Simon Philip shortlisted for Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2018

Simon Philip has been shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize for his picture book I Really Want the Cake (Templar), in the Illustrated Books category.

The 18 shortlisted titles are chosen by Waterstones booksellers. The winners of each category will be announced at a reception at Waterstones Piccadilly on 22nd March. One category winner will then be crowned Waterstones Children’s Book of the Year 2018.

There’s a smell I can’t ignore.
It’s wafting through the kitchen door.
It’s time for me to find out more.
I think it might be cake.

Simon was born in Chichester in 1988 and has lived there ever since, although he occasionally leaves to buy milk. After gaining a 1st class degree in History at Exeter University, he immediately put his skills to good use working as a barman at a local pub. He soon grew tired of the owner calling him Andy, and so, naturally, decided to become a primary school teacher. Teaching rekindled his love of children’s literature, particularly picture books, so much so that he had a go at writing his own. Deciding he was better at writing stories for children than he would ever be at teaching them, he made a swift exit from education to live the cliché of the writer who works in a bar. He hopes that one day he’ll be able to give up writing stories and become a barman full-time.

Simon’s first picture book, YOU MUST BRING A HAT (Simon & Schuster Children’s Books), won ‘book of the year’ at the 2016 Sainsbury Children’s Book Awards and was read by Tom Hardy on CBeebies Bedtime Stories. I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO CALL MY CAT (Simon & Schuster Children’s Books) and I REALLY WANT THE CAKE (Templar) were published in 2017.

Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2018