Costa Award Nomination For Dave Shelton

By John Freeman on November 30, 2012

When the shortlists for the Costa Book Awards (formerly the Whitbread Book Awards) were announced complete with their two graphic novels, Dotter Of Her Father’s Eyes by Bryan and Mary Talbot and Days of the Bagnold Summer by Joff Winterhart, there was a flurry of activity on the various comics blogs over that good news. So much so that one other comics name barely got mentioned.

Artist and writer Dave Shelton, who writes and draws Good Dog, Bad Dog, for both The DFC and Phoenix has been shortlisted in the Children’s Book category with his novel A Boy And A Bear In A Boat.

Published by David Fickling Books, who also published the compilation of Good Dog, Bad Dog under The DFC Library imprint, A Boy And A Bear In A Boat is about a boy and a bear in, err, a boat. The pair get to know each other as the bear rows the boat and the boy investigates its contents. The unusual cover, illustrated by Dave who also provided all the black and white interior illustrations, shows the nautical map that the pair use on their journey. “This enchanting story has the feel of a classic children’s tale,” was how the Costa judges described the book.

In addition to being shortlisted for the Costa Children’s Book Award, A Boy And A Bear On A Boat is also on the long list for both the Carnegie Medal for outstanding book for children and young people, and the Kate Greenaway Medal for an outstanding book in terms of illustration for children and young people. Both medals are are voted on by CILIP, the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals.

Our congratulations to Dave Shelton for making all these listings with his first novel and we wish him, the Drs Talbot, and Joff Winterhart, good luck for the announcement of the Costa Book Awards winners on Thursday 3 January 2013.

There are more details of Dave Shelton’s work on his website.

There are more details of A Boy And A Bear In A Boat on the David Fickling Books website.

There are more details of all the nominees for the 2012 Costa Book Awards at the awards website.

About the Author
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John Freeman

John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.

He’s the writer of comics such as Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”, with Dave Hailwood.