THE Heart of Hawick book festival celebrated its 10th anniversary this month by letting young Borderers vote for their favourite books.

The festival which has been run by volunteer teachers, parents and librarians since 2007, has become a major event for primary schools in the area.

Pupils from Hawick and the surrounding area joined six shortlisted authors along with teachers and special guests to watch as the Picture Book, Junior Fiction and the overall Book Review Award winners were revealed.

The Picture Book award went to Caroline Crowe with Pirates in Pyjamas.

The Junior Fiction Award went to Nick Garlick with Storm Horse.

And the Book Review winner was Isobel Mactaggart from Denholm Primary School with her review on Storm Horse.

The audience also enjoyed watching a fantasy-filled animation made by the children from participating schools, with help from professional animator Simone Russell.

Video messages from previous winners were also shown to the audience leading onto a big Q&A, started off by local author Tom Murray where the children asked many interesting questions to the authors of their favourite books.

Winner of the Junior Fiction Award, Nick Garlick, was asked by an enthusiastic child what inspired him to write his novel Storm Horse. 

He said: “I know exactly how it began: when I heard about the horses that were used to pull lifeboats to the sea from the 1830s to the 1950s.

“And even though the book isn’t just about them, it was the horses who provided the spark that started it all.

"It is a great honour to receive this as it is the children themselves who vote on the winner.

“That’s all you can ask as an author, that the people reading your work enjoy what you write.”

Picture Book Award Winner: Pirates in Pyjamas by Caroline Crowe.

Shortlist: Fairytales for Mr Barker by Jessica Ahlberg; The Boy Who Switched Off The Sun by Paul Brown; Where’s Polar Bear? By Nico Hercules.

Junior Fiction Award Winner: Storm Horse by Nick Garlick.

Shortlist: Beetle Boy by M. G. Leonard; Mr Baboomski and the Wonder Goat by Richard Joyce; Scrambled by Huw Davies.

Book Review Winner: Isobel Mactaggart (Denholm Primary School) – Storm Horse.

Shortlist: Sam Wight (Trinity PS) – Storm Horse; Jacklyn Hartley (Newcastleton PS) – Scrambled; Kuba Raczynski (St. Margaret’s PS) – Beetle Boy; Georgie Morgan (Stirches PS) – Beetle Boy; Josh O’Rourke (Drumlanrig PS) – Scrambled; Courtney Wallace (Burnfoot PS) – Mr Baboomski and the Wonder Goat; Joseph Casson (Wilton PS) – Storm Horse.

All books are available for loan at Hawick Library.