Bill Bryson Wins 2010 Educational Writers' Award for 'A Really Short History of Nearly Everything'

LONDON, December 7, 2010 - The Authors' Licensing & Collecting Society (ALCS) and the Society of
Authors today announced that Bill Bryson had been awarded the 2010
Educational Writers' Award for A Really Short History of Nearly Everything,
abridged and edited by Felicia Law.

The award was made at the All Party Writers Group (APWG) Winter Reception
at the House of Commons by Lord Hill, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State
for Schools, who presented a GBP2,000 cheque to the winners.

Bryson, who shared the cash prize with Felicia Law who worked with him to
abridge and edit the work opening it to a new age group, said of the award "I
am honoured to be considered for this award. Any initiative that encourages
young people to read is obviously to be applauded."

The 2010 Award focused on books for 12 -18 year olds published in 2009 &
2010. A Really Short History of Nearly Everything (Doubleday) beat off strong
competition from a shortlist that was described as "highlighting humour,
scholarship and lateral thinking". Fellow shortlistees for 2010 included: Ben
Crystal for Shakespeare on Toast (Icon Books); John Farndon for Do You Think
You're Clever? (Icon Books) and Liz Strachan for A Slice of Pi (Constable).

The judges were unanimous in their support for the winning title
describing it as:

"Deeply engaging, A Really Short History of Nearly Everything
triumphantly links an informal approach to profound content, without being in
any way trivial or condescending. The language is fresh and appropriate for
younger readers, the illustrations are charming and helpful, and the design
uncluttered and accessible."

"It is, in short, a very rare creation indeed - a non-fiction book for
younger readers that may be classed as literature and that fact, coupled with
the genius of being able to explain the concepts behind life, the universe
and everything in such an accessible and entertaining way, makes this book a
winner."

ALCS and the Society of Authors created this award in 2008 to 'celebrate
educational writing that inspires creativity and encourages students to read
widely and build up their understanding of a subject beyond the requirements
of exam specifications'. It is the only UK Award that focuses on educational
non-fiction. It is made annually for an outstanding example of traditionally
published single volume work, with or without illustration, for the specified
age group. The age group alternates each year; this year's focus was on works
for 12 - 18 year olds and in 2011 the focus returns to works for 5 - 11 year
olds.

The 2010 judging panel comprised three educational experts: school
librarian Maggy Campbell, teacher Louise Gerrard and writer Stewart Ross.

The forthcoming deadline for submission for the 2011 award for the 5 - 11
year age group is 1st June 2011. For further details please see
www.societyofauthors.org

Editors Notes

About the Judges

Maggy Campbell lives in Woodford Green and is the librarian at Oaklands
Secondary School in Tower Hamlets, where she has introduced book weeks with
visiting authors and a reading group (the Carnegie Club) shadowing book
prizes. Previously she has been school librarian at Seven Kings High School,
has had a variety of jobs in reference and local history libraries as well as
some mobile library adventures in a very unreliable old vehicle, and was the
manager of a branch library in Hainault (North East London).

Louise Gerrard lives in East Sheen and has spent most of her career
teaching in comprehensive schools - both mixed and single sex. She currently
teaches English three days a week at Gumley School, Isleworth, a girls'
catholic comprehensive school for 11 - 18 year olds. She was previously Head
of English and a Professional Tutor at Hampton Community College, a mixed
comprehensive for 11 - 16 year olds.

Stewart Ross taught in a wide range of institutions in Britain, USA, the
Middle East and Sri Lanka before becoming a full-time writer 20 years ago.
With over 230 published titles to his credit, Stewart has written prize
winning books for children, both fiction and non-fiction, two adult novels,
several plays, librettos and a musical as well as books on history and sport.
A frequent lecturer and presenter of workshops in schools and colleges, he is
also an occasional journalist and broadcaster. He lives in Kent with his
family.

Society of Authors

The Society of Authors has been serving the interests of professional
writers for more than a century. Today it has more than 8,900 members (from
novelists to doctors, textbook writers to ghost writers, broadcasters to
academics, illustrators to translators) writing in all areas of the
profession. Services include the confidential, individual vetting of
contracts, and help with professional disputes. In addition, the Society
holds meetings and seminars, publishes a quarterly journal, The Author, and
maintains a database of members' specializations. It administers a wide range
of prizes, as well as the Authors' Foundation, which is one of the very few
bodies making grants to help with work in progress for established writers.
For further information contact info@societyofauthors.org

ALCS

ALCS collects fees on behalf of the whole spectrum of UK writers:
novelists, film & TV script writers, literary prize winners, poets, freelance
journalists, translators and adaptors, as well as thousands of professional
and academic writers who include nurses, lawyers, teachers, scientists, and
college lecturers. All writers are eligible to join ALCS: further details on
membership can be found at www.alcs.co.uk

The Society collects fees that are difficult, time-consuming or legally
impossible for writers and their representatives to claim on an individual
basis: money that is nonetheless due to them. Fees collected are distributed
to writers twice a year in February and August. Since its inception, ALCS has
distributed over GBP240 million to the nation's writers.

The All Party Parliamentary Writers Group (APWG)

APWG is a forum for Parliamentarians in Westminster to consider and
discuss matters of importance to writers. As a focal point for authors'
interests, with its links to UK writer organisations, APWG is well placed to
draw attention to the current issues facing writers amongst an audience of
decision-makers in Westminster and beyond. The Chairman is John Whittingdale
MP.

Contact information: ALCS, The Writers' House, 13 Haydon Street, London
EC3N 1DB Tel: +44(0)20-7264-5700; email alcs@alcs.co.uk. Website:
www.alcs.co.uk

Media Contact: for further information, author/illustrator interviews & please contact: (please do not publish these numbers); Becca Wyatt: +44(0)1798-867-117; +44(0)7801-061-420; ALCS, Alison Baxter: +44(0)20-7264-5700; Society of Authors, Paula Johnson: +44(0)20-7373-6642, (pjohnson at societyofauthors.org)