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Posted on March 28th 2018
Lisa Thompson wins Southwark Book Award for her first novel, Goldfish Boy
Since October, members of our Year 7 and 8 Book Club (pictured) have been reading the six books on the Southwark Book Award shortlist, which are now on display in the school library for everyone to read.
The Southwark Book Award is organised by Jo Mead, Learning Resources Manager at HBAED, along with librarians from other Southwark schools.
This year we were one of seven schools taking part. Students meet each week to share their views on the books and with students from other schools via the Southwark Book Award blog.
Award ceremony
On 15 March, 60 students attended the award ceremony at Canada Water Library and met five of the six shortlisted authors. They also met readers from other schools and between them awarded honours for best story (Shadow Magic by Joshua Khan), best setting (Huntress: Sea by Sarah Driver), best characters (Goldfish Boy by Lisa Thompson), best style (Lie, Kill, Walk Away by Matt Dickinson) and best theme (Welcome to Nowhere by Elizabeth Laird).
The overall Southwark Book Award winner was Lisa Thompson (pictured below). Lisa spoke to the students about the importance of not giving up and not being afraid to follow your dreams.
Goldfish Boy tells the story of Matthew who likes sparkling clean surfaces, staying safe in his bedroom and making notes about his neighbours. He hates germs, going outside and feeling like a disappointment to his mum and dad. When a toddler staying next door goes missing, Matthew finds himself at the centre of the mystery. David in Year 7 found the book “…so meaningful. It shows the lengths people go to just to help a friend even if it means having to overcome your fear and illness.”
Abdul, also from Year 7, particularly enjoyed meeting Elizabeth Laird, the author of Welcome to Nowhere, which tells the story of a Syrian family and their escape from war into a refugee camp in Jordan. The book finishes with the family ready to travel to England and Abdul asked Elizabeth if there would be a follow up book: “She said that the next story is up to us and how we treat refugees who come here. She doesn’t need to write that book, we do.”
