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27 February 2026
The event took place on Tuesday 24th February at Nottingham Girls’ and was attended by year 7 and 8 students from 12 local secondary schools. The day showcased the six shortlisted books in contention for this year’s Brilliant Book Award.
Five of the six shortlisted authors attended the event, giving students the opportunity to hear directly from the writers as they presented their books. The authors took part in interactive Q&A sessions and book signings, offering a rare chance for students to engage with the creative minds behind the stories they have been reading.
The six shortlisted authors are:
Mark Illis, author of ‘Running Away For Beginners’
Dan Smith, author of ‘The Deadsoul Project – The Night House Files’
Nathaneal Lessore, author of ‘King of Nothing’
Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick, author of ‘Sisters of The Moon’
Alastair Chisholm, author of ‘I Am Wolf’
Liz Kessler, author of ‘Code Name Kingfisher’
The day included quizzes and goody bags alongside a pop-up bookshop supplied by local book shop, ‘The Bookcase’ in Lowdham, allowing children to purchase the shortlisted titles and discover new reads.
The Brilliant Book Award is managed by Inspire Education Library Service and runs from November 2025 to March 2026. The initiative, open to Key Stage 3 students in schools across Nottinghamshire, Nottingham City and Derbyshire, invited schools to submit suggested titles for the longlist, until June last year. The shortlisted titles were announced in November, so that students at participating schools could then read each book before voting for their favourite. The overall winner of the Brilliant Book Award will be announced on Monday 23 March 2026.
Service Manager for the Education Library Service (ELS), Shamara Saddler, said of the event: “The Brilliant Book Awards are all about celebrating reading for pleasure and giving young people a real voice in the books they read. Events like this bring stories to life, allowing students to connect directly with authors and with each other, and we’re delighted to be working with Nottingham Girls’ High School once again to deliver such an inspiring day for young readers across the region.”
Nottingham Girls’ High School Librarian, Rachel Whitty, added: “We’re incredibly proud to have hosted the Brilliant Book Awards for a second year and to welcome students and authors into our school. We are incredibly fortunate to have a dedicated library space in both our Junior and Senior schools, especially at a time when schools up and down the country are having to fight to protect these precious resources. A well-supported library and a qualified librarian do so much more than lend books. We help students explore ideas, build confidence and provide a calm haven that supports wellbeing as well as learning.”
NGHS was delighted to welcome fellow book lovers for a day that celebrated reading, storytelling and the joy of books, while inspiring the next generation of enthusiastic readers.
Photo captions
From left to right: Authors Mark Illis, Dan Smith, Alastair Chisholm, Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick and Nathaneal Lessore.
From left to right: Nottingham Girls’ High School Librarian, Rachel Whitty, interviews authors Nathaneal Lessore and Alastair Chisholm.
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