Sunderland bestselling author Glenda Young has been shortlisted for a national award.
Her latest WW1 historical novel Celebrations at the Toffee Factory has been shortlisted in the Listening Books Members' Choice Award 2026.
The shortlist consists of audiobooks released this year that were the most popular with Listening Books members. Listening Books is a charity whose audiobook lending service is for anyone who finds reading difficult due to a physical or mental illness, disability or learning difficulty.
Glenda’s book is shortlisted alongside worldwide bestselling authors and famous names including Maggie O’Farrell, Harriet Tyce and Elly Griffiths.
The audiobook is narrated by award-winning actor and voiceover artist Hannah Genesius.
Celebrations at the Toffee Factory is the third in the Toffee Factory Girls trilogy. The books are inspired by the real-life Horner’s Toffee Factory of Chester-le-Street, who made the world-famous brand of Dainty Dinah toffee.
Glenda says:
“I’m over the moon to be shortlisted. It’s amazing to know that my book has been read and listened to by so many people.
“The book is inspired by Horner’s toffee factory and Dainty Dinah toffee of Chester-le-Street and is the end of a trilogy set during WW1. I love helping put the northeast on the map.”
It’s not the first time that Glenda’s books have been shortlisted for national awards. Her series of Scarborough-set cosy crime books were shortlisted for the Best New Crime Series award with Richard Osman and Val McDermid in the Dead Good Readers’ Awards at Harrogate crime festival in 2022.
Glenda says:
“It was an honour to be at the awards ceremony. Richard Osman won and although he wasn’t in Harrogate, he’d left a tab behind the bar at the Old Swan Hotel so we all had a free drink and raised a toast to him.”
Plus, her cosy crime set in the world of crazy golf fans in Scarborough Foul Play at the Seaview Hotel was shortlisted in the Listening Books Members' Choice Award 2024.
Glenda also runs two hugely popular Coronation Street fan websites which have an impressive and international following. And she writes Riverside, the first weekly soap opera for The People’s Friend, the world’s longest-running women’s magzine. Riverside is now available as an audio drama where all of the narrators are ex-soap stars from the UK and Australia.
Glenda will be launching her new Scarborough cosy crime Music to Die For at the Seaview Hotel at the Music Against Child Poverty gig at the Fire Station, Sunderland. The gig takes place on Sunday 6 December and all profits from the gig, and from Glenda’s books sold on the night, go to the northeast baby bank charity Love, Amelia. The book stars an 80s pop band who reunite… with deadly consequences!
You can meet Glenda at one of her events which are listed on her website at http://glendayoungbooks.com or follow her on social media at http://www.Facebook.com/GlendaYoungAuthor
