Melvin Burgess and Julia Tuffs

Melvin Burgess has been writing popular, controversial and cutting-edge fiction for young people since his first book, The Cry of the Wolf, was published in 1990. His novel Junk kick-started the young adult fiction (YA) genre and won the Guardian Children’s Fiction Award and the Carnegie Medal. His latest book, Three Bullets, was published in July, and his book for younger readers, Count, is due out this autumn. Melvin lives in Hebden Bridge.

Julia Tuff’s witchy debut novel, Hexed, is a funny and empowering YA novel set in a secondary school. Julia lives in South West London and plans to write the kinds of books that shaped and inspired her as a teenager.

This panel discussion will be chaired by the children’s author Liz Flanagan.