Kate Thompson has won the Guardian Children's Fiction prize for The New Policeman. The New Policeman, according to Julia Eccleshare writing for the Guardian, "makes the impossible credible in a seductive story about 15-year-old JJ, who visits the land of eternal youth, in search of Time - the perfect birthday present for his mother, whose constant lament is the shortage of it in her life."
Thompson has been very influenced by Irish fairytales and says of her writing, "I'm trying to provide a psychological map, but I don't want to preach. If there's a common thread to my books it is that each involves an individual's journey. The individual must stay true to themselves. It's what the fairies do and that's why the fairy stories are so important."
Congratulations to Thompson. She sounds like a fascinating person and I can't wait to read this book.
