Inky Award Judges
We asked for teen judges, and you guys delivered! We received a record number of applications, and after much angsting, arguing, and arm-wrestling, I am thrilled to announce that the 2012 Inky Award Teen Judges are:
Elizabeth, 14, from sunny QLD
Joe, 15, from Mentone Grammar (VIC)
Fergus, 13, from Newington College (NSW)
Nicole, 14, from Taylors Lakes Secondary College (VIC)
Congratulations! They will be joining James Moloney and Danielle Binks in whittling down the 20 longlisted books to a shortlist of 10 (5 Australian, 5 International), which you will then get the chance to vote on.
Throughout June we'll get to know our six judges a little better. In the meantime, if you're wondering what sort of application it takes to be a judge, Elizabeth kindly agreed to let us share hers. Elizabeth answered the questions with concision, grace, and humour. As well as demonstrating her reading passion and capability, her personality shines through. See for yourself:
I would love to be a judge for the Inkys. Pertinent details:
I'm Elizabeth, age 14, female, in Queensland.
I have been an avid reader my whole life - people ask me what I did on the holidays/ weekend/ afternoon, I invariably reply that I read. This is, I think, one of the most important characteristics of an Inkys judge. Furthermore, I grew up on classics (first reading Pride and Prejudice at 11!), and I think that this has to some extent shaped my discerning taste (if I do say so myself!) in young adult literature. Whilst a lot of my peers enjoy the work of Maria V. Snyder, Cat Patrick, and, dare I say it, Stephanie Meyer, I have always found such books quite lacking in depth and a quality sort of writing style. I would love to be an Inkys judge, as I would love to have the opportunity to show people that there's more to YA than these mass-produced, hyped up American books. Books like those of Cath Crowley, or Melina Marchetta, probably my very favourite author. I read her 'Saving Francesca' for a school project, and from the very first line, I was hooked. I love her ability to capture and transport readers; for those few hours, you are there, you are with the characters, part of the crowd, seeing them and feeling them and touching them. Her way with words and ability to convey emotion is simply sublime: her language has the power to take you from gales of laughter one moment to sobbing the next (no hyberbole! promise!).
How many books do I read a month? About 10 (which perfectly matches the specified time frame! But I just averaged it out from my Goodreads tracker - [link deleted] if you want to check :) I think, at least according to the calendar on your website, that a school holiday would be in the two months, so I am sure there would be no issues there.
Well I think that's all I have to tell you. Thank you for reading my little application!
Yours sincerely,
Elizabeth.
