Booktrust is pleased to announce the 2010 panel of judges for the Booktrust Teenage Prize. The prize, which celebrates the best contemporary writing for young adults, is in its eighth year.

This year’s judging panel will be chaired by popular children’s and young adult author Tony Bradman and includes:

 Journalist and author Barbara Ellen
 Author and reviewer Mary Hoffman
 Chartered Librarian Barbara Band
 2009 Booktrust Teenage Prize young judge Claudia Freemantle.

Tony Bradman comments:
‘I was delighted when Booktrust asked me to be Chair of Judges for the Booktrust Teenage Prize 2010. It’s a fascinating area of children’s books, not least because it’s usually assumed that getting teenagers to engage with books is a tough call. But from what I’ve seen I think that writers and publishers are definitely rising to the challenge! We have a formidably strong team of judges (of all ages!), and I’m looking forward to reading lots of great books and having some interesting discussions.’

The judges will be joined in selecting a winner from their chosen shortlist by four other young judges.These judges will secure their place on the panel by being selected as the winners of a short story competition. This year’s short story competition theme, which was inspired by last year’s winning novel The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, is invisibility.
The competition which is open to 11-16-year-olds in England, will launch on the 9 June when entry packs and information will be sent out to secondary schools across the country with the 2010-2011 Booked Up registration forms.