Cheshire Prize for Literature Awards Evening

The Cheshire Prize for Literature showcases the literary talents of writers with a connection to the Cheshire area. Now in its 22nd year, the awards evening will announce the winners in the primary, secondary and adult categories for poetry, short stories, children’s literature and scriptwriting. This year we are delighted to welcome guest speaker Ele Fountain.

Ele Fountain worked as an editor in children’s publishing where she was responsible for launching and nurturing the careers of many prize-winning and bestselling authors, and was shortlisted for the British Council’s Young Creative Entrepreneur Award.

She lived in Addis Ababa for several years, where she wrote her debut novel, BOY 87, which went on to win four awards and was nominated for ten more, including the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize and Carnegie Medal. Her second novel, LOST, was a Guardian Children’s Book of the Year. FAKE has been selected as a BookTrust Future Classic. WILD was a Financial Times Best Book of the Year. Her latest novel, STORM CHILD, was a Times Book of the Week. Her books have sold to 13 countries worldwide and received over 30 award nominations between them.

She has talked about books and reading on Woman’s Hour, BBC Radio London, BBC Radio Scotland, BBC World Service, and to anyone who happens to be passing. She speaks regularly at schools and literary festivals, delivering talks and workshops drawing on 20 years’ experience in the publishing industry. Ele currently holds a post as RLF Fellow at University of Reading.