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.

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About An interview with: Lindsay Galvin

There's less than one week to go until Call of the Titanic hits the shelves ...

And to celebrate, best-selling author Lindsay Galvin shares what inspired her to write about the Titanic, and gives her best advice for aspiring middle-grade writers! Check out our interview below ...

What inspired you to write a story about the Titanic?

Back in 2016 I visited Belfast and the Titanic Experience, an epic museum, built in the size and shape of Titanic. I was fascinated, especially when I head the distress messages the ship sent by morse code, but knew I wouldn’t attempt to write about the infamous disaster unless I could come up with a really fresh storyline. Years later I found a 1912 article about a Newfoundland dog Rigel who was reported to have been on the Titanic but probably wasn’t, and I thought that was a great angle. But it wasn’t until I researched the Carpathia — the ship that raced through the icy night to rescue the Titanic survivors — that I knew I had something original enough. When I discovered the Carpathia’s Captain had made sightings of mythical sea serpents, I had all the elements to write Call of the Titanic!

How has writing this book felt different than writing your others, if at all?

Writing this book was a more intense experience than my others. The sheer amount of information, fiction and film about Titanic, made it feel quite daunting to research. I knew I wanted to make the scenes about the Titanic sinking to be as factual as possible so I based it on multiple survivors testimonies and they were so moving and sad to read! It also has a tight timeline, with much of the action taking place over 24 hours. I followed this to the letter as I've used the actual distress messages sent out by the telegraph operators on board. But right at the end of the process I had to rejig the timeline as I discovered 'Titanic Time’ was different from ’New York time’ and my sources used both! That took a bit of wrangling, to make sure it was as authentic as it could be, but I got there in the end with a bit of a hand from my publishing team.

What character would you say you relate to the most?

It would have to be Clara, mainly because I love my dog as much as she loves hers! She’s quite flawed, a bit spoilt, but really brave and forthright. She was delicious fun to write, and hopefully to read — which is important, as she is on the Carpathia, and the mischief she gets up to with Rigel the dog plus her involvement in the rescue mission is the uplifting side needed to hopefully balance out the darkness of the disaster.

What advice do you have for budding middle-grade historical fiction writers?

Choose something to write about that you are fascinated by, your enthusiasm will filter to your readers. Two main things to avoid are confusion and boredom so simplify, be clear and make sure every scene moves the story forward or develops character — ideally both.

But most importantly, don’t listen to any advice that makes you want to write less, only to that which inspires you... there’s absolutely no right or wrong way to write any book!

Please sum up Call of the Titanic in three words.

Only three? Disaster, Survival, Friendship.

To learn more about Lindsay Galvin, click here.

To buy Call to the Titanic, click here. 

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