I went to North Carolina and all I got was this major award nomination

[rj_anderson]

This past Thursday I flew down to the AASL (American Association of School Librarians) conference in Charlotte, NC to meet some fellow debut2009 authors, hang out with my agent, drive up to visit cesario, and maybe, if all went well, get to sign a few of my books at the AASL PitStop. Those were my expectations, and they were modest and practical ones, and I had no idea that there was even the possibility of anything more. Especially since I'd left my laptop at home, my Canadian cell phone doesn't work in the US, and I wouldn't have access to e-mail or Internet until I got back Sunday night.

So I was wholly unprepared, when I met the Debs for breakfast on Friday morning, to find out from carrie_ryan that Knife has been nominated for one of the most prestigious children's book awards in the English-speaking world. The Carnegie Medal. We are talking the British equivalent of the Newbery or the National Book Award, people. C.S. Lewis won it for The Last Battle. So did Richard Adams for Watership Down.

I may have stared blankly at Carrie for about thirty seconds before I started flailing. And then I spent the whole weekend in a happy daze and I haven't come down since.

Congratulations to my fellow nominees sarahtales (The Demon's Lexicon) and halseanderson (Chains)!

Comments

[karenhealey.livejournal.com]

Oh my God! The Carnegie! Congratulations!

(And I am certain Knife is *way* better than The Last Battle.)

[rj-anderson.livejournal.com]

Heh. One of these days I really must get around to writing my essay about why I love THE LAST BATTLE. Though if I were choosing just one of the Narnia books to win the Carnegie, admittedly, that one would not be my choice. (I'm much more fond of The Silver Chair.)

And thank you so much!

[kerravonsen]

Oh yes, I love The Last Battle, it is awesome... and I will commit non-sycophanty by saying that, no I don't think Knife is better than The Last Battle, sorry.
(still totally squee-worthy for the nom, yes!)

I haven't actually thought about which Narnia book is the best. The Silver Chair and The Last Battle are probably the deepest two, yes. My favourite bits in Prince Caspian are the whole Lucy-sees-Aslan thing, but the structure of the book isn't so good. And the follow-the-signs thing in Silver Chair is a similar stricture as the Lucy-sees-Aslan thing in Prince Caspian, anyway. Voyage of the Dawn Treader was the most fun, I think. We got Eustace and Reepicheep!
Well, they're all wonderful, anyway.

[rj-anderson.livejournal.com]

I don't think KNIFE is better than THE LAST BATTLE either. But I won't reproach Karen if she feels differently!