Doncaster: Discover the Spirit

The 2008 Final

For a large selection of photos from the final please see our 2008 Final Photo Gallery!

This year's final event was really exciting and great fun for everyone there! The Civic Theatre was absolutely packed! We were worried that people would have to sit in the aisles, but we just about managed to squeeze them all in. Ed Miliband, MP and Secretary to the Cabinet Office, was one of our guests, alongside the Chair of Doncaster Council, Cllr Tony Sockett and his consort Mrs Sockett, the new Principal of Doncaster College, Mr Roland Foote, and other distinguished guests.

Mr Miliband spoke at the start of the event, and was extremely enthusiastic and supportive. In fact he has agreed to try to come along again next year. Our two authors, Alan Gibbons and Carrie Bright, did us proud. Carrie did a very interesting presentation that showed all the various stages in writing and marketing her book, choosing the title and cover etc, and answered lots of questions, and Alan Gibbons spoke in his own inimitable way, and had the audience in fits of laughter! All of the school presentations were truly excellent, and very much enjoyed by the audience.

Excitement mounted as the afternoon went on, and it was at fever pitch when all the competition winners were announced, some by author Kate Le Vann, who had also come along. The best reviews had been judged by Waterstones children's booksellers, Christopher and Paul, and the secondary and primary winners were from Hatfield Visual Arts College and Owston Park Primary respectively. The Creative Writing competition was won by Hannah, from Don Valley.

The winning book was, of course, Skulduggery Pleasant, and it was a very popular choice among the students present on the day. Derek Landy, the winning author, was away and unable to attend, but sent us a message (see below) to read out from the stage to rapturous applause. Everyone there (particularly the organisers) left on a high, and we are all already looking forward to, and planning for, next year.

Derek Landy's message:

“I'm not very good at winning things. I haven't had much practice, you see. I won an art competition when I was eight, but when I was sixteen I only came second in a short story competition. I'm trying to think of any other instances where I've won something, and I sincerely can't. Excellent. Now I'm depressed.

The Doncaster Book Award is the first thing I've won since I was eight, and it's the first award for Skulduggery Pleasant. This means an astonishing amount to me, and I am so sorry I can't be there. Rest assured, if I was there, you'd be able to see this idiotic grin that is currently distorting my face. Doncaster is now top of my 'Places I Have To Visit' list, so I hope that I'll get to see you all, very soon.

Thank you again for this honour,

Derek.”

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