Hear from Branford Boase Award 2024 winners

Set up in memory of award-winning author Henrietta Branford and her editor Wendy Boase, one of the founders of Walker Books, the Branford Boase Award is given annually to the author of the year’s outstanding debut novel for children. The Branford Boase Award is the only award to honour the editor of the winning book, highlighting the importance of the editor in nurturing new talent.

Author Nathanael Lessore won the 2024 Branford Boase Award for Steady For This sharing the win with his editors, Ella Whiddett and Ruth Bennett, of Hot Key Books.

Editors Ella Whiddett and Ruth Bennett

Steady For This was first pitched to us at a very busy London Book Fair – and it stood out so much that when it dropped into our inboxes later that week we immediately began reading. From the first few pages, we could tell it was special – a stand-out and authentic voice, hilariously funny, and so relatable and warm.

One of the most special moments in the editorial process came early on – when we first met Nate to discuss our thoughts, and to hear more from him about what he wanted the book to do and say. Our job is to start a conversation with the author, to pose questions and help them riff on the answers, and explore new pathways and routes to telling the story the way they want to. That first editorial meeting is always an exciting moment as an editor – realising you’re on the same page as the author, it feels electric as ideas are exchanged and visions refined through collaboration. 

Being an editor is also about acknowledging what works already, and how we can elevate it even further. Nate knew his characters best and Growls’ voice was not something we felt needed to be touched – it was spot on. But we did have questions about his growth across the book: how could we show that he ends the story somewhere emotionally and mentally different to where he began but he’s still fundamentally the same person? What lessons does he learn from beginning to end? And what is it that makes him realise this? Nate ran with these questions and it really opened up the story and Growls’ achievements, while staying true to the character he’d originally created.

Another thing we discussed early on, and which is a key part of an editor’s role, is figuring out who a book is for. It had come into us as upper MG, but we’d been having lots of discussions about the ‘teen’ space, which we raised with Nate. We all agreed it was a really under-served readership, and that Growls’ voice and story might appeal perfectly to those oft-forgotten 11-14 year old readers, especially boys. So we encouraged Nate to tease out some of the more challenging topics, like mental health, racism, classism and ableism, to acknowledge that these slightly older readers are grappling with these issues in their lives. He did this with such lightness of touch that, again, he was able to maintain the tone of the book that already worked so well.

Once these larger aspects were addressed, we then turned to line editing. On a sentence level, Nate’s wordplay was like nothing we’d ever encountered before! It was clever and creative, but we wanted to ensure we were striking the right balance. In a story as funny as Steady For This, it’s easy to drop in lots of jokes for the sake of a laugh, but we didn’t want them to lose impact or distract from the narrative. So we challenged Nate to weed out those we could do without, or to push a certain metaphor further or try a different joke, and he’d come back with five, six, seven alternatives, all equally brilliant and hilarious. The end result was that every joke is a mic drop moment!

It was such a joyful book to work on together, and it’s been a treat to see Nate continue to hone his skills in his next books – embracing new (and wildly different!) character voices, and putting them in different scenarios, while also preserving that unique warmth and humour that’s won him so many fans.

Author Nathanael Lessore

For me, the magic of the editing process came from the complete trust I had in Ella and Ruth early on. They spoke about Steady For This with a remarkable depth of knowledge on the world, characters, and even my intentions as a writer. Several times in that first meeting, I felt elated. These random people knew Growls as well as I did, and even supported him in a way that I didn’t.

Growls was a lot more unlikable in the early stages, but my editors saw a sweetness, a kind nature that they pulled to the forefront of the manuscript through the editing process. I will always be grateful for that, for the way they turned Growls from an anti-hero into a lovable champion. 

They did the same with Growls’ mum, who was originally much more villainous in early drafts. The redemption of their relationship, and acknowledgement that she’s just a mother, trying her best under difficult circumstances, was one of Growls’ biggest wins. The rekindling of that relationship with his mum gave Growls a foundation and stability to propel him into the third act. 

I’m trying not to repeat what Ruth and Ella have already said about the editing process, but I can confirm it’s all true. They are geniuses in their craft.  

What they haven’t touched on, and what was very important to me, was the personal rapport we had. On the little walk from the tube station to their offices, for our first meeting, the one concern I had with my agent was, “are they nice?”. And not in a superficially polite way, or in a “this is strictly business, just get on with it” type of way. I needed to know that my editors were kind people. I was a complete newbie in this world (still am, probably always will be in a way) and I was nervous about possibly being a means to an end, a simple tool to be used. 

When I walked in and sat down, the welcoming smiles were so warm and genuine, the creative vibe born from empathy and curiosity, and the attempts to put me at ease with plates of biscuits that nobody ever eats, it all meant the world to me.

I’m not gonna pretend we’re besties who play doubles badminton tournaments on the weekend, and there is no three-seater tandem bike or shared milkshakes with three straws, but I do sleep very soundly at night knowing that I’m working with/for good people. The comfort of that is indescribable. And I can’t prove it, but I definitely think it has a positive impact on our working relationship. I have a respect for them that goes deeper than any admiration for their infinite professional talent. 

As for the personal, I saw Ruth listen patiently as my mum went on and on about her catering business, her day, her week, her month, and even her year. I appreciated that. And I’m sure my mum did too. And Ella is ALWAYS a safe space, an oasis in the world of publishing, and even though she didn’t show me pictures of her fima; chosen wedding dress, I’m warmed by the multiversal overlaps that sometimes take place. 

I’ve said many times that any emotional impact or issue driven relatability can be attributed to my editors. I went in hard with the jokes, and they balanced it out with emotional beats (although they also had lots of comedic impact). The perfect ying and yang.