Candy Gourlay is a London based author and journalist. Born in the Philippines, Candy grew up under a dictatorship and met her husband during a revolution. Her books for young readers have been listed for many prizes and awards. When she’s not writing novels, Candy loves drawing comics and fighting the snails in her garden.

Candy’s first two novels, TALL STORY and SHINE, were published by David Fickling Books. TALL STORY won the National Children’s Book Award of the Philippines, was listed for 13 prizes including the Carnegie Medal, the Blue Peter and the Waterstones Prize and was chosen as one of the ‘100 Best Books of the Last 100 Years’ by BookTrust. IS IT A MERMAID? (Otter-Barry Books), Candy’s first picture book (illustrated by Francesca Chessa), was nominated for the Kate Greenaway Medal. MIKE FALLS UP (Little Tiger) illustrated by Carles Ballesteros was included in The Guardian’s roundup of the best new children’s books and was shortlisted for The Alligator’s Mouth Award 2023.

Candy’s upper middle-grade novel BONE TALK (David Fickling Books/Scholastic) was shortlisted for the Costa Children’s Book Award and the Carnegie Medal. It was a Sunday Times Children’s Book of the Week, Guardian Book of the Month and one of The Times’ Books of the Year. The sequel, WILD SONG, a YA novel set 5 years after BONE TALK, published to high-acclaim and was longlisted for the 2024 Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing, shortlisted for the inaugural Nero Book Awards and shortlisted for the Jhalak 2024 Children’s & YA Prize.

In 2023, Candy was named runner-up in The Observer & Faber’s graphic short story prize for her entry SAFE PASSAGE.

Candy’s latest title is the picture book LITTLE RHINO LOST (Otter-Barry Books), a heartwarming tale about kindness, community and environmentalism, illustrated by Jamie Bauza.