide-ranging list of dynamic and diverse writing and illustrating talent. Among other accolades, her authors have been picked as Blackwell’s Book of the Month, been shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize and the Jhalak Prize, and won the Diverse Book Award. She was chosen as a Bookseller Rising Star in 2022.

TESSA GIRVAN, SCOUT, LUCY ABRAHAMS

Tessa is a literary scout for Children's and YA books, working with Lucy Abrahams Literary Scouting. Tessa studied Modern and Medieval Languages at Cambridge before taking up a work experience placement with a literary scout. She went on to work as a literary agent for translation, selling international rights for a wide list of Children's and YA authors. Since then, Tessa has written, edited and translated books for children, as well as moderating the Faber Academy Writing a Novel course. Tessa writes fiction for both adults and young adults, and she currently works with the Professional Writing Academy, providing editorial feedback for new writers.

JOEL ROCHESTER, CONTENT CREATOR

Joel Rochester is your friendly neighbourhood cozy curator with a taste for the magical and macabre. Both an award-winning content creator, and an academic possessing a BA in Creative Writing and English Literature from Winchester. Between playing video games, browsing the nearest bookstore, and writing new stories, they possess an eagerness to embark on new adventures to undiscovered worlds.

FRANK COTTRELL-BOYCE, CHILDREN’S NOVELIST

Frank Cottrell-Boyce is a children's novelist who won the Carnegie Medal for his first book - Millions - in 2004 and the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize for The Unforgotten Coat in 2013. Millions was made into a film by Danny Boyle, for whom Frank went on to work as the writer on the London Olympics Opening Ceremony, 2012. His other books include Framed (filmed by the BBC), Cosmic, The Astounding Broccoli Boy and Runaway Robot. He also wrote the three official sequels to Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. His films include 24 Hour Party People, God on Trial and Hilary and Jackie. His short work, The Great Rocket Robbery, was published for World Book Day in 2019. His latest novel, The Wonder Brothers, was published by Macmillan in July 2023.

About LEAP YEAR OPEN COOP!

Do you wish you had a professional editor on board to help you develop your children’s novel or idea? Well, this opportunity might just be for you!

We’re delighted to announce a 24-hour open submissions period here at Chicken House, for finished or unfinished debut novels for children aged 7 up to (and including) YA, for the chance to gain mentorship from a member of our editorial team.

Writers selected during past Open Coops include Alison Weatherby (The Secrets Act) and Sabine Adeyinka (Jummy at the River School), both of whom went on to sign publishing contracts with Chicken House!

What we are offering

Our editorial team (consisting of Rachel Leyshon, Barry Cunningham and Shalu Vallepur) will pick their favourite submissions to receive feedback and mentoring. We’d love to help you develop your idea or draft into a fully-fledged children’s novel with expert editorial input.

How to submit

In order to submit, please create a single Word document including the following material and email it to opencoop@chickenhousebooks.com between 12:01am and 11:59pm (UK time) on 29 February 2024.

A cover letter of no more than a page, single spaced, including a short pitch for your story, a little about yourself, and how far along you are with writing the novel.

A synopsis of not more than a page, single spaced, describing the story you’re writing from beginning to end (no cliff-hangers!). If you haven’t decided on the full synopsis yet, that’s OK – you can detail as much of the story as you have planned.

Either the first 1,500 words or the first three chapters of your novel (whichever is longest).

Please ensure the title of your email follows this format: OPEN COOP: [Your name] [Your title]

Entry is FREE!

Please note that due to the volume of submissions we receive, we are unable to respond to entrants individually either to confirm receipt or if you have been unsuccessful. We will only be in touch if we are interested in moving forward with your submission.

What to submit

Although we encourage submissions of children’s and YA novels of all themes and subjects, here are a few ‘wish list’ items from two of our editors …

Rachel would love to see something from underrepresented groups, new perspectives, and animal stories for any age.

Shalu is interested in fantasy stories, Middle Grade or YA, that offer a fresh perspective. Own voice stories centred around culture and identity (especially food!) are always encouraged!

We can’t wait to hear about what you’re working on!

FAQs

Will I receive a confirmation email once I’ve submitted?

No – unfortunately we don’t have the ability to confirm receipt of your entry.

Can I send more than one novel/pitch?

No – Open Coop is limited to one submission per person.

Will you let me know if I’m not successful?

We will be in touch with those we’d like to take forward within 3 months of entry. Sadly if you haven’t heard from us by then, you have been unsuccessful on this occasion – but please try again next time!

Do I have to have written the full manuscript already?

No – if you have then that’s great, but at this point we’re just looking for a great idea and a sample of your writing.

What’s the difference between the Times/Chicken House Children’s Fiction Competition and Open Coop – and can I enter Open Coop if I’ve already submitted to the Competition?

The Times/Chicken House Competition (which is currently open for unagented submissions) is for a full manuscript, there is an entry fee and the prize is a publishing contract. Open Coop is a much more casual affair, and not a competition – it’s for manuscripts at all stages of development, it’s free, and we’ll be looking at submission samples and offering mentorship rather than a formal prize. It’s fine for you to submit to Open Coop as well as the Times/Chicken House – even if it’s with the same book – particularly as they are assessed by two different teams of readers.

I’m under 18 – am I able to submit?

Unfortunately not – for legal reasons you must be over 18.

I don’t live in the UK. Am I eligible to submit?

Yes. We welcome all entries.

Can I submit my short story/poetry/graphic novel/picture book/non-fiction work?

No. Chicken House publishes children’s/YA fiction for ages 7+.

I have a literary agent? Can I submit?

No. Agented authors are not eligible to enter – after all, we accept ordinary submissions via all established literary agencies.

I have previously had published a short story/poem/picture book/non-fiction/academic title. Can I still enter?
Yes, you are eligible as long as you haven’t had a full-length children’s novel commercially published, anywhere in the world.

About The 2024 Times/Chicken House Children's Fiction Competition is now open!

Having just announced the 2023 winners, we’re so excited to share that the submissions portal for the Times/Chicken House Children's Fiction Competition 2024 is OPEN!

We can't believe it's that time of year again – we're so excited to see all of the bright ideas that have flourished over the last year. Here's the low-down on the two prizes up for grabs this year …

The Times/Chicken House Prize

The prize you already know and love – a worldwide publishing contract with Chicken House with a £10,000 advance (subject to contract) for a complete fiction manuscript of any genre for children aged 7 up to YA. The winning entry will be the novel that, in the opinion of the judges, demonstrates the greatest entertainment value, quality, originality and suitability for children. The winner will also be offered representation by Lydia Silver of Darley Anderson Children’s Book Agency.

The Lime Pictures New Storyteller Award

We are bringing back the Lime Pictures New Storyteller Award, a bespoke prize sponsored by leading TV production company Lime Pictures, awarded to the submission which shows the greatest TV development potential and chosen by Chicken House Publisher Barry Cunningham and Lime Pictures’ Tim Compton. The winner will receive a £7,500 publishing contract plus an offer of representation.

The good news is, you don’t need to do anything extra to be considered for the Lime Pictures New Storyteller Award; simply enter the competition as normal and our expert team of readers will do the rest. Simple!

The competition is open RIGHT NOW and the deadline is 1st June 2024 at 11.59pm GMT. So absolutely NO EXCUSES - grab that manuscript, or a completely fresh slate, and get writing – we can't wait to read all of the brilliant stories that are just waiting to be read.

For more details on the competition, both prizes, and instructions on how to enter, please visit our submissions page. Good luck, writers!

About And the winners of the 2023 Times/Chicken House Children's Fiction Competition are …

Yesterday was a very exciting day for the Chickens – not only did we host our Big Breakfast event (in which we introduced our industry pals to our 2024 authors) but we also hosted the Times/Chicken House Competition judging panel … AND announced the winners!

The judges meeting resulted in some fantastic, thoughtful feedback from our panel, which consisted of chairman and publisher Barry Cunningham, The Times reporter and children’s book critic Lucy Bannerman, Co-Head of Lime Picture’s Kids and Family Tim Compton, agent Davinia Andrew-Lynch, author Frances Hardinge, scout and festival organiser Jane Churchill, Bounce sales rep CJ Gajjar, and Waterstones Children’s Team campaigner Lucy Jakes. A huge thank you to each one of our judges for their time and attention on our seven shortlisted manuscripts – you are all stars!

Well, the time has come …

DRUMROLL PLEASE!

The winner of the Times/Chicken House Competition 2023 is …

Marisa Linton with THE POUKA KING

And the winner of the Lime Picture’s prize is …

Asli Jensen with LOVE ON SIGHT

Many congratulations to you both – we can’t wait to start working with you on your stories!

Congratulations, too, to the rest of our shortlist for reaching the final seven – any two of you were capable of winning and debate among the judges was very healthy! We’ll be providing all of you with detailed feedback based on the panel’s thoughts.

Watch this space for details of the 2024 competition, which we’re planning to open in December.

About OMG! Create a window spectacular with Chicken House and Maz Evans

This autumn, we’re offering you the chance to get involved in an epic adventure with Maz Evans! We're celebrating the release of Oh Maya Gods!, the first instalment in Maz Evans' Who Let The Gods Out? spin-off series, by asking booksellers to put their best foot – and window displays – forward! 

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