17 July 2019
What an absolute thrill for SMALL SPACES to be shortlisted in the Sisters In Crime 2019 Davitt Awards, in not one but two categories! Best YA Crime Novel and Best Debut Crime Novel. So grateful to the judges for deeming it shortlist worthy.
You can check out the entire shortlist here.
11 April 2019
Wow, what a week! Small Spaces has been included in the shortlist for the Australian Book Industry Awards 2019 Book of the Year for Older Children. I am so fortunate and proud to be included alongside these other fantastic books by such talented authors.
The entire 2019 shortlist can be found on the ABIAwards website here.
30 March 2019
On 26th March I attended the CBCA Book of the Year Shortlist announcement at the State Library of Victoria and was absolutely thrilled to find out Small Spaces is a finalist in the Older Readers category. Here I am with the other shortlistees who were in attendance for the announcement – it was so great to be there in person!
The full 2019 shortlist can be viewed on the CBCA website.
28 February 2019
Can’t quite believe I’m telling you this, but Small Spaces has been shortlisted in the 2019 NSW Premier’s Literary Awards for the Ethel Turner Prize for Young People’s Literature. I am delighted, thrilled and gobsmacked!
Judges’ Comments:
Small Spaces is a debut novel, a fast-paced, tightly crafted psychological narrative that is hard to put down. When she was eight years old, Tash’s imaginary friend Sparrow became a real-life nightmare. Nine years later, Sparrow returns and the dark games continue. This is a refreshing, rollercoaster thriller that blurs the lines between truth and fiction and keeps you guessing until the end. Epstein has created great characters, an authentic Australian small-town setting and grapples well with the idea of a family returning to a community that they’d left years earlier after a traumatic event.
The novel’s structure offers a carefully constructed nonlinear narrative which juxtaposes present tense with childhood psychiatric transcripts, following an abduction which triggers much of the story. We are given parallel timelines that merge beautifully. It is here that Small Spaces works so wonderfully, the novel moving to a compelling and very satisfying resolution.
Here is the entire shortlist for the Ethel Turner Prize:
For more information and judges’ comments on the other shortlisted novels, visit the State Library of NSW website.
26 February 2019
So very happy to hear the news that Small Spaces is a #CBCA19 Notable book. It’s in the running for the Children’s Book Council of Australia’s Book of the Year 2019 in the Older Readers category.
You can check out the full list of amazing Notable books on the CBCA website. The shortlist will be announced on 26 March 2019.
Congrats to all of the wonderful creators on the list!
20 February 2019
It’s my absolute pleasure to tell you Small Spaces is a finalist in the 2018 Aurealis Awards in the Best Young Adult Novel category. Congrats to all of the finalists and a huge thanks to the awards judges! Winners are announced on 4 May 2019. You can find the shortlists for each category on the Aurealis Awards website.
5 December 2018
Absolutely thrilled to see Small Spaces has been longlisted in the 2019 Indie Book Awards in the Young Adult category. What a massive compliment! Have I mentioned lately how much I love booksellers?
Full longlist and details on the Indie Book Awards website.
6 June 2018
I’m thrilled to announce that SMALL SPACES has been shortlisted for the Readings YA Book Prize for 2018! You can find out more about the prize on the Readings website here. It’s an absolute honour to be in the company of such fantastic #LoveOzYA books.
Nina Kenwood, Readings’ Marketing Manager and Chair of the Judging Panel, comments: ‘The stories in this year’s shortlist range from romantic comedy to post-apocalyptic plague, and inspire everything from creeping horror to sheer joy. The six books are of an exceptionally high standard, demonstrating the extraordinary depth of talent to be found amongst debut and early-career Australian YA authors.’
Of SMALL SPACES, Nina said:
Sarah Epstein is not afraid to take her readers to dark places and Small Spaces is a gripping mystery and a deliciously creepy page-turner. Like the best psychological thrillers, this novel will have you on the edge of your seat, and keep you guessing until the very end.
Nina’s comments about all of the shortlisted books can be found here.
The winner is announced in late July.
