2025 WMAT Book Award winner

2025 WMAT Book Award winner

Students from Years 9 and 10 across the 6 WMAT secondary schools met on 3^rd April to discuss and vote for the worthy winner of 2025 WMAT Book Award.

After a morning of lively debate, the winning title was announced as ‘If My Words Had Wings’ by Danielle Jawando.  Danielle is no stranger to the book award having won in 2023 with ‘When Our Worlds Collided’.  In addition to the winning title the shortlist comprised of ‘The Kill Factor’ by Ben Oliver, ‘The Things We Leave Behind’ by Claire Furness, ‘All the Hidden Monsters’ by Amie Jordan, ‘Little Bang’ by Kelly McCaughrain and ‘Soulmates and Other Ways to Die’ by Melissa Welliver.

The award is now in its fourth year and Angela Daniels, LRC Manager at Weydon School commented that the award ‘is a real celebration of reading and debate and it is an absolute pleasure to see so many of our students voicing their opinions and discussing the books’.

As students look forward to coming together again in the autumn term to meet the winning author, reading will soon start on the next longlist for WMAT 2026, proof that Reading for Pleasure is indeed alive and well.