FAQs

Q: Who can take part in the awards?

A: All KS3 and KS4/5 students who attend schools in Buckinghamshire can participate in the awards.

Q: I go to school in Bucks, but I don’t think my school is taking part, what can I do?

A: Why not speak to your school Librarian or English teacher, and see if they can offer any support. If this is not possible, we now have online voting, so although you will not be able to attend the awards ceremony, you can still nominate and vote for books.

Q: I live in Buckinghamshire, but I go to school out of county, can I take part?

A: Yes! Although the awards ceremony takes place during school time, we have introduced online voting so that you can take part in the nomination and voting process. 

Q: I work in a school and I have just found out about the awards, is it too late for my school to take part?

A: The only time it will be too late to participate is once the vote closes to decide the winner! You can join in the awards process at any stage. All you need to do is download the publicity material and you are ready to go! If you have any questions, please use the form on the Contact Us menu at the top.

Q: How many students do I need to participate?

A:  We have no constraints on how many or few students take part. You can run it with one or more Year Groups or with a single class or even with your reading group. All schools who participate will be invited to attend the ceremony.

Q: What are the different stages?

1.  NOMINATIONS

Students forward titles that they would like to see on the longlist. They can nominate as many titles as they like, the only restriction is that they must all be published within the eligibility dates (see timetable). There are two categories:


2.  SHORTLIST VOTE

As soon as the longlist is announced, voting to decide the shortlist opens. Students can vote for up to 4 books in each category. 


3.  WINNER’S VOTE

The final stage of voting, where you can vote for the book you think should win - you can vote in one or both categories.


4. WINNER’S ANNOUNCEMENT

All participating schools will be invited to attend a winner’s ceremony. We normally have a guest author who delivers a talk about their work and then goes on to announce the winner. This is followed by a team quiz.