I read all of them, yes, trying to figure out what angle to take, and I was very nervous indeed. Had you read or listened to past Morris acceptance speeches? Were you excited (or worried!) about your own speech? I love it when a book affects me that way, and the realization that my book can do that for others is really moving. My favourite reactions, though, are when the book strikes readers deeply, when they have that hair-raising, slightly spooky feeling that I have reached into their hearts and minds, somehow, and have written this book just for them. Readers really give you a new view of your own book. I’ve gotten appreciation (and criticism!) from all kinds of unanticipated angles. What kind of reaction have you gotten from your readers about this book? That was the time of life when I read with the most wholehearted abandon, and so that’s the age I prefer to write for. It’s a wonderful age, where everything feels possible and a book can still change your life. How keenly I’m reminded of what it was like to fall in love with books at that age. What’s the best part of writing books for a younger audience? They’re super nice, and I hope we can all hang out someday! My agent, who is a bit more action-oriented and logical than I am, just called him on the phone.ĭo you have a favorite past Morris winner?Įlizabeth Bunce and Blythe Woolston have both kind of taken me under their (virtual) wings online, which I’ve really appreciated. I emailed my agent too, and told him to poke my editor with a stick and make him read his email. He has a new baby, though, and so it took him a long time to see the email. We worked so long and hard on this book, he deserved to know. Who was the one person you couldn’t wait to tell about your award? My second thought (which I actually uttered out loud, making everyone laugh) was, “Oh, good, now I won’t be up all night worrying whether I won!” Of course, then it turned out I couldn’t sleep because I was excited. My first thought was that I hadn’t heard them correctly. The Morris Committee called me a day in advance to let me know I had won. What was the first thing that went through your head when you found out you had won the Morris Award? We asked Hartman a few questions about her wonderful book and its well-deserved honor. Morris Award, given every year by the American Library Association to an outstanding debut novel for teens. A New York Times bestseller that has won accolades from such masters of the fantasy genre as Tamora Pierce, Naomi Novik and Christopher Paolini, Seraphina won the 2013 William C. Rachel Hartman’s debut YA novel, Seraphina, is a richly imagined fantasy, set in a world where dragons can take human form.
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