Zana Fraillon’s The Bone Sparrow has been garnering acclaim with young and old readers alike, and now it has been recognized again, by the Readings Young Adult Book Prize.

The Bone Sparrow is the story of Subhi, whose imagination is as big as the ocean and wide as the sky. But his world is much smaller: he’s spent his whole life in an immigration detention centre.

One of the judges, Lili Wilkinson, writes of the book;  ‘ The Bone Sparrow is one of those books that never really leaves you. The simple, beautiful prose is such a pleasure to read, almost lulling you into a false sense of security, before you receive the sickening gut punch of reality – this story is really happening, and it’s really happening in our own country. The Bone Sparrow is important, it’s a story that must be told, a story we must confront. At times it is bleak, but it is also a celebration of warmth, hope, humour and humanity.’

Along with winning the Readings Young Adult Book Prize, The Bone Sparrow has been Shortlisted for Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize 2016, selected as a Children’s Book Council of Australia Notable Book 2017 and longlisted for the Gold Inky Award 2017

To read the full release, please visit the Readings Blog