Candy was born and raised in the Philippines. For years, as a pre-published writer, she was the author of the blog 'Notes From the Slushpile'. Eventually, her debut novel, 'Tall Story', won the National Children's Book Award of the Philippines in 2012 and the Crystal Kite Award for Europe in 2011. 'Tall Story' was shortlisted for 13 further prizes, including the Waterstones Children's Book Prize, the Branford Boase Award, the Blue Peter Book Award and the UKLA Children's Book Prize. Her second novel, 'Shine', won the Crystal Kite Award for the British Isles in 2014. 'Bone Talk' was shorlisted for the Costa Book Awards and the CILIP Carnegie Medal in 2018.

Thanks as always to Christopher Pett for production and editing.

Links to resources:

Candy’s website: https://www.candygourlay.com
The CILIP Carnegie medal: https://www.carnegiegreenaway.org.uk
Notes from the Slushpile: https://www.notesfromtheslushpile.com
Money, Time, Confidence: What Writers Need to Thrive: https://www.alcs.co.uk/news/money-time-confidence-what-writers-need-to-thrive
Bookseller conference: https://www.thebookseller.com/childrens-conference
Unbound: https://unbound.com
Times/Chicken House Childre’s Fiction Competition: https://www.chickenhousebooks.com/submissions/
Undiscovered Voices: http://www.undiscoveredvoices.com
SCBWI: https://britishisles.scbwi.org
Lee Weatherley’s tips on how to write a synopsis: https://www.notesfromtheslushpile.com/2007/06/lee-weatherly-tips-on-how-to-write.html