Running Out of Time, the unputdownable debut novel by author Simon Fox, has been longlisted for the 2023 Branford Boase Award.

Set up in memory of award-winning author Henrietta Branford and her editor Wendy Boase, one of the founders of Walker Books, the Branford Boase Award is given annually to the author of the year’s outstanding debut novel for children. You can see the full longlist here.

Congratulations, Simon!

A thrilling debut with extraordinary twists and gripping action, Running out of Time is an exhilarating middle-grade read from an incredible new voice in children’s fiction.

I can steal time.

The most I can take at the moment is fifteen seconds, which is not a lot. Grandmother took almost three minutes once and she told me she’s done more, but I never saw it.

She says there are stories of someone who can take all the time in the world, but how can that be right?

When Alex and his father are forced to flee their home to escape a brutal government, they begin a life-threatening journey across Europe. But when they are separated before they can reach Britain, Alex finds himself alone, with only his extraordinary gift to keep him alive.

Running Out of Time is out now. Grab your copy here or, better, via your local bookshop or Bookshop.org.