AUTHOR Katy Edwards has had her first book nominated for a prestigious award.

The former television scriptwriter, who lives near Thornbury, writes under the name Katy Krump and has been nominated in the first novel category of the Costa Book Awards.

The book Blue Dust: Forbidden was published a year ago and was the first in her science fiction series about an alien girl called Qea

Since then she has written two more novels and last Saturday was in Thornbury Bookshop to sign copies and meet some of her readers.

Drippy Face and Blue Dust: Destiny are aimed at younger children, with Drippy Face telling the story of a boy made from a bog.

Katy, 51, moved to England 12 years ago and said the Blue Dust books were based on her experience as an "alien" in the UK, having emigrated from South Africa. She said the nomination for the Costa award was "very exciting".

She had been an English and music teacher before switching to writing, going on to publish a number of children's musicals and becoming a full-time TV scriptwriter for children. She had also been on the writing team of a popular South African soap opera.

Her books are published by Plymouth-based Ghostly Publishing.