'I'm honoured my book is shortlisted for award'

A Kent writer says she is "overjoyed and honoured" to be shortlisted for a Waterstones children's book prize.

Booksellers and school children vote for the books they believe are "the very best in new children's writing and illustration".

Steph Williamson's fantasy thriller A Language of Dragons, in which dragons are at war with humanity, has been entered into the Books for Older Readers category.

"As a child and aspiring author, I spent hours browsing the shelves at Waterstones, a place that felt safe and full of possibilities, and so I'm overjoyed and honoured that A Language of Dragons has been shortlisted," said the writer, who is from Canterbury and writes under the pen name SF Williamson.

The shortlist consists of 12 books across three categories, with four books competing within each category to be crowned the winner.

Now in its 22nd year, the award has launched the careers of many authors and illustrators, including Katherine Rundell, Kiran Millwood Hargrave and Rob Biddulph.

Bea Carvalho, head of books at Waterstones, said: "For over 21 years, the Waterstones Children's Book Prize has sought to spark and maintain a love of reading in children and teenagers through spotlighting the most exciting emerging writers and illustrators."

The three category winners will then compete for the overall title of Waterstones Children's Book Prize Winner 2026.

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