In the UK, Lex Croucher won the 2024 YA Book Prize for Gwen and Art are not in love (Bloomsbury YA), reports the Bookseller.
Described as a “masterclass in teen romantic comedy,” the novel is set several centuries after the time of King Arthur and follows the title characters Gwen and Arthur (Art), who have been engaged since birth but do not get along. When Gwen sees Art kissing a boy and Art discovers Gwen’s writings about the kingdom’s only female knight, they become reluctant allies and pretend to fall in love to appease their families.
In an interview with the BooksellerCroucher said they wanted the novel to be “absolutely over-the-top, witty and escapist, full of things like flirty sword fights and terrible puns,” explaining they wrote the book for their teenage selves. “If I’d had books like those on this year’s (YA Book Prize) shortlist, it would have changed everything for me,” Croucher said.
Gwen and Art are not in love was previously shortlisted in the Children’s Literature category at the 2023 Nero Book Awards and won the Books Are My Bag Readers’ Award for Young Adult Literature 2023. It is Croucher’s young adult book debut, following romantic comedies for adults, including Call And Notorious. Croucher’s second young adult novel, Not for the faint of heartis a queer romantic comedy featuring Mariel, the granddaughter of Robin Hood, and Clem, a healer who is kidnapped by the Merry Men.
The YA Book Prize was awarded by a panel of judges including author, screenwriter and former YA Book Prize winner Alice Oseman, CEO and co-founder of book subscription service FairyLoot Anissa de Gomery, content creator Gavin Hetherington, and teenagers from schools in London and Edinburgh.
Croucher was awarded the £2,000 (AUD3,890) prize at the Edinburgh International Book Festival on August 22.
The winner of the 2023 YA Book Prize was Danielle Jawando for When our worlds collided (Simon & Schuster children’s book).
Category: International News
