Lonesborough wins IBBY Ena Noël Award 2022

Gary Lonesborough’s debut YA novel The Boy from the Mish (A&U) has won the biennial Ena Noël Award, presented by the Australian branch of the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY).

Chosen from a shortlist announced in February, The Boy from the Mish follows 17-year-old Jackson as he spends a summer navigating the highs and lows of a new romance and trying to figure out his future.

The judging panel for the Ena Noël Award described the queer YA novel as a ‘brilliant and moving debut’ and commented on Lonesborough’s strong and engaging plot development. The judges praised the way he ‘skilfully weaves in issues such as racism, police intimidation, and homophobia but also many joys, the support of elders and family, community, identity, self-belief, friendships and one epic love story’.

Established in 1994, the Ena Noël Award is awarded to a young Australian emerging writer or illustrator under the age of 35 who has had a book published in the two years prior to the award closing date.

Jack Heath won the award in 2020 for his short story collection 500 Minutes of Danger (Scholastic). For more information about IBBY and the Ena Noël Award, see the IBBY website.

Category: Awards Junior Local news