April 2020
Local author Rachel Churcher is celebrating after winning a bronze medal in the Wishing Shelf Book Awards for her novel, Battle Ground. The first in a five-part series, Battle Ground is a Young Adult dystopia set in a totalitarian UK, after Brexit and Scottish Independence. It follows sixteen-year-old Bex Ellman as she is recruited into an army she doesn’t support and a cause she doesn’t believe in. She plans to keep her head down, and keep herself and her friends safe – until she witnesses an atrocity she can’t ignore, and a government conspiracy that threatens lives all over the UK. With her loyalties challenged, Bex must decide who to fight for – and who to leave behind.
The Wishing Shelf Awards are judged by readers. Battle Ground was sent to reading groups in eight schools in the UK, and rated on theme, style, editing, and cover design. Books receiving marks of more than 30/40 go through to the final round of judging, and the overall winners receive a medal, a certificate, and feedback from the readers.
‘This award is very important to me,’ says Rachel. ‘It is voted on by teenage readers in my target audience, and I’m so pleased they connected with my characters and setting. Brexit, and the future of the UK, are such important subjects for young people today. I hope my books inspire readers to make a difference, and to shape the world they want to live in.’
Battle Ground is available from Amazon in paperback, or for Kindle and Kindle Unlimited. There is more in formation on the Battle Ground series at tallerbooks.com .
Purchase link: getbook.at/BattleGroundBook1
Wishing Shelf Finalists’ list: https://www.thewsa.co.uk/winners2019/
