We are thrilled to announce the longlist for our Best Novel Opening for Children or Young Adults 2024 competition. Thank you for your patience while our dedicated reading team have read and re-read your fantastic stories. This year we’ve seen more international entries and the longlist reflects this with authors from the UK, USA, Belgium, Canada and Malta.
The standard was so high that many stories just missed out on being longlisted. If your title is not on this list please keep writing and sending your work out into the world.
Best Novel Opening for Children or Young Adults 2024 Longlist
A Witch’s Compendium of Demons and Rabbits
Bittersweet Rebel Girl
Celery’s Giant
Dancing on Fire
Dangerous Things
Dojo Dogs
Don’t. Touch. Dead. Bodies.
Frankie Mortimer and the Circus of Ghosts
Monster Hunter (by IS)*
Sleeping Fury
Tatiana and the Babushkas of Petersgrad
That Time I Accidentally Took Over the World
The Boy at the Wynyates
The Fallen Phoenix Girls
The Strom
The Timekeepers
To the Bottom of the World
Under the Cotton Candy Clouds
Violeta’s Adventures in Doll-land
Where Nightmares Reign
Note – There were two entries with the title Monster Hunter. We have included the author’s initials for the selected story.
Our highly respected literary agent judge will now read the longlisted entries and decide the top 10 stories, including an overall winner. Results will be published on 7th February, 2025.
If you’re one of our longlistees feel free to shout from the rooftops, but please don’t identify the title of your story on social media while judging is still taking place.
Thank you all for sharing your marvellous stories with us. Best of luck to everyone!