PUPILS from schools across South Gloucestershire have voted for the winner of a prestigious literature prize.

‘Lies We Tell Ourselves’, the debut novel of American author Robin Talley, beat off competition from five other young people’s fiction titles to claim the coveted 2017 South Gloucestershire literature prize for young people.

The winning novel, which tells the story of two girls on opposite sides of the battle for civil rights in 1959 Virginia, was chosen for the award after a district-wide reading challenge.

Hundreds of young people from across South Gloucestershire worked cast their vote for the novel on World Book Day after working their way through a shortlist of titles.

The winner was announced on Tuesday, March 7 at a gala event at the Bristol and Bath Science Park in Emersons Green.

Chair of South Gloucestershire Council Cllr Erica Williams presented the award and said that she was delighted to witness young people’s enthusiasm and passion for reading.

She added: “The Concorde Book Award is an excellent example of libraries and schools working together to support young people to read more and develop a lifelong habit of reading.

“Congratulations to all the young people who have taken part, to South Gloucestershire’s school and public librarians for organising another excellent event, and last but not least to Robin Talley for her well-deserved win.”

Author Robin Talley, who penned the civil rights novel, said that she was grateful to everyone involved with the Concorde Book Awards.

She said: “It's an incredible thrill to receive an award that's given out by young readers themselves.

“I encourage all of the students who read and voted for these awards to keep on reading, and to keep thinking critically about the books you read.”

The Concorde Book Award is a long-running ‘young people’s Booker’ run by South Gloucestershire schools and public libraries in which groups of young people read a shortlist of novels.

They are then encouraged to join a reading group, whether at school or in a local library, to read six books and talk about them with other group members, before voting on their favourite title.

The scheme aims to promote a love of reading among 11-13 year olds, and thousands of young people have taken part since it was launched in 2007.

This year’s shortlisted titles were Beetle Boy by M G Leonard; Car-Jacked by Ali Sparkes; House of Secrets by Chris Columbus; Lies we tell Ourselves by Robin Talley; Murder Most Unladylike by Robin Stevens; and Young Sherlock - Night Break by Andrew Lane.

For more information on the Concorde Book Award, visit the South Gloucestershire website here.