Caroline Stills has won the $10,000 Text Prize for her debut middle-grade novel A Gift from the Birds.
ABOUT THE TEXT PRIZE-WINNING MANUSCRIPT:
Millie knows her mum has cancer. She’s known for a long time. But on her tenth birthday when her mum is rushed to hospital, the reality of the situation hits and Millie struggles with confusion, fear and a sense of disconnection from her friends and her family.
One day, she notices a group of crows in her backyard, and she begins to feed them, finding comfort in their visits. Then, small trinkets appear in the backyard, and Millie and her dad discover the crows might have more to teach them about healing and togetherness than they first thought.
Caroline Stills lives and writes in the Dandenong Ranges east of Melbourne/Naarm. She has written several picture books. A Gift from the Birds is her first middle-grade novel.
On winning the prize, Caroline said, ‘I’m absolutely thrilled and delighted to have been awarded the Text Prize. Congratulations to all the shortlisted authors and a special big thank you to Text for this great honour. I look forward to working with the amazing team at Text to publish my first novel.’
Senior editor Jane Pearson said, ‘We’re thrilled to announce Caroline Stills winner of the 2024 Text Prize. A Gift from the Birds is a beautiful story for middle-grade readers about a girl finding friendship and comfort in the birds that leave trinkets in her garden. It’s like a warm loving hug, a friend to keep close when you’re feeling sad or lonely, and a story to treasure at any time.’
Awarded annually, the Text Prize aims to unearth incredible new books for young adults and children by Australian and New Zealand writers. Submissions for the next Text Prize will open in early 2025.
For all administration enquiries and further information about the Text Prize, please contact Nikki Boltz: nikki.boltz@textpublishing.com.au
