| Chickenfeed wins 'Quick Reads' award
 On Wednesday, May 24, 2006, Minette was presented with the first 'Quick Reads Learners' Favourite' Award for her novella Chickenfeed. In the first two months of the Quick Reads scheme, designed to encourage 'emergent' or 'reluctant' adult readers, the initiative has been hailed as the one of the most exciting developments in publishing for years, and Minette is thrilled that Chickenfeed was voted the readers’ favourite.
The winner was decided by adult literacy groups around the country who read copies of all the books involved in the scheme. Chickenfeed was voted the best, and Minette was presented with her 'Quickie' at a ceremony at the Guardian Newsroom Archive and Visitor Centre in London, which was attended by representatives from the groups.
She said: "This will rank as one my most treasured prizes because it was voted for by readers. It's particularly exciting to win when the rules of the scheme created a level playing field for the authors. We were all given the same brief and none of us knew there was an award on offer when we wrote our books."
Minette put her success down to her twenty years of prison visiting. "Illiteracy among inmates runs at around 50%, but IQ tests regularly show average or above average intelligence. I set out to write a book that recognized the intelligence of people who struggle to read but couched in language that would allow easy access to the novel."
Read on to find out how you can win a copy of this fantastic book! 
Win a copy of Chickenfeed!
As you can see, Chickenfeed is proving very popular with Minette's fans, as well as with new readers who have been discovering her for the first time.
If you haven't read this fantastic book yet, here's your chance. We have five signed copies to give away, but we thought we should make it a bit challenging. So, following on from Minette's recent BBC appearance on Eating With..., we thought we'd ask a 'foodie' question. Be one of the first five people to email us with the answer to the following question (and your name and address), and we'll send you a book:
What is a typical breakfast for Minette?
Hint: There's a new link to an old article on the website where you'll find the answer. Happy hunting!
New video interview now online
 We've recently added a new video interview with Minette to the Multimedia section of the website. Filmed during her recent trip to Norway, the interview covers a range of topics, including in-depth discussions of The Devil's Feather and Chickenfeed. It's funny and insightful - a must-see!
Minette answers your questions
Q: I enjoyed your interview in Suomalainen kirjakauppa during the Night of Arts in Helsinki recently. It occurred to me later that I should have asked you a question. I have seen some of your books on television. Have the film adaptations of your books affected your writing in any way? -- Piisa in Finland
A: I very much enjoyed my trip to Helsinki and particularly my visit to the bookshop! I don’t believe the filming of my books has affected my writing in any way, but I’m lucky not to have a series detective. Some of my friends have been very dismayed by the way their characters have been portrayed and this has made the writing of new novels difficult. Because I write stand-alone books, this hasn’t happened to me. Best wishes -- Minette
Minette answers more readers' questions in the Q& A section > >
That's it for this edition of the newsletter. Minette has just started work on book number 12, and as soon she gives us some advance details, we'll pass them along to you! In the meantime, we hope you continue to enjoy her current books and good luck with the competition.
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