Branford Boase judge Sajeda Amir on choosing the 2023 shortlist

The Branford Boase Award highlights debut authors, and often discovers the 'big names' at the start of their writing careers. We wanted to find out more about how this year's shortlist was chosen.

Branford Boase judge Sajeda Amir is an English teacher and KS3 coordinator at Levenshulme High School for girls in Manchester. Sajeda has taught in inner city Manchester schools for over a decade. She is a big proponent of developing students’ wider cultural capital and has worked with many diverse authors, bringing their voices in to schools for students to experience. 

Here, Sajeda tells ReadingZone about the selection process and why the judges chose these books to be shortlisted for the Branford Boase Award 2023.

Left to right: Judges Darren Matthews, Maisie Chan, Sajeda Amir and Joanne Owen with the shortlisted books

When I was asked to be a judge for the Branford Boase Award, I couldn't quite believe it. The BBA is such a prestigious award that celebrates outstanding new writers for children and their wonderful editors too and I was so excited to get stuck into longlist.
Whilst reading the fantastic longlist, I wondered just how we judges would pick a shortlist, such was the quality of the books. Our young people are extraordinarily lucky that they have such an array of wonderful literature to choose from - each of the novels is deserving of the accolades that it receives.
Whilst whittling down the books was quite a demanding task, we are thrilled to introduce the shortlist below:

The Bones of Me by Kel Duckhouse, edited by Harriet Birkinshaw (Flying Eye Books) YA
Set in the East End of London, our main character dreams of becoming a boxer like her brother Denny. Her brother is her hero and her trainer and when he is accused of a crime that she believes he didn't commit, she sets out on proving his innocence. Written in both prose and poetry, this hybrid verse novels explores the themes of identity and growing up and is a powerful coming of age story. This is a brave story and we're really excited about what the author is going to do next.

The Eternal Return of Clara Hart by Louise Finch, edited by Siobhàn Parkinson (Little Island Books) YA
In this time loop novel, Spence relives the same day repeatedly whilst trying to prevent the death of his classmate, Clara Hart, which occurs when they both attend the same party. The reader is left asking whether Spence will be able to prevent the terrible events that occur during this party. What the judges were absolutely blown away by was the skill that the writer employs whilst Spence relives the same day and yet each iteration has subtle change that alters the course of what happens. The book is extremely relevant to our young people today and no doubt will spark much interest.

Seed by Caryl Lewis, edited by Sarah Hughes, illustrated by George Ermos (Macmillan Children's Books) 7+
This book of wonder tells the story of Marty and his complicated life. His mother suffers with depression, and he finds himself spending his time at the allotment with his slightly eccentric grandfather who gifts him a seed on his birthday. This magical seed grows and grows and whilst that grows so does the novel's ability to cast a spell on the reader. The premise of the story, igniting hope, does just that. It's lovely and wondrous and hugely accomplished.

Rebel Skies by Ann Sei Linn, edited by Gráinne Clear (Walker Books) 12+
This magical debut brings to life our vivacious and fearless main character, Kurara. In this world of terrifying paper origami creatures and burning sky cities Kurara, a crafter, can manipulate paper with her mind, creating creatures that can walk and fly as though they're alive. Taken under the wing of expert crafter, Himura, she sets out to save her best friend Haru. A beautifully crafted story of secrets, best friends, and the fight between good and evil. The world building that the author has created is slick and filmic and will enthral readers.

The Cats We Meet Along the Way by Nadia Mikail, edited by Bella Pearson (Guppy Books) YA
This pre-apocalyptic novel takes the reader on a journey across beautiful Malaysia where our main character, Aisha, is in search of her sister, Jude. Along with her mother, her boyfriend and her boyfriend's parents, Aisha undertakes this journey which along the way teases out the themes of connection, love, and the fragility of the world around us. The author is skilled at balancing out Aisha's frustration and anger at the injustice of the situation with genuine hope for what the future could hold, even in light of such a cataclysmic event looming.

Ellie Pillai is Brown by Christine Pillainayagam, edited by Leah Thaxton (Faber) 13+
The eponymous Ellie is a quirky teenager who is in search of her identity and trying to find her place in the world. In this genuinely heart-warming coming of age novel, Ellie (with her brilliant taste in music!) comes face to face with the pressures of being a daughter of immigrants and living up to what she believes are their expectations, along with suffering from the pangs of first love and best friend issues. The story is cleverly plotted and written with warmth and sensitivity and is completely authentic. Alongside the novel, comes a gorgeous soundtrack sung by the multi-talented author and is a genuine delight to listen to! It's currently my number one Spotify playlist!

The Haunting of Tyrese Walker by J P Rose, edited by Chloe Sackur (Andersen Press) 12+
Tyrese, our main character, goes to visit Jamaica in this novel, whilst struggling with the death of his father. Psychological realism and horror are seamlessly entwined and developed excellently throughout the book with a mix of Jamaican folklore embedded in to explore Tyrese's grief. It's challenging to picture this being done in any other environment and will leave the reader questioning whether Tyrese is losing his grip on reality or whether he is genuinely being haunted. The judges were absolutely riveted with the book and are excited about what the author will write next.

The Map of Leaves by Yarrow Townsend, edited by Rachel Leyshon (Chicken House) 10+
Orla is a great developed character who can talk to and hear plants around her. It's a gift that her mother passed on to her and one that she treasures. The classic whodunnit gets a new ecological façade that is both timely and relevant. The characterisation of Orla is brave: she can be rude and coarse yet at the same time is determined and brave. Whilst on the frantic hunt for a cure for a new sickness that's infecting both plants and animals, Orla learns the art of friendship along the way. As judges, we're really looking forward to seeing what new and unusual novels the author will bring our way again.

Now to decide which of these outstanding novels for young people will be the winner … The winner of the 2023 Branford Boase Award will be announced on Thursday 13 July.