Author Tristan Bancks nominated for three awards

IT SEEMS that the stories of Byron author Tristan Bancks have tapped into his readers’ imagination.

NOMINATED: Bangalow author Tristan Bancks. Picture: Amber Melody

IT SEEMS that the stories of Byron author Tristan Bancks have tapped into his readers' imagination.

Last Tuesday he was shortlisted for a Children's Book Council of Australia Award (CBCA) for his teen novel Two Wolves (Random House 2014).

The next day, Mr Bancks was shortlisted for two Young Australian Best Book Awards (YABBAs), for Two Wolves and My Life and Other Stuff I Made Up (reprinted Random House 2014)

Fans of Bancks include celebrated Irish novelist John Boyne (The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas), who described Two Wolves as "gripping, unpredictable and unforgettable".

The announcements came as a great surprise, according to Mr Banks.

"I usually think that shortlists and prizes happen to other writers," he said.

"Two Wolves took me five years to write, and I almost thought the story wouldn't make it.

"Prizes are the last thing on my mind when I'm writing. I'm usually hoping that I'll just get the book finished," he said.

Despite this, critics are saying this is Mr Bancks's best book yet, and in March his collection of short stories in My Life and Other Stuff I Made Up enjoyed the number one position for older readers in Dymocks' sales reports, ahead of Jeff Kinney's Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, and positioned itself in the top 10 for best-selling children's fiction nationally.

The announcements come on the tail of Mr Bancks's Australian tour promoting his latest book for kids, My Life and Other Massive Mistakes. He has visited more than 30,000 children in more than 100 schools, bookstores and libraries across Australia.

The winners of the 2015 CBCA and YABBA awards will be announced in August and October.