Commonword is pleased to announce that the winner of the Children’s Diversity Writing Prize 2014 is Dale Hannah’s The Multiple Lives of Haroon Patel
Dale describes his novel as ‘A Christmas Carol meets The Fault In Our Stars’ and is a story about a boy with a terminal illness. Dale uses humour as a counterpoint to the emotional subject matter.
Dale Hannah lives in the North West of England. He is the Head of a Pupil Referral Unit where he works with vulnerable and disadvantaged young people from a diverse range of backgrounds.
The Shortlist:

Wild Isle by Devon Black
Pufferfish by Jenni Foley
The Multiple Lives of Haroon Patel by Dale Hannah
Hope Grayling, The Blind Detective by Honey Stavonhagen
Soul Child by Joanne Wesley-Williams
The Commonword Children’s Diversity Writing Prize welcomes submissions from unpublished children’s authors whose writing embraces ethnic diversity either through their own ethnicity and culture and/or in their writing. Dale was announced as the winner in a prize-giving ceremony held at the International Anthony Burgess Foundation, Manchester on 5th of February.
The Commonword Children’s Diversity Writing Prize is a national competition run in association with the award-winning publisher Penguin and the leading literary agency Catherine Pellegrino & Associates. It is also supported by regular Commonword writing workshops and an annual masterclass.

Alexandra Antscherl, Executive Editor at Puffin, said: ‘It’s been an honour and a pleasure to judge this year’s Commonword Diversity Writing for Children prize. The variety of stories told by the talented shortlisted authors is a testament to the diverse backgrounds of people writing in Britain today, which this prize seeks to encourage.

Catherine Pellegrino, literary agent, said: ‘In its third year, The Children’s Diversity Prize has again produced a strong short list, five very different novels, linked through their exploration of cultural and ethnic diversity.’

Irfan Master, Leading Children’s author, said: ‘it has been fantastic being a judge for this marvellous and important prize. This year’s winning entry The Multiple Lives of Haroon Patel was funny and original and stood out for me.’

Commonword’s Artistic Director, Pete Kalu, said: ‘Notions of Englishness are seeded by writers, including by children’s writers. We are a diverse nation and yet there is a disturbing absence of diversity in what is currently published in the UK. This Prize addresses that and I am pleased with the talent it is discovering and nurturing.’

The winner, Dale Hannah, said: ‘I’m so proud to be the 2014 winner of the Commonword Diversity Prize. It has always been a passion of mine to write diverse characters, and winning such a prestigious award will hopefully ensure my novel, The Multiple Lives of Haroon Patel, can reach a wider audience through publication.’
For further information please contact:

Pete Kalu: pete@cultureword.org.uk Phone: 0161 832 3777
Hannah McMillan: hannah.mcmillan@uk.penguingroup.com Phone 0207 010 3386

www.puffin.co.uk www.cultureword.org.uk www.catherinepellegrino.co.uk