Waverton Good Read Award

The Waverton Good Read Award was founded in 2003 by villagers in Waverton, Chester, England, and is based on Le Prix de la Cadière d'Azur, a literary prize awarded by a Provençal village. Adult debut novels written by UK residents and published in the previous twelve months are eligible for consideration and are read by villagers. "The aim was not only to stimulate reading in the village but to provide encouragement to British writers". Two of the main founders were Gwen Goodhew (b 21 October 1942) an educational specialist who established Wirral Able Child Centre and has written and edited books on teaching the gifted child, and Wendy Smedley. It is the first British award to be judged by normal readers rather than literary figures.[citation needed]

Waverton Good Read Children's Award was first presented in 2011, for children's literature.

Due to the COVID pandemic, the 2019/20 shortlist and winner were announced on the same day, and there was no Children's award.

Winners and shortlists

Year Winner Shortlisted
2003/4 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, by Mark Haddon
2004/5 Boy A, by Jonathan Trigell
2005/6 A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian, by Marina Lewycka
2006/7 The Killing Jar, by Nicola Monaghan
2007/8 Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, by Paul Torday
2008/9 Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith
  • A Girl Made of Dust, by Natalie Abi-Ezi
  • The Outcast by Sadie Jones
  • Spider by Michael Morley
2009/10 The Ghosts of Eden by Andrew Sharp
  • Girl in a Blue Dress, by Gaynor Arnold
  • The Coroner by M R Hall
  • The Street Philosopher by Matthew Pamplin
  • The Rescue Man by Anthony Quinn
2010/11 Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson
  • Grace Williams Says it Loud by Emma Henderson
  • The Breaking of Eggs by Jim Powell
  • The Return of Captain John Emmett by Elizabeth Speller
  • Luke and Jon by Robert Williams
2011/12 Tiny Sunbirds Far Away by Christie Watson
2012/13 The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce
2013/14 The Universe Versus Alex Woods by Gavin Extence
2014/15 If I Should Die by Matthew Frank
  • A Song for Issy Bradley by Carys Bray
  • Wake by Anna Hope
  • Daughter by Jane Shemilt
  • After Before by Jemma Wayne
2015/16 The Death's Head Chess Club by John Donoghue
  • Letters to the Lost by Iona Grey
  • I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh
  • Burnt Paper Sky by Gilly Macmillan
  • The Improbability of Love by Hannah Rothschild
2016/17 Anatomy of a Soldier by Harry Parker
  • Crisis by Frank Gardner
  • The Words in My Hand by Guinevere Glasfurd
  • Belonging by Umi Sinha
  • The People We Were Before by Annabelle Thorpe
2017/18 Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
2018/19 White Chrysanthemum by Mary Lynn Bracht
  • White Chrysanthemum by Mary Lynn Bracht
  • Call of the Curlew by Elizabeth Brooks
  • Bitter by Francesca Jakobi
  • Killer Intent by Tony Kent
  • The Sealwoman's Gift by Sally Magnusson
2019/20 Island Song by Madeleine Bunting
  • Sunfall by Jim Al-Khalili
  • Nightingale Point by Luan Goldie
  • Pieces of Me by Natalie Hart
  • She Lies in Wait by Gytha Lodge

Waverton Good Read Children's Award

In 2011, the inaugural Waverton Good Read Children's Award was presented.

Winners
  • 2011 Stephanie Burgis, A Most Improper Magick
  • 2012 Caroline Green, Dark Ride
  • 2013 L A Jones, The Nightmare Factory
  • 2014 Erika McGann, The Demon Notebook
  • 2015 Simon Mayle, Shoutykid - How Harry Riddles Made a Mega-amazing Zombie Movie
  • 2016 Kerr Thomson, The Sound of Whales
  • 2017/18 Katie Smith, The Pumpkin Project
  • 2018/19 Andrew Clover, Rory Branagan, Detective