The final shortlist for the East Midlands Book Award 2015 was announced by John Lucas, of Shoestring Press and Chair of the EMBA Trustees at the States of Independence on Friday 14th March. This year’s primary judges Peter Flack and Maxine Linnell narrowed down the long list of entries to just six books and the shortlist offers a rich mix of genres including Science Fiction, Young Adult Fiction, Creative Non-Fiction and Poetry. Novelist and poet Blake Morrison will join them to make the final winner decision on 30th June. The shortlisted books are:
Common Ground by D A Prince 
~A second Poetry anthology released by Prince. Her poems start in our shared experience and the times when we are often alone – the uncertain space between a journey’s beginning and its destination, the distance between thought and speech, the unexplained shadows…
Smart by Kim Slater 
~ Kim’s debut novel in the genre of young adult detective fiction. The story follows the young misfit Kieran Woods as he pursues the murderer of an old homeless man, after the police write the death off as suicide.
The Astronaut, the Cake and Tomorrow by Matt Sisson 
~ A creative non-fiction novel analysing the impact of the environmental crisis of the modern world, particularly in reflection of the 2008 financial crisis, and the challenges these pose to the continued survival of the human race.
The Bullet Catcher’s Daughter by Rod Duncan 
~ A vibrant steampunk novel which pursues a protagonist who lives a double life and is attempting to discover the truth behind the mystery of a disappearing aristocrat. This book has also been shortlisted for the Philip K Dick Award for Science Fiction.
Towns in Britain by Jones the Planner
~A love story to the towns of Britain, this creative non-fiction novel expands on themes of the popular jonestheplanner.co.uk blog, to celebrate the varied architecture that optimises our national towns.
We Bleed the Same by David Wilkinson 
~The first novel in a futuristic Sci-Fi saga. When the leak of sensitive information is traced back to his computer console, Government official and minor celebrity Danny Parque’s bright future comes crashing down around him…
