The future is bleak

You need to be very afraid. The future looks bad, but the good news is that there will still be writers to inspire, and scare, us.

Two or three of you might recall there was a short story competition launched during the Manchester LitFest in October last year? Julie Bertagna came and talked about her futuristic writing and the idea was that Manchester’s young hopeful writers would come up with stories featuring their city in the future.

On Friday at the Museum of Science and Industry we saw the results of the competition, and it was impressive. Julie was back to meet the winner, and she and Saci Lloyd and Jane Rogers talked about their own writing, and read excerpts from their books to an audience of participating teenagers from various schools.

Julie felt the day was prophetic, with all the rain and floods everywhere. Her Exodus trilogy is all about flooding, and here we were, practically washing away. She had even travelled to Manchester a day early to make sure she’d arrive in time, while leaving behind a flooded kitchen at home. But we are the children of survivors (or we wouldn’t be here at all), so it’s good. She even managed to fit in Higgs Boson into her talk.

Jane Rogers had a scary story about humanity being wiped out, and I believe it’s set in Tameside, so is uncomfortably close to home. Saci Lloyd likes laughter, and feels her books are ‘quite nice stories.’

After the readings, there was a short panel discussion on science fiction. Julie feels that outdated science is all right (cf Mary Shelley), and knows of scientists who have been inspired in their work by fiction. Saci is worried that the young today have lost too much, and have little to look forward to.

It has to take time to write books. Jane said she needs four years for a book, and her last one took five. Turning off the internet is useful. Saci is simply very jealous of Suzanne Collins and the Hunger Games.

Then it was time for the 31 shortlisted teenagers to have their names read out, and the two runners-up were given signed copies of Julie’s and Saci’s and Jane’s books. There is an anthology printed, containing all 31 stories from the shortlist.

The overall winner was Josh Degenhardt, with When the Rain Falls They Talk of Manchester, which is a story about a very dry Manchester. Julie read it to us, and if there are more teen writers like Josh we needn’t worry about the future of fiction. His story was exceptionally good, albeit scary and frightening. And I always knew the Hilton building would fall down one day.

2011 Guardian longlist

Well, I was all prepared for it to happen a week ago, and then it didn’t. That’s the problem with a lack of information. Yes, yes, I know I’m a witch. Ought to be able to work it out with no help. But help is a sociable thing. OK, I’m not a very sociable creature, either.

‘That’s a short longlist‘ said Daughter. And it is, but the Guardian seems to prefer it that way, and at least it’s easier to get a proper view of it with only eight titles on the longlist. As far as I’m concerned it’s also an abysmally unknown longlist. But this time I’ve worked out why.

So, to the list: David Almond, My Name is Mina; Lissa Evans, Small Change for Stuart; Frances Hardinge, Twilight Robbery; Saci Lloyd, Momentum; Simon Mason, Moon Pie; Andy Mulligan, Return to Ribblestrop; Annabel Pitcher, My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece; Andy Stanton, Mr Gum and the Secret Hideout.

I have read Moon Pie and listened to My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece. Both books have been heavily publicised not only in my direction, but I’m sure at most people with an interest in children’s books.

I obviously know David Almond, and have almost been tempted to read about Mina. David is a marvellous writer, but the last of his books that I read made me so depressed that I decided not to risk it again. I just don’t know. I’ve had a Frances Hardinge book around, but it was one of those I ran out of time with.

After reading the first Mr Gum I have not followed his subsequent career. Could be I’m not a little boy any longer. I have never heard of Lissa Evans or Saci Lloyd. As for Andy Mulligan, I loved the first Ribblestrop, and have been on the verge to try and get hold of this second book, just to immerse myself in more warm insanity and adventure.

Just as I have asked countless times to be included on the Guardian’s press information email list (and you know, this time I thought I actually was), it seems I’m still not. Which limits me to guesswork on the when, and leaves me to read the information in the paper along with everyone else.

The same with several of the books. They are published by companies I keep trying to get regular information from, and regularly failing. Most are quite happy to help when asked, but, you know, I have to know, before I can ask.

It’s not the books I’ve got in my piles but haven’t read that are on the list. It’s the ones I’ve not even got near.

You’ll be wanting to know which of the hopefuls will make the shortlist. (I wonder when that is?) It will – most likely – be David Almond, Simon Mason, Annabel Pitcher and, let’s see, Andy Stanton. I wish all of them the best of luck.

Costa children’s shortlist

My excuse is that I was a wee bit busy the day the shortlist for this year’s Costa award was announced, so I let it slip into near oblivion. It didn’t help that the list contains three books that I haven’t read, which means that I have read exactly one book.

So, how can I make an educated guess? I can’t. I loved Michelle Magorian’s Just Henry. It would make a worthy winner. I liked Jenny Valentine’s first book, so Broken Soup is most likely as good as people say it is. Have had the Ostrich Boys on my horizon for some time, without getting any closer to obtaining a copy to put in the TBR pile. And I’m ashamed to admit I’ve never heard of Saci Lloyd and her book The Carbon Diaries.

• Ostrich Boys by Keith Gray (more…)
• The Carbon Diaries by Saci Lloyd (more…)
• Just Henry by Michelle Magorian (more…)
• Broken Soup by Jenny Valentine (more…)

I need help. What do you think? My witchy feelings tend towards Saci Lloyd, but I’m wondering if that’s because she is an unknown, and last year’s winner was a bit of an outsider.