The Carnegie Awards take place on 23 June, and to celebrate, this special episode of BookQuest features two authors shortlisted for the 2026 Carnegie Medal for Writing.

Rob Harrell joins the show to discuss his funny and heartfelt novel about a boy trying to survive a disastrous school picture day while juggling anxiety, family worries, and a series of increasingly chaotic mishaps.

JP Rose also features with a thoughtful and moving story exploring friendship, identity, and what it means to find your place in the world when everything around you seems to be changing.