Southport-based author and performance maker Carran Waterfield has been named a finalist in the Books for Teenagers category of the Wishing Shelf Book Awards for her young adult historical fantasy novel Pink Granite.
The Wishing Shelf Book Awards are highly regarded within the independent publishing industry, with books judged by readers themselves.
Winners will be announced on 1st April, 2026.
Pink Granite is a powerful exploration of community resilience, women’s secrets, ritual, and the harsh beauty of coastal quarry life.
Set in the fictional village of Brinepoint, the novel follows two young women researching their ancestry in their community library.
As they delve into their family history, they are transported into the world of their forebears — a quarrying village shaped by hardship, myth, pride, humour and prophecy.
As tensions rise during the turbulent “Angry Time,” readers encounter the One Ear quarriers and a cast of vividly drawn characters, while the sisters are drawn ever deeper into their Great Great Granny’s rituals in a desperate attempt to prevent a grave mistake that could fracture their community.
The novel has drawn enthusiastic praise from early readers and reviewers.
Dr Eleanor Lybeck described it as:
“The story reminded me of the Gormenghast books and Hope Mirrlees’ Lud-in-a-Mist. There is so much action, suspense, and brilliant strangeness… Pink Granite is truly unique and utterly compelling… a treasure object in itself. Bravo!”
Another five-star reviewer wrote:
“I fully dove into a time where magic, hardship, intergenerational patterns, beauty, loss and grief reside… This book is for teenagers and adults who dare to dive into the magic of a story filled with depth. It asks us to take in the wisdom of our ancestors and multiply it with our own lived wisdom to create a kinder Earth.”
Other readers have praised its lyrical, performance quality and its striking relevance. One described it as a story of “angry times… where men and women, science and mystery, rich and poor are played off against one another — the angry times are with us again.”
Pink Granite is the prequel to Carran Waterfield’s debut novel, Redhair and Daffodil Friend, and continues her distinctive blend of folklore, landscape and intergenerational storytelling.
Originally from Coventry and now based in Southport, Carran Waterfield has created theatre works and performance events for more than thirty years.
She began writing fiction three years ago, bringing her background in movement, ritual practice and site-based research into her storytelling.
Pink Granite evolved from a spoken-word performance in Dorset and developed through workshops and research in quarries across Leicestershire, North Wales and Dorset. Her family history and research into granite quarry communities deeply inform the novel’s setting and themes.
Speaking about the nomination, Carran Waterfield said:
“I’m absolutely delighted that Pink Granite has been selected as a finalist. It feels like such a meaningful vote of confidence — not only in the book itself, but in my journey as an independent author. To see my second novel recognised in this way is wonderful validation.”
For readers interested in young adult fiction rooted in folklore, landscape and strong female narratives, Pink Granite offers a rich and haunting story shaped by history and imagination.
It is available on Carran’s website https://carranwaterfield.co.uk/product/pink-granite/
And from all outlets including Southport’s local: Wine and Words by Watson on Lord Street in Southport.
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