Win 1 of 2 sets of classic books by E. Nesbit, George MacDonald & R.M. Ballantyne

Competitions

Published on Thursday, 24 October 2013 17:30

Last Updated on 24 October 2013

Monica Costa

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Hesperus Press are asking members of the public to submit the out of print children’s classic they want to see republished. This October, Hesperus Press is launching a new imprint, Hesperus Minor, which will publish a carefully selected list of well-loved children’s classics introducing them to a new generation. These are nostalgic books which adults of will have fond memories and want to share with their children and loved ones. Given a charming series look the three launch titles will also have forewords by three of today’s most respected and loved children’s authors.

To launch Hesperus Minor, Hesperus Press is to run a special competition to find the next out of print children’s classic for publication in 2014. Entrants are asked to write no more than 500 words explaining why they love their chosen book and why it deserves to be republished, to be submitted to Hesperus by 27th September. The winning entrant will be announced on the publication day of the first books on the Hesperus Minor list on 25th October 2013 and have their 500-word submission printed in the republished classic in February 2014.

The competition, started on 9th September, is supported by a nationwide marketing and publicity campaign with guest judges to choose the winner. The judging panel is made up of Annie Dalton, author of the Angel Academy and Tilly Beany books, Amanda Craig, author and The Times children’s books critic, Jennifer Bell, Foyles children’s books buyer and Melissa Cox, Waterstones children’s bookseller.

This competition follows the success of the Uncover a Classic competition, which ran in 2011 and saw the publication of The Great Meadow by Elizabeth Madox Roberts. Hesperus is committed to bringing long-neglected titles back into print and is delighted to add three such wonderful classics, with support from Julia Donaldson, John Boyne and Joseph Delaney, to its new imprint.

Visit http://hesperuspress.wordpress.com to submit your entry.

All entries must give the book title, author name, when the book was last in print (as far as known) and a 500 or less word endorsement. All entries must include the full name, address, telephone number and email address of the entrant.

The Story of the Treasure Seekers by E. Nesbit – Foreword by Julia Donaldson

Experience wonderful adventures in the company of Dora, Oswald, Dicky, Alice, Noel and H.O. as they plot to restore their father’s fortune through any means possible. An enchanting classic for children and adults alike.

The Story of the Treasure Seekers is a legendary children’s story by the enchanting E. Nesbit which has delighted countless generations of children; this brand new edition ensures that it will be able to reach a whole new modern audience.

The Bastable children (Dora, Oswald, Dicky, Alice, Noel and Horace Octavius – H.O.) live in London with their widowed father. Too poor to attend school, the children are left to their own devices and they spend their days coming up with ingenious plans to restore their father’s fortune. Told from the first person perspective – which lends the narrative substantial bias – The Story of the Treasure Seekers was Nesbit’s first work. Refreshingly free of Victorian sentimentality, yet still wonderfully evocative of a bygone era, The Story of the Treasure Seekers makes for timeless reading.

Adapted numerous times for television, The Story of the Treasure Seekers is proof of Nesbit’s esteemed place in the canon of children’s literature.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Edith Nesbit (1858–1924) was a prolific English children’s author, writing more than sixty books including The Railway Children and Five Children and It.

The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald – Foreword by Joseph Delaney

Perfect for fans of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis and J.K. Rowling, The Princess and the Goblin is a magical adventure story full of princesses and monsters, secret towers, dungeons and magic.

Eight-year-old Princess Irene lives a lonely life in a wild, desolate, mountainous kingdom, with only her nursemaid, Lootie for company. She is protected from the outside world and oblivious to the existence of goblins, hideous creatures that live underground and only come out at night.

One day, while out walking, Irene and Lootie get lost. As night falls, strange shadows creep out from under boulders and around corners, closing in on them. Terrified, they try to run but the goblins give chase. It is then they run into Curdie, the brave miner’s son who isn’t afraid of the goblins and knows how to scare them away.

While working late one night in the mines Curdie overhears a diabolical plan the goblins are plotting. The terrible goblin Queen plans to kidnap the princess and force her to marry her son. That way she believes humans will be forced to accept goblins as their rulers. Can they be stopped and the kingdom be saved before it is too late?

Before the creation of Middle Earth or Narnia, George MacDonald was inventing wonderful kingdoms and populating them with magical creatures and enchanted beings. It is a must-read for all fantasy aficionados and fans of J.R.R Tolkien, C.S. Lewis and J.K. Rowling.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

George MacDonald (1824–1905) was a Scottish author, poet, and Christian minister. Known particularly for his poignant fairy tales and fantasy novels, he inspired many authors, such as W.H. Auden, J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, E. Nesbit and Madeleine L’Engle.

The Coral Island by R.M. Ballantyne – Foreword by John Boyne

Adventure and peril abound in R.M. Ballantyne’s classic tale of shipwreck and survival. A classic tale for all ages.

Ralph, Jack and Peterkin find themselves the sole survivors of a shipwreck on a deserted coral island in the South Pacific. Although fate has led them to temporary safety, the three marooned lads are forced to carve out a life for themselves from what nature provides. They rapidly learn which fruit to eat, which animals to hunt, and which lagoons are best for bathing.

Resourceful as they are, their desert island idyll is often disturbed and they face numerous terrifying threats – pirates, sharks, cannibalism and local tribes among them. Amidst all the chaos, the trio still face the riddle of how to engineer their rescue from their tropical exile.

Following in Robinson Crusoe’s footsteps, and yet with added adventure, Ballantyne’s writing is a classic adored by previous generations of children and which deserves to be discovered all over again by a modern audience.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Robert Michael Ballantyne (1825–1894) was a Scottish young adult fiction writer. He wrote over 80 books including The World of Ice, The Lighthouse, The Pirate City and The Settler and the Savage.

For your chance to win one of these amazing book sets, answer the simple question below in our dedicated competition page (USE ONLY THE DEDICATED PAGE & DO NOT SEND MESSAGES OR DO NOT POST MESSAGES ON THE WEBSITE OR ON THIS PAGE AS THE ENTRY WON’T BE VALID – YOU WON’T BE NOTIFIED OF THE WRONG ENTRY) https://londonmumsmagazine.com/competition-area. The question is: ‘What’s the name of the publishers of these classic kids’ books?’ The deadline to enter is 24th November 2013.