Sarah Naughton’s The Hanged Man Rises has been shortlisted for the 2013 Costa Children’s Book Award. Described by the judges as … … “a beautifully evoked, gripping, Victorian chiller which will appeal to boys and girls,” Sarah’s debut will compete with three other novels for the £5000 prize.

The Costa Book Awards recognise the “most enjoyable books” in five categories – Novel, First Novel, Biography, Poetry and Children’s Book – published in the last year by writers based in the UK and Ireland.

In today’s London Evening Standard, Sarah comments that “there are a lot of frightening things for children nowadays … We live in the city and you see fights and mumbling junkies. You have to prepare children for the real world without frightening them. With books, it’s a safe environment to be scared.”

Click to read more about the awards.

Click to buy the book.

Click to listen to the live announcement of the shortlisted authors on BBC iPlayer.