Two for Two! Local novelist wins major awards

AN elated author Katrina Nannestad has added to her trophy cabinet in a big way by winning not one, but two prestigious awards in as many weeks for her children’s historical fiction novel, We Are Wolves.

After taking home the Book Links Award for Children’s Historical Fiction, before she could take a breath Nannestad won the ARA Historical Novel Prize in the Children and Young Adult Category.

The author said she’s very excited to be able to raise the profile of her work through the most welcome recognition and publicity.

“Book Links and the Historical Novel Society of Australasia have both been wonderful in promoting all the books that have been longlisted and shortlisted for their awards,” she said.

“Do check out these lists! There are so many great historical novels for young readers out there.”

We Are Wolves tells the story of three German children – Liesl, Otto and Mia – living in East Prussia at the end of the Second World War.

“When the Red Army breaks through German lines, their family is forced to flee, totally unprepared, in the middle of a blizzard,” Nannestad said.

“In the ensuing chaos and violence, the children are separated from their family and forced to survive on their own.

“The story is fiction but inspired by real events. At the end of the Second World War, thousands of children were left orphaned, lost or abandoned in East Prussia.

“Sometimes these children survived on their own for years after the war, by scavenging, begging, stealing and living wild. They later became known as the Wolfskinder – wolf children.

“Although We Are Wolves deals with serious themes, it is ultimately a story of hope, resilience and love.”

You can pick up a copy of We Are Wolves in Dymocks Bendigo or through Booktopia and other online booksellers.