A NORTH-EAST children’s author hopes to become the first person to win a prestigious literary prize three times.

Blood Family, by Anne Fine, from Barnard Castle, has been shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal, which she won in 1990 with her book Goggle Eyes, and three years later with Flour Babies.

She has been shortlisted for the award, which is judged by librarians, another five times, with three books being Highly Commended.

Ms Fine said: “No-one in the prize’s history has ever won it three times. It would be wonderful to be the first.

“Librarians really know their stuff. I am a library child.

“My father climbed up telephone poles for a living, so, with five children in the house, there was no money to buy books at all.

“I was a passionate reader and pretty well haunted the local branch library. Without the great British library system, I couldn’t ever have done what I do – and nor could millions of others.

“To me, it feels as if I’m putting something back for something priceless that I once received.”

The winner will be announced in June.