Text Prize 2024 shortlist announced

The shortlist for the 2024 Text Prize for Young Adult and Children’s Writing, worth $10,000, has been announced.

Shortlisted manuscripts are:

• ‘The Feathers of Farwood’ by Jayne McIntyre (middle grade), about a young girl seeking a cure for a mysterious curse placed on her father that has turned him into an owl
• ‘I Don’t Want to Be Your Friend’ by Olivia Muscat (middle grade), about two vision impaired girls who forge a friendship over an activity-packed school year
• ‘A Gift from the Birds’ by Caroline Stills (middle grade), about a young girl who discovers the healing power of some backyard crows following the death of her mother from cancer
• ‘Love on the Zigzag’ by Alison Whipp (YA), about Cam and Sticks, a brother and sister duo who must forge their own paths in the face of complicated family dynamics
• ‘Happy Medium’ by Jessica Wu (YA), about a 16-year-old girl who dreams of being a stand-up comic but struggles to raise her hand in class.

The winner will be announced mid-June.

Last year’s Text Prize winner was Lauren Crozier for her middle-grade novel The Best Witch in Paris, which is set to be published in September.

More information about this year’s shortlist is available on the Text website.

Category: Awards Local news