Andrew Taylor, Meteorite Strike
"I was thrilled when I heard that I'd been shortlisted for The Heart of Hawick award, especially because the winner is judged by kids, who are the real audience for the book. The most important thing to any writer is that his or her stories are being read, so I'd like to thank everyone who has taken the time to pick up Meteorite Strike. I hope you enjoyed it. Although I can't be at the ceremony, I'm thinking of you all as I shiver through the cold Australian winter (it sometimes gets as low as 15 degrees celsius here, which is pretty chilly, I'm sure you'll agree). I hope you all have a fantastic time celebrating books and reading today - a truly great thing to do. Once again, thanks to the organisers of the award, the teachers involved and all the kids who have read the book - being nominated really means a lot to me. Very best wishes, Andrew."
