And the Stars Were Burning Brightly

An extraordinary novel about loss, understanding and the importance of speaking up when all you want to do is shut down. From an incredible new talent, perfect for fans of Angie Thomas, Gayle Foreman, Jennifer Niven and Nikesh Shukla. Shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize Shortlisted for the YA Book Prize Shortlisted for the Jhalak Children’s & YA Prize Shortlisted for the Branford Boase Award ​Longlisted for the CILIP Carnegie MedalWhen fifteen-year-old Nathan discovers that his older brother Al, has taken his own life, his whole world is torn apart.Al was special. Al was talented. Al had so many dreams ... so why did he do it? Convinced that his brother was in trouble, Nathan decides to retrace Al’s footsteps. As he does, he meets Megan, Al's former classmate, who is as determined as Nathan to keep Al's memory alive. Together they start seeking answers, but will either of them be able to handle the truth about Al’s death when they eventually discover what happened? #BurnBright Praise for And the Stars Were Burning Brightly: ‘Jawando’s writing is incredibly raw and real; I felt completely immersed’ Alice Oseman 'An outstanding and compassionate debut' Patrice Lawrence 'One of the brightest up and coming stars of the YA world' Alex Wheatle ‘An utter page turner from a storming new talent. Passionate, committed and shines a ray of light into the darkest places - the YA novel of 2020!’ Melvin Burgess Warning - this novel contains themes that some readers may find upsetting, including suicide and intense bullying.

Danielle Jawando is an author, screenwriter and Lecturer in Creative Writing at Manchester Metropolitan University. Her debut YA novel, And the Stars Were Burning Brightly, won best senior novel in the Great Reads Award and was shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize, the YA Book Prize, the Jhalak Children's & YA Prize, the Branford Boase Award and was longlisted for the CILIP Carnegie Medal, the UKLA Book Awards and the Amazing Book Awards. Her other publications include the YA novel When Our Worlds Collided, the non-fiction children's book Maya Angelou (Little Guides to Great Lives), the short stories Paradise 703 (long-listed for the Finishing Line Press Award) and The Deerstalker (selected as one of six finalists for the We Need Diverse Books short story competition), as well as several short plays performed in Manchester and London. Danielle has also worked on Coronation Street as a storyline writer. 

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